AUSTRALIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1917, Page 5

AUSTRALIA.

CLOSE OF CONSCRIPTION POLL. PROPOSAL TURNED DOWN. THE LATEST FIGURES. Sydney, Dec. 21. The latest and incomplete returns give a majority of 153.01>n against conscription. The States figures are: Yes. No. New South Wales .. 224. DG4 .'141,248 Victoria 2:i0,4!)l Queensland (i!i,7S.l !)1,.">2:1 South Australia r>S,lso 77,280 Westralin 42,032 22.40:1 Tasmania 20,520 25,22» The vote of the soldiers is not expected for several weeks. (At the last referendum the majority against conscription was 72,436.) THE "NO" LEAD INCREASES. FIGURES NOT ACCEPTED AS FINAL. SPECULATIONS AS TO GOVERNMENT ACTION. Received Dec. 21. 0.35 p.m. Sydney, Dee. 21. The "No'' lead steadily increases. The totals as now standing are: N0... 531.387 Yes 097,819 Majority 163,578 The total, votes on the roll amount to 2,772,588. While it is generally accepted that there is very little hope of tin', present position being reversed, the figures are not accepted as final. It is roughly estimated there are 300,000 soldiers, anil the absentee votes are still uncounted, tvherefrom a big proportion of "Yes" votes are expected. Assuming that the reinforcements proposal. is definitely defeated, speculation as to the Government's next move is already rife, although it. is highly improbable the Ministers will take action until after the holidays. There is a probability ot a Fedeial election, but neither Mr. Hughes nor any of the Ministers are prepared to make anv comments.