FEDERAL POLLS.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 December 1919, Page 5

FEDERAL POLLS.

THE ELECTIONS TO-DAY. MANY ISSUES INVOLVED. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Dec. 12, 7.30 p.m. T , .■ . Sydney, Dec. 12. interest m the general election is marked by considerable apathy on the part of the general body of voters. The campaign doses quietly. Th e looming bigness of after war problems and the serious need of making a wise choice of representatives to deal with these problems has had an undoubted steadying enect, throwing many normally exciting side issues into the background •then, too, the policies of the two main parties differ little, excepting as far as the methods of carrying them into effect are concerned. Both centre chiefly round post war, industrial and financial readjustment.

The sectarian spirit has to an extent been apparent in the campaign and is expected to have some effect at the polls. The new system of preferential voting has dangers not only of spoiling effective votes, owing to voters' failure to properly understand, but also in creating surprises in the results. The farmers Party development chiefly from the Nationalist ranks is a factor to be counted with, and is certain to win a number of seats from each side, and very possibly secure an important controlling position in the new House Its leaning, however, will be more Nationalist than Labor.

As far as the Senate elections arc concerned, however the result may go Labor cannot secure a .majority in that House, sufficient of its membership not having to seek re-election to give the Nationalists a preponderance. All parties face the battle with the stereotyped declarations of confidence, fii'?' W - M '„ Hu g D cs anticipates a hard light at Bendigo, and two othe"r Ministers, Messrs Webster and Glynn, are considered not too safe. Mr. T. J Ryan has a SU r e Bea t in West Sydney,' unless all precedents are upset. All parties fought somewhat shy of the referendum issue. It is almost generally admitted that some extension of the powers of the Comomnwealth Government are necessary to deal with profiteering and constatutional difficulties, but the State interests are so interwoven therewith that the question is a burning one. Already similar, powers have been ask«d for twice and have been refused by the electors, though the necegrfty „f est(m(led powers has become more insistent in face of post war problems, and the outcome is problematical. It will i, e no great surprise if Mr 7t \ x , constit "ti°n. The closing of ll TS h ° n poHin S **y is doubtless regarded a3 not a mixed blegg . by dwindled as a result of the employees' strike.-Aus.-NZ- Cable Assn