FEDERAL ELEGTONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1922, Page 5

FEDERAL ELEGTONS.

RETURNS NOT COMPLETE. LEADING PARTIES CLOSE. CHALLENGE BY LABOR. Bj- Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Dec. 17, 5.5 p.m. Sydney, Dec. 17. The Federal elections were favored with fine weather and polling proceeded steadily throughout the day. The electors threw aside the apparent apathy which marked the campaign, when it came to the final tussle. The counting of the primary votes ceased at midnight. In no case was the count complete and. therefore, it is impossible to give a reliable estimate of the state of parties. Tn f>7 out of 75 electorates, however, the position is considered sufficiently advanced to forecast that the Nationalists will win 30 seats, Labor 28, and the Country Party 9. However, there is still margin enough for considerable changes in these seats. The outstanding features of these incomplete figure* indicate that Labor gains four seats and the Country Party lose five.

There is intense interest in the Hughes—Piddington duel. The latter polled well, but the Prime Minister hold* an unassailable lead of 4000. Mr. Gatto (-Leader of the Majority Labor Party) defeated Mr. Lamond Assistant-Minister of 'Repatriation). Mr. Laird and Mr. Smith (an ex-Minrs-ter of the Navy) have apparently lost their seats. LATER RETURNS. HUGHES’ MAJORITY DOUBTFUL. LABOR MAY HOLD POWER. Received Dec. 18, 12.55 a.m. Sydney, Dec. 17. It will be several days before the Senate returns are sufficiently complete to disclose the real position. So far they are so small that they give little indication. New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania each have three and Queensland four in. For New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia, respectively, a Laborite leads, with two nationalists following. Queensland has two Laborites, followed by a Nationalist and a Country Party supporter. Now that the West Australian figures have been received, there is much rejoicing in official Labor circles over the complete wipe-out of the Majority Labor Party, Mr. Catts and the whole of his five followers being defeated. Labor also considl ers a good showing was made by Mr. Paddington against Mr. Hughes. Mr. Earl Page (leader of the Country Party) was elected with a good majority. Counting was resumed to-night, and later returns point to a considerable change in the earlier figures when finality is reached, and that Labor will improve its position and the Nationalists will lose ground. As far as New South Wales is concerned, it looks as if Labor has won 14 out of 28 seats, the Nationalists nine, and the Country Pasty two, while three are doubtful. Figures received from other States are less complete, but. it is regarded as probable that Mr. Hughes will fail to secure a majority, and Labor will probably be the bigger party. Besides Mr. Lamond, it looks as if Mr. Massey-Greene (Minister of Defence) will lose his scat. Mr. Poynton (PostmasterGeneral), Mr. Rodgers (Minister of Customs), and the Speaker are also in doubtful positions, but later figures and second preferences, upon which a number of seats depend, may puli them through.