POLLING TODAY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 March 1940, Page 5

POLLING TODAY

IN FEDERAL BY-ELECTION. TEST OF NATIONAL WAR POLICY. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright MELBOURNE, March 1. After a strenuous campaign in which feeling has at times run high, polling in the by-election in Corio for the Federal seat vacated by Mr Casey when he was appointed Australian Minister at Washington, takes place tomorrow. There are three candidates, Messrs Vinton Smith (United Australia Party), J. J. Dedman (Labour) and G. F. Oday (Communist). Ministerial campaigners have made the main issue Australia’s war effort, and have insisted that the result of the by-election, will be regarded as a cross-section of the public view of the Ministry’s war administration. Labour, in addition to attacking the Government’s war policy, objects to sending troops overseas, but says as the A.I.F. is already abroad, it will not be abandoned nor brought back by Labour. Labour introduced other issues, such as the Government’s proposed grant of a monopoly to manufacture motor-cars in Australia. This has assumed importat proportions in view of the fact that Corio includes the city of Geelong, in which the Ford assembly plant, employing 3000, is situated. As the electorate includes a great variety of other interests, secondary industries, farming, mining and tourist resorts, the. result is uncertain, but the Government is hopeful of holding the seat hi which Mr Casey’s majority last election was 6000.