POLLING TO-DAY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 52, Issue 205, 11 June 1932, Page 5

POLLING TO-DAY

I NEW SOUTH WALES ELECTIONS. BOTH SIDES OPTIMISTIC* END OF STRENUOUS CAMPAIGN. (United Press Association—Copyright) ! SYDNEY, This Day. Elections are being held in the sister States of New South Wales and Queensland to-morrow, which are creating the keenest interest throughout Australia. The Commonwealth Ministry, for obvious reasons, is hoping for the return of Governments pledged to carry out the Premiers' Plan for the rehabilitation, of the national finances, which has already been partly accomplished. That Mr Lang's relations with the Commonwealth are strained to the utmost is common knowledge. Indeed, he would give the Federal Government no quarter and certainly would get none, if returned. Mr Lang's .policy, makes it quite clear that he will launch 'the biggest offensive in the history of the State on the banks and other financial interests with his mortgage taxation measure. Originally he stated' that the £10,000,000 to £12,000,000 thus obtained would help to pay the interest iof overseas bondholders, but now he explains that the money would be devoted to providing employment, and that whatever was left over would go to the bondholders. It is safe to say that no Premier has received such a raking from the newspapers, and that no politician since Sir George Reid has been caricatured to the same extent or the same purpose. ' i In spite of the orgy of political capital his opponents have made out of Mr Lang's hectic career, Labour argues that to win, the enemy must swing over 179,535' votes, which is an impossibility. Labour having won 15 seats in the 1930 election, now counts on winning ten more. Party organisers for the Government side, however, predict that Labour will lose practically every seat in the countrv, also several in the metropolis. They put it that in eight or ten contests in 1930 majorities were so narrow in favour of Labour that it is quite a simple process to swing them away from Labour on this occasion, and that the people who. will do the trick comprise the middle-class and small business men who, in 1930, were deluded by Mr Lang's lavish promises.

FEDERAL MINISTRY'S VIEW. INCUBUS -WILL BE REMOVED. SYDNEY, June 10. Addressing a huge rally in the Sydney Town Hall, the Prime Minister (Mr J. A. Lyons) announced: "If Mr Lang is put back again we will tie him up as we tied him up before. I have always said on several occasions that while the Lang blight remains there is no hope for Australia, and the incubus will have to be removed." FINE DAY FOR VOTING. (Received This Day, 9.55 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. The weather js fine and cool for election day. At midnight polling-booth workers in a number of suburbs hart taken up their positions for a big day. THE QUEENSLAND CONTEST. CLOSE RESULTS EXPECTED. BRISBANE, June 10. Impartial observers say that a close contest is inevitable in the Queensland elections. The Labour Opposition has so much leeway to make up that a big swing will be necessary to give tliem the reins of office. In the last Parliament the strength of parties was as follows: — Government (Country-Progressive Nationalist) ** Labour tJ Independents The Redistribution Act reduced the number of seats by 10, leaving the parties as follow: Country-Progressive-Nationalist ... 41 Labour I 19 Independents •• Labour' mtist therefore gain 13 seats to secure a majority. » It is expected that Labour will score heavily in the North and Central Districts, also in the metropolitan area. The Government should hold its own on the Darling Downs and on the South Coast, but it is not regarded as likely to gain seats anywhere. The general belief is that the Government's majority is likely to be reduced, but whether it will vanish altogether will be determined on polling day.