DOUBTFUL SEATS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24420, 4 October 1940, Page 8

DOUBTFUL SEATS

GOVERNMENT WINS TWO ONE TO BE DECIDED SYDNEY, Oct. 3. (Received Oct. 4, at 2 a.m.) Two of the three doubtful Federal seats were decided during to-day’s check-up of candidates’ preferences, resulting in the Government winning both. One seat, Maramoa, in Queensland, has not been finalised, but indications point to the official Labourite, F. Baker, winning, in which case the state of the parlies in the .House of Representatives will be equal! 36 seats each, with two Independents. The House consists of 75 members, including the Northern Territory member, who possesses the right to vote only in connection with ordinances for his territory. The two Government candidates returned to-dav were the former Minister of Customs. J. Perkins, who retained the Eden-Monaro seat, and Lieut.-colonel R. S. Ryan, who won the Flinders seat ~in Victoria, formerly held bv the Minister of Air, the late J. V. Fairbairn. The latter contest has been extremely interesting largely owing to a neck and neck fight between the Labourite T Lee. and the Independent, E A. Mann. who. orior to the election was the official commentator on the National Broadcasting stations known as " the Watchman.”