MR MENZIES HAS BIGGEST VOTE

Southland Times, Issue 24240, 25 September 1940, Page 5

MR MENZIES HAS BIGGEST VOTE

GOVERNMENT , LEADS IN AUSTRALIA (United Press Assn.—Telegraph copyright) SYDNEY, September 24. Latest figures in the Federal election indicate the state of the parties as follows:—

Government 39 Labour 30 Doubtful 5 Labour may win all five doubtful seats.

At the present stage of counting, the Prime Minister, Mr R. G. Menzies, has gained the largest individual vote in the whole of Australia.

The counting of the Senate votes has improved the Government’s position in all States and a win for ministerial parties in every State except New South Wales is still expected. The percentage of informal votes is very high. There are nearly 250,000 informal votes in the Senate returns for all States, excluding Western Australia. The Prime Minister regards the election results as a clear mandate for the prosecution of the war with the utmost vigour. He expressed the opinion that the setback to the Government in New South Wales could be attributed to sections of the Sydney Press, which, while not actually advocating a Labour Government, had constantly decried the Government’s war effort, and attacked individual Ministers.

The official Labour candidate, Mr S. M. Falstein, who appears to have won the Watson seat from the Government candidate, Mr J. T. Jennings, is a practising barrister. He visited .New Zealand some years ago and participated in election campaigns there on behalf of Labour. He was on relief work and obtained employment on the Auckland wharves.

Mr F. R. Lee, who is reported to be defeating the Labour leader - (Mr J. Curtin) in Fremantle, is a former journalist of Western Australia. He. is a fluent speaker with unusual organizing ability. At present he represents London mining interests in Australia. The Fremantle seat has occasionally been held by a non-Labour representative.