COMMONWEALTH ELECTIONS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 1, 2 June 1913, Page 5

COMMONWEALTH ELECTIONS

• COMPLETE RETURNS NOT AVAILABLE. LITTLE DIFFERENCE IN PARTIES SO FAR. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Received 1, 5.5 p.m. Sydney, June 1. Though the weather was generally fine in New South Wales, the bitter cold militated somewhat against the polling for the new Commonwealth Parliament In Victoria and Tasmania rain and wintry conditions prevailed, though on the whole the voting was heavy. Up to midnight, when the counting was stopped, not a single electorate was completed. The returns from many of the electorates, especially from the other States, are too meagre to speculate upon. It will be days before all are complete. As for the Senate and the referenda, the returns are too small to tell any tale at all. On present appearances the Liberals appear likely to gain two, if not four, seats in* New South Wales, while Labor looks as if it will take the Illawarra seat from the Liberals. As a set-off, in Victoria the latest figures indicate that the Labor Party will probably win the Fawker and Bendigo seats from the Liberals. There is also a possibility of their gaining Ballarat. Should Bendigo go to Labor, Sir John Quick, a notable old political campaigner, will disappear from the arena. Most of the Ministers, and Mr. Joseph Cook, the leader of .the Opposition, appear to be safe, though Mr. Fisher (the Prime Minister) and Mr. King o'Malley are fighting strong opponents.

Great and enthusiastic crowds assembled in the streets in the vicinity of the newspaper offices, watching the posting of the returns till an early hour this morning. THE LATEST REPORT. Received 2, 12.30 a.m. Sydney. June 1. On present figures, five Labor seats in New South Wales are threatened, viz., Nepean. Calare, New England, Robertson and Werriwa, and it is fairly certain that the Liberals will suffer a reverse for Illawarra, but even some of these positions are yet capable of much alteration. In Victoria, two, if not three, Labor gains are pretty well assured, while Westralia promises one. Returns from other States are not complete enough to forecast upon. As far as the Senate figures have gone thev show that the Labor Party arc holding their own. The last House of Parliament was composed of 41 Laborites, two Independent Laborites and 32 Liberals. The Senate contained 22 Laborites and 14 Liberals. In order to rob the Government of its majority in the House the Liberals required to gain six seats.