FEDERAL ELECTIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 19 November 1928, Page 6

FEDERAL ELECTIONS

BRUCE-PAGE GOVERNMENT -RETURNED.

WITH REDUCED MAJORITY,

(Austradian P*ess Association.; (United Service.)

SYDNEY, Nov. 17

The Commonwealth Elections yesterday resulted in the return of the Bruce Page composite Government, with a reduced majority.

This is directly due to Labour winning back several seats, which prior to the last Federal Election were regarded as safe Labour Seats, but owing to the bitter feeling engendered over the protracted British seamen’s strike, fell into the hands of the antiLabour forces.

Mr Bruce’s majority, however, will be a good working one. The present figures disclose a number of close contests in identically the same electorates where an element of doubt always prevailed previously, and the outcome will not be known till Wednesday. There were two surprise results In New .South Wales. Air Lev (Nationalist) for ,Barton, has been defeated by Mr Tally (Labour).. This was originally a Labour seat, but Mr Ley who was regarded as a strong man for the Nationalist cause, was alone thought capable of holding it against Labour.

Sir Eliott Johnson, for-many years .speaker in the- House of. Representatives, and a veteran Parliamentarian is likely to he defeated by Air Long, the Labour candidate. In the Lang electorate, somehow, Mr Johnson manages to pull victory out of the fire at the last moment, and his friends are hoping he may do it again. Another close contest is occurring in. the Gwydir Electorate. here as in the past, Air -Abbott, the Country Party nominee, is doing his best to hold a seat, which hitherto was held hv the present Labour aspirant, Afr Cunningham.

There is a danger of Air Alanning (Nationalist’ being defeated in the Alacquarric Electorate, by Air Chiefly, who is the Labour man, but here again late votes generally help the retiring member.

The position in Queensland is most interesting, where Dr Nott (Nationalist) is doing his best to hold the Herbert seat, a former Theodore stronghold, against Air Alarten, Labourite, who is hound to run Air Nott very close, if he docs not actually heat him.

The contest in Kennedy, between Francis (Nationalist) who is being closely pursued by Air Riordan (Labour), is sure to remain in doubt till the last moment. This seat hitherto has been Labour.

The figures for South Australia and West Australia do not indicate ' any changes 'of note, while Hn Tasmania-, the position is likely to he ‘as you were’ with strong: support for the Bruce-Page Government. There is only one seat in doubt, that of Sir John Oellibrand (Nationalist) who won the Denniston seat from Labour last election. He is seriously threatened with-defeat. Victorian returns show no material change, although the Alinistcrialists, Rodgers and Gibson, are being hard pressed, but these two along with the Ballarat combatants, are never allowed to win easily. The same may he said of the Bendigo contest, where Air Hurry (Nationalist) is again having a hard fight to retain his seat against Alr ATcDonald, Labourite.

Mr Bruce bad a comfortable win in the Flinders''Electorato against a strong opponent, Mr Holloway, a Labourite. His majority is over five thousand. Mr Page has secured an eight thousand majority to • date over his opponent, Mr Swiney, Labourite, in the Cowper Electorate. The Senate returns reflect a heavy polling in the metropolitan areas for the Labour nominees, but there is no indication concerning what the outcome is likely to be till Wednesday.

The election will go down in history as about the quietest on record. Labour -voters appeared to turn out well, but it appeared that there were many hundVods" of anti-Labour defaulters, who ‘looked upon the return of the BruceP'age Government- av a foregone con•fcliisidn, and who later will officially be askwl for an explanation of their rcmissriess. STATE OF PARTIES SYDNEY,. Nov 17. The veteran, Air W. M. Hughes, retained the North Sydney seat by a majority of 13,000 over Air Howe, Labourite. On the present figures, the state- of the parties in the New House will probably be as- follows : Nationalists, 28. Country Party, 11. Labour.34. Independent, 1. At the dissolution, the parties were: Nationalist, 38. Country Party, 14. Labour 23. SYDNEY, Nov. 10. Hie referendum shows three to one approval of tbe Government’s proposals for the transference of State debts to the Commonwealth and financial adjustments in the counting house. SYDNEY, November 10. The Senate votes counting was resumed to-night. The results thus ifar are inconclusive in the doubtful seats.