U.S. PRESIDENCY

Hokitika Guardian, 7 November 1928, Page 5

U.S. PRESIDENCY

REPUBLICANS FAVOUR ED. (United Press Association— By Electric Telegraph—Copyright). NEW YORK, Nov. ;3. The Presidential and electoral campaign is over. Nothing is now loft hut the polling. II is clearly indicated that Mr Hoover will he returned by a considerable popular and Electoral (ollege majority. ft is interesting to note that the betting odds have lengthened in the last 21 hours as a scarcity of Smith, money forced the odds l ij> to five to one that Hoover will win. A lastminute definite movement towards Air Hoover is (dear from tliis hotting alone. Ten day's ago considerable money was being wagered at three to one. favouring Mr Hoover. I o-day it is rumoured that one noted speculator on Wall Street wagered one million dollars to two hundred thousand dollars on Hoover. It is discernible that the Republican issue of prosperity. Governor Smith’s religion and dissension in the Democratic Party in the South over the religious and Prohibition issues are the child’ factors working for Governor Smith’s defeat. Air Hoover and Governor Smith made their final speeches to-night over the radio, in a last minute appeal to the voters. Politics this year have been brought into every' home in the nation by means of the radio, since every’ speech of importance was broadcast over the national “hook-up,” with forty million listeners-in. Governor Smith made nearly three times as many addresses as Air Hoover and it is announced that Governor Smith consumed twenty-two and a half hours on the national radio, the cost of which to the Democrats was 123 thousand dolars.

The deaths among Members of Congress during the past fortnight have somewhat changed the position as concerns the present party control in the Legislature and possible changes due to the election. The Senate has fortvsovon Republicans, forty-six Democrats. one Farmer Labourite and two Republicans elected but not seated. Thirty-four Senators will he eletccd on Tuesday and the Republicans have the better (bailee to make gains in the Senate, because most of those State's choosing Senators this election are nominally Repaidienn.

Tt is likewise expected that control of the House of Representatives, by a considerable majority will also be vested in the Republicans, unless the unexpected occurs, and Governor Smith is selected by a landslide that carries with it Democratic officials throughout the nation.

The major political bodies have tiled returns of their campaign expenditure showing that the Republicans have disbursed five million dollars and Democrats four million dollars. The Association against Prohibition has laid out three hundred thousand dollars and the Anti-Saloon League has spent 610 thousand dollars. Those figures, it is estimated, represent only a part of the total sums expended on the election by various groups, since the campaign funds listed are only those which came under the control of the national party heads. It is believed that when the hinds spoilL lor the Congressional campaign and for those for thousands of minor officials throughout the nation, who will he elected to-morrow, are included in the total, the sum may he live times as great.