AN EXCITING CONTEST

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 947, 14 October 1910, Page 5

AN EXCITING CONTEST

NEW SOUTH WALES ELECTIONS TO-DAY. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. Sydney, October 13. . All parties are making monster rallies for the eve of the elections. Tho leaders are making their,final appeals. ' , The Liquor interest is lavishly spending money and flooding the newspapers with page' advertisements setting out the-evils-likely, to result under NoLicense. i . ■■ . • —;— ■ LABOUR GAINS PROBABLE. , THE. NO-LICENSE'VOTE. . , (Rec. October 14, 0:40 a.m.) .'.;•-'■ Sydney, October 13..\ It is not easy to forecast tho result of the elections. The campaign has been conducted with great vigour, and cph.sidarable bitterness. Both sides express themselves confident, but calculations are.out of.the question. Indications point to the.Labour party returning materially stronger, and there is a possibility of the party ousting- the Wade Government. ' . . ' ■ The No-License hopes of increasing the "dry" vote appear well founded,.and:the shutting of tho. whole of ,the hotels in at least one or two electorates is not improbable: .'■ .; ■ "-. ; ; STRENUOUS CAMPAIGNING. The political campaign at present being waged in New South. Wales is one of the most strenuous that has taken place in Australia. The 'fight is in tho main a straight-out contest between thß Liberals, led by the Premier, Mr. Wade, and the Labour, party. /.There are ninety : seats in the Legislative.Assembly, and for every seat there is a Labour .candidate." .There. is, however, no officially endorsed Government candidate for about fifteen seats. A Second Ballot Act Was, passed. recently, but will not'be'much needed,, as'in only twenty constituencies;' wilj there be contests between more than' two candidates. Summarising the position, : the Melbourne "Argus". Baid, in a recent article: —'.'On tho one side is the clamorous and and futile Mr. M'Gowen, with his policy of building no new .railway lines except such as can.from.the beginning fulfil the. impossible condition of paying 1 per cent, sinking; fund- over and above interest and expenses; of . nationalising the land and many of .the largest industries; and of abolishing the Legislative Council; and consequently—in: the event of his; ob : taining. a majority—making the caucus--wire-pullers supreme. 'On the other side is Mr. Wade, at the head of, the. Liberal, party, with three, years of strong,: ablo leadership and fruitful work to his credit, and.'a stimulating policy of devolopment: to. carry into .effect..- .The-Ministry.-'of which he has; been a-'member (first as Attorney-General under Sir' Joseph • ruthers, and afterwards as Premier) since' 1904, ;was, faced with the difficult problem of,: rehabilitating the 1 politics ; 'and' credit .-'of' New South : Wales iof tor.'a. long orgy' of reckless extravagance under the late Sir John-See and the late Mr. O'Sullivan. In that task it has been eminently, successful. A liberal policy; of land settlement; has been set going, freights, haye been reduced, and agricultural railways built in many-districts; the .clumsy, andineffective Arbitration Court has been dis-. placed : by a comprehensive' system of wages boards,: neglected ■' children have : been.provided for in a more .generous '■ uiu. scientific "manner than in any ■ other pan" of-..-Australia,'- educational facilities have been widely extended ,and several, important -measures- of' social. reform have been placed on the statute-book. With regard to land settlement, railway extension, ahdother'.' matters,', the programme Mr. -Wade is now submitting is' the most attractive - ever, placed before tho > electors of the mother Stato, and,it will bo disastrous indeed if ho is not returned to carry-it into offect'." : '- ■■■;■'■,-■ The Political Labour' League executive is, hard at work, and -its president, ;Mr.; P.' J. Minahan; expects.a glorious-• victory, quite ovei'shadowiuß- that of April 13. "The number of Labour men in the new Parliament will be sixty and over," says 'Mr. Minahan. "Several "Ministers' of the Crown will be amonst the slain. The fact that tho ' dying , Government passed a few measures bearing tho titles of the planks of the Labour. party, but devoid of Labour principles,' will not affect. the position!' During ,thq, debates oh jtho Workmen's. .Cofnpensatiori, . and Public Service Appeals Board Bills, tlio Labour, party expressed its 'determiiia--tio'n to reconstruct .them whore they'came m ; conflict,with the principles; ,by .politically-organised Lttbour."- , .'