AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 7 May 1917, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS. ’

NATIONALISTS ASSURED MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE.

SYDNEY, May €. i The weather was fine for the Federal elections. Voting generally was solid The figures ar e in no instance complete but when the counting ceased at midnight they were sufficiently so far us the House of Representatives was concerned—to place a big Nationalist victory beyond all doubt. As for the Senate, some days must elapse before the count can show anything like finality, but the Nationalist bunches in all the States are leading with such margins as to make the Nationalist hope of winning the required majority in the Upper House most promising. Postal and soldiers’ votes have still to be taken into acount. Probably it will bo something like a fortnight before soldiers’ votes arc available.

MINISTERS APPARENTLY SAFE,

SYDNEY, May 6

The incompleteness of the election returns and their capability of very considerable alteration, make it impossible to state the position with any exactness. On the present figures, a rough approximation of probables for' the House of Representatives is* as follows: Nationalists 47, Political Labour League 22, doubtful 6. Excepting Mr. Webster, Postmaster General, who has considerable leeway to make up, all the the Ministers are apparently safe. Mr Hughes’ faith in abandoning his old love, West Sydney, for B'endign, was well placed, securing him a thumping majority, while Mr. Cook had a runaway victory at Parramatta. Mr. Cann romped

A number of seats are likely to change hands. The P.L.L. looks like capturing two or three Mew South Wales seats, while Mr. Tudor admits that three Labour seats in Victoria appear to have gone to the Nationalists.

As regards the Senate, the outstanding feature is the probability of the Nationalists capturing three Victorian seats. For the third seat in New South Wales, previously held by Labour, a Nationalist holds a good lead. However, the Seriate figures'

at present are a mere dribble compared with the finals.

The Government, have made 21 new appointments to the Legislative Council, including Messrs James McGovren,

R. D. Meagher, and George Black, recently defeated Parliamentary candidates. ’ 'jf MELBOURNE, May G. ' The Hon. Tudor easily defeated hist opponent for the Yarra. BRISBANE, May G. The Upper House Abolition Referendum is Incomplete., So far it has” gone strongly against abolition. The local option count has not sufficiently progressed to show the pcsir tioh.