AUSTRALIAN POLITICS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 88, 4 October 1911, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS

ELECTIONS IN WESTRALIA. PROGRAMMES OF THE RIVAL PARTIES. By Cable—Prces Association—^Copyright. Received 3, 10 p.m. Perth, October 3.

Polling for thirty-six out of fifty Beats for the Assembly is taking place to-day. In ten other electorates Laborites were returned unopposed. The remaining four will be deferred till the 11th inst. Preferential voting is being tried for the first time, and this makes it difficult to forecast the result.

The general issue is Labor versus Liberalism. The chief planks of the Labor platform arc: Stoppage of land alienation, ultimate land nationalisation, abolition of State Governor and Legislative Council, and taxation without any exemptions, stoppage of borrowing excepting for public works which pay interest and sinking fnnd charges. The Ministerial programme includes the freehold land system, substitution of income for land tax, borrowing for de-1 velopment works and a vigorous immigration policy. Received 4, 1 a.m. Perth. October 3. The polls closed at 7 p.m., but the returns are too incomplete to show the state of the parties. A MEMBER UNSEATED. Received 3. !>.'3o p.m. Sydney, October 3. As a result of the Elections Committee enquiry. Mr. Perry has been unseated for Liverpool Plains. Another election will be necessary. TASMANIA AND THE COMMONWEALTH. RELIEF TO BE OR ANTED. Received 4. 1 a.m. Melbourne, October 3. The Royal Commission on the alleged Customs leakage and losses sustained bv Tasmania since the Federation recommends the Commonwealth to pay Tasmania £OOO.OOO. spread over ten years. The taxation of Tasmania had advanced from .l*2.s lOd to 22s fid per head, against an increase of 2s 4d for all the six States.