AUSTRALIANS ELECTIONS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3362, 15 December 1919, Page 2

AUSTRALIANS ELECTIONS.

PREFEREANTIAL VOTING ON TRIAL. ‘ SYDNEY, Dec. 12. I'n='.eres‘t in the general election is marli'ed by consid¢:rable ‘apathy on the part of the gene:-al body of voters, Th; campziigli closes quietly. The looining; bigness of zifter-war problems and the sexious need of n_iaki.ng a wise choice ; of repi-esen.tativ‘es to deal with those 5 )>l'"blCmS, ‘has had an . uriydoubted V stoadying e'fi”ec't,_~lhrowing nrany norm- , 1111)’ exciting side issues into the back l ground. Then. too, the ‘policies of the two main parties difier little, excepting so i’-.ll‘ as the methods of carrying them E I 3,1:-To el’l’ec': are concern'ed. Beth centre! :-hiefiy round the clamzint. postwar in-X §duust:i;i.l. and Ifin»ancial' readjustment. ‘ : 'Ssct':r:ian spirit has to an extent been i a.ppal'ellt V in the calnpnig'n, and is ex- ! nested to have seine ot'f'eelt at the polls. The ne wsystem of preferential voting has dangers not only of spoiling‘ effec-I tive votes -owing to the voters’ failure i to properly understand it, but also in E -h-renr‘.i.ng surprise;,~ in Ethe i"esults. The 1 Fm-inezs’ Party, a development chiefly ’ from the Nationalists’ ranks, is a. fac- y t tor to be counted with, and is c:ertain '»to win a. numbqsr of seats from each ‘ lside. and Very -possibly may secure ‘an important Controlling position in ' fhe new House. ‘lts leanings, however I will be -more Nationalist than Labour. As far as the Senate elections are i concerned, however, the result may go‘ _to Lalbour, but it cannot seen:-.3 ‘ct :Inajori'ty in the House, sufficient of its 'imCmb(3l‘Sllip not having to seek re-‘ election to give the. Nationalists: pro-J i ponderanee 1 - All p:lrtir‘;x~ ’-.':'~.t.'.= the ba.'ttlc _with t :"“'i‘ot}"Q(‘(l <”"<."".’.'Elti'Clls Of confiézlrcx .Tl).tl§jli3s‘; r""onT surf'acc indie-.1-X ’ tions. with :illo\\'allee for the sur- I i nu-i¥e:f; t‘: V new voting‘ sys-'ex_n may pro 5 ldnee, Nationalists ought to secure a [majority wiffli party ranks consider- | übly changed. ‘ 3 Mr Hughes anticipates a hard fight at Bendigo, and two other Min.isters,; Messrs Webster Lind Glynn, are con-I sidercd not tco safe. Mr Ryan has 3: sure seat in VVest Sydney. unless all I procedents are upset. ‘I All pa.iti‘es fought soniewhat shy of} the referendum issue. It is almost gen- I i erally admittefd that some extension of a l the powers of the Commonwealth_Gov- ! iermnent are necessary to deal with; 1 urofilteering and constituential diffi-l ‘I cultics, but State interests are so in-: ‘ terwoven therewith athat the question‘ ;is a burning one already. Similar 3 powers have been asked for twice and ‘ ithen refused by the elecltors, though gthe necessity of the ‘extended power has become more insistent in‘the ' of post-war problems, and the outcome 'is problema=?tieal. It will be no gl'e'at surprise if Mr Hughes fails to get :1 ukase to taniper with the constitution. i ' The closing of hotels on polli11g"d-try is doubtless regarded as a not unmixed fblessing by publicans, whose supplies‘ have sadly dwindled as the result of i the employees’ strike. '