FEDERAL ELECTIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 October 1929, Page 5

FEDERAL ELECTIONS

LABOUR GAINS GROW

(Australian Press Association)

SYDNEY, October 16

The counting of the preferences and of the absentee votes in the Federal Elections is now proceeding.

A number of the doubtful seats should be decided by to-morrow. The Prime Minister, Mr Stanley M. Bruce, is still several hundreds of behind his Labour opponent, Mr Holloway, and his defeat is now highly probable. Hon. Mr Gibson (the PostmasterGeneral) and Hon. Sir Neville Howse (the Minister of Health and Reparations) are botli still in a precarious position.

Sir Littleton Groom - (Nationalist) the Speaker in the last Parliament, is definitely defeated for Darling Downs. Hon. Mr Gullet (Minister of Customs) has retrieved himselif, but at the most he can only win by a mere handful of votes.,

Hon. Mr Abbott (Minister for the Home territories) is having a neck and neck battle with his Labourite opponent, but Mr Abbott will probably just lose the contest when the absentee votes are all counted. There are also about ten other seats in doubt. The indications are that Labour should win about half of these ten seats. MR BRUCE’S POSITION. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) ■ MELBOURNE, October 17. It was announced late to-night that Mr Bruce's defeat was imminent. Mr Scullin will broadcast the new labour Ministry from Canberra at eight o’clock next Wednesday night, MR BRUCE’S POSITION. (Received this day at 10 a.m.) MELBOURNE, Oct. 17. When the counting finished last night for Flanders electorate, the Prime Minister (Mr Bruce) was in a hopeless position. The figures were: Holloway (Labour) 29,804 Bruce (Nationalist) ....... 29,689 Birch (Liberal; 2,242 There was a majority on primary votes of 115 for Holloway, but on the allocation of 2970 of Birch’s preference, 1158 went to Holloway and 912 to Bruce. If Mr Bruce is defeated he will be the first, Prime Minister in the history of the Commonwealth to suffer defeat in his own electorate, while holding office.