AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXIX, Issue 84, 6 June 1913, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS.

AN INTERESTING POSITION. REFERENDA FIGURES. SIDNEY, June 4. As later returns arrive it becomes evident that the polling in the Federal elections was heavy everywhere. Whichever party wins the apparent margin is so narrow that the position of tne new llouse of Representatives will be unsatisfactory ana precarious. The referenda count is likely to cover several more days, lhe running so far is cioser than was expected. The voting to date on the six questions is as follows: ' 'Do you approve of the proposed law for the alteration of the Constitution affecting Yes. No. Trade and commerce 457,229 486,713 Corporations 446, (iitl 465,222 Industrial matters ... 458,879 470,250 Railway disputes ... 450,9i2 464,204 Trusts 460,668 469,439 Nationalisation of monopolies 437,247 443,770 LABOR WINS IN THE SENATE. LEADING IN FOUR STATES. SYDNEY, June 4. The Senate figures are largely incomplete in all States.. In .New South Wales the three Liberals are leading, as follows: i Sir A. J. Gould 305.221 E. D. Milieu 298.729 C. W. (lakes 291.547 The iii-ait'sc Labor candidate i-.£ j. Grain 256.371 111 Victoria tiie three Labor candidates are leading, viz.:— E. J. Russell 275.662 J. Barnes 269,596 A. N. McKissick ... 268,579 The nearest Liberal is: J. H. M'cNicoll ... 267,064 In Queensland the Labor candidates are leading, as follows : W. J. 11. Maughan ... 101,040 J. Mullan 102,838 M. A. Ferrieks ... 102,480 The nearest Liberal is: T. D. Chataway ••• 95,302 In South Austiaiia the Labor candidates are leading : J. V. O'Loughlin ... 90,0-11 J. Newland 8J,820 W. Senior ... 87,911 The nearest Liberal is: J. Yardon 76,574 In West Australia the Labor candidates are leading:— G. F. Pearce 54,750 E. Needham 53,103 P. J. Lynch 54,210 The nearest Liberal is: W. J. Butcher ... ... 12,124 In Tasmania the Liberals are leadmS'j. H. Keating 37,137 T. J.Balskop 36,119 J. T. Clemens 35,112 The nearest Labor candidate is: J. A. Hurst 31,789

PARTY LEADERS SILENT, SYDNEY. June 4. Hon. Andrew Fisher (Prime Minister) and Mr Joseph Cook (Leader of the Opposition) decline to express a definite opinion until the position has been better defined. Hon. W. H. Hughes (Attorney-Gen-eral) predicts a deadlock. He stated that if the final returns give the Liberals a majority they could pass nc laws with which the Senate, which had an overwhelming Labor majority, disagreed. They could not even get sup ply. One thing was certain, that responsible government under such cirumstances was impossible.

NEWSPAPER ESTIMATES. SYDNEY, Juno 4. lllawarra and Ballarat are still setsawing. In the former the Liberal pulled the Labor load down to 119. A< Ballarat Labor is leading on eight votes. On the present figures, and with tlu stipulation that absent votes may upset some calculations, the 'Herald' makes the position: Liberals 38 Labor 35 Doubtful 2 The 'Telegraph' estimates: Liberals 38 Labor 37 The balance of opinion seems to favor Labor winning both the doubtful seats, and the final figures giving the Liberal:; a majority of one.