AUSTRALIAN POLL

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 48, 25 August 1943, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN POLL

LABOUR'S MAJORITY

(Special P.A. Correspondent.)

SYDNEY, August 24.

Several days must elapse before the final results of the Australian Federal elections become known. Progress reports indicate that Labour's majority in the new Hours of Representatives may be more than 2& Both the Opposition leader, Mr. A. W. Fadden, and its deputy leader, Mr. W. M. Hughes, are in some danger oJ losing their seats. Sir Earle Page, another of the Opposition leaders and a former Prime Minister, who has been the Australian Government representative for consultations with the British, War Cabinet, is *also in trouble. The distribution of preferences may save! these sitting members.

Mr. Curtin has offered the Opposi* tion the same number of members on the Advisory War Council as it had in the last Parliament. Three of tha present six Opposition members of the Council, Messrs. R. G. Menzies, P* Spender, and S. McEwen, have re-< tamed their seats in the House of Re-i presentatives, though with heavily^ reduced majorities.

Both the Government and the Oppo* sition now expect the service vote to favour the Labour candidates. The Opposition believes it will receive 3 fair measure of support from the A.1.F., but fears that the militia men will vote solidly against it. Part of the Op* position policy was the abolition of any; restriction on the militia's area of ser* vice.

Reports from Washington and London indicate general approval of thef outcome of the election. American! military observers point out that one of the most valuable aspects of the Curtin Government remaining in power is that the Prime Minister and General Mac Arthur have worked so harmoniously together.

British commentators emphasise tha stability which its unexpectedly large majority will give the Government, and they express the hope that it may enable Mr. Curtin to visit London and Washington for conferences on tha aspects of the war in the Pacific.

Mr. Curtin's first efforts internally are expected to be directed towards ai solution of industrial problems. Th« most important of these are coal pro* duction and the elimination of >ab« senteeism.

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