FEDERAL ELECTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1919, Page 6

FEDERAL ELECTIONS.

POSITION UNCHANGED. TASMANIA REJECTS LABOR. Received Dec. 17, 9.30 p.m. Sydney, Dec. 17. Although several candidates have improved their positions, there is no acI tual alteration in Federal election figures. An unusual state of affairs exists in Tasmania, where indications are that unless the unexpected happens five representative seats and four Senate vacancies will be filled by nationalists and farmers, leaving the Tasmanian Labor Party without representation for the first time in its history. This is attributed to preferential voting, which in some quarters is regarded as unsatisfactory. Counting is practically exhausted, except the absentee votes. A big decrease in the number of informal votes is noticeable.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

[At the Federal election in May, 1917, Mr. Hughes practically swept the polls. His party obtained a majority of nearly five to two in the House of Representatives, and won the whole of the 18 seats for the Senate. In the Senate, before the split in the Labor Party in 1910, thfr position of parties was: Labour 31, Liberal 5. At the timdb of the dissolution, in 1917, the figures were: Nationalist 18, Labor 18, and after the elections in 1917 the parties were: Nationalists 25, Labor 11. Similarly, for the House the figures were: 1916, Labor 40, Liberals 35. Dissolution 1917, Nationalists 49, Labor 26. Elections 1917, Nationalists 53, Labor 22. The Bill to amend the 'Constitution, upon which a referendum is Tieing taken, empowers the Commonwealth to deal with corporations both within the Commonwealth and in foreign countries with respect to all industrial" matters and disputes, and the control of trusts, combines, and monopolies. The Act is to remain in force for three years, or until a Commonwealth Convention recasts the constitution with the approval of the people. If the Convention is not Laid, the Act will cease to operate in December, 1920 ]