FEDERAL ELECTIONS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 72, 18 December 1919, Page 8

FEDERAL ELECTIONS

LATEST RETURNS POSITION PRACTICALLY UNALTERED (By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyrifrlit Sydney, December 17. The latest returns for the Federal elections show:— Nationalists 3D Labour '-' Farmers * Doubtful, 19. —Press Assu. POSITION~UNALTERED UNIQUE POSITION IX TASMANIA. (Rcc-December 17, 9.40 p.m.) - Sydr.ey, December 1". Although several candidates have improve(l their )iositions, there is no actual alterabiun in the Federal election figures. Aii unusual state of affairs exists in Tasmania, where the indications are that unless the unexpected 'happens, live representative seats and four Senate vacancies will be filled by the Nationalists and the Fanners, leaving the Tasmanian Labour Party without representation. for the first lime in 'its history. .This is attributed to preferential voting, which in some quarters is regarded as unsafe factory. The counting is practically exhausted, except for the absentee votes. A big decrease- in the number of informal votes is noticeable.—Press Assn. THE PREFERENTIAL VOTE HOW TO USD IT EFFECTIVELY.. (13v Professor Nanson in the Melbourne ' " "Age-") That the'inner working of the preferential vote-used on Saturday last throughout the Commomvealth—has not ye; been fully grasped is abundantly evident. , On the one- hand the Labour Party in New South "Wales is making the "most elaborate arrangements to secure the same number of nriuiary votes for each of its three candidates. On the other hand the Farmers' Union, in Victoria, at least, exhibits'a callous indifference as to how its'supporters'dispose of their later preferences. The Labour Party in New South AVales apparently imagines that it can gam by repeating the famous Sc'hnadhorst and Chnmberlain tactics used at Birmingham iwo "enerations ago.'The Farmers' Union apparently thinks that later preferences rio'not matter. ;■;•-.• Both, however, are under ii strange/delusion. The later preferences" .matter very much indeed; but at the same timo no 'manipulation of these later preferences can in any way affect the fortunes of the candidates to whom the earlier preferences are given. .■■ r ■ The introduction of the preferential vote is an immense boon to every-indi-vidual voter, and it- is the business of each voter to find out how lo make the most of this boon. .Let us consider first the case of an enthusiastic Labourite. Nationalist, or Farmer. It is the duty of such a voter to give his earlier preferences to the o-indidate of his party. But he has also r-i equally important dutv as to hi:= r preferences. He must make up hi-" mind which of t lio other two partes is realty 'and.. truly most objectionable-to him. To this objectionable party no must "give his later preference. The intermediate preference must go to the least objectionable of the other two parties. Any duparturo from (his course is fatal. The elector cannot gain anything by such departure. But he mav lose much'. Ho may bring about the very opposite of the result he honed to attain. '•■'■' Tho'iipplicatinn of these principles in Victoria' is obvious. ' If'is the duty ofeverv Labour voter to ! 'give his eiji'lier preferences to Labour candidates, his intermediate onos to Farmers, and his later ones to N«fionnl'.sts. It .is \no duty of every NatinnnlLt to g-.ve. his earlier, preferences to Nationalist, candidates', his intermedial. I 'ones lb.Farmers, and : his ; later ones to' Labour men.- •■■ '.- Hut the dutv (■ Hie Farmer isiiot'soobvious. For U is well known that v-lrlst some F.vmers' ore Nationalists, i others are T/ibimi\t?s, and thereby, as will be seen presently, hangs a tale—an important talc, if is', of course, l.ho dutv of the Nationalist Farmer to 'live 'bis" intermediate preferences tir Nationalist?, and it is the duty of the Labour Farmer to give his internied-ate prcier-ev-~i to Labour men. The results of ii'M >!ection depend .almost entirely on tv, way in which the Farmers east th-i: intermediate preferences, and it is the duty of every Farmer to' pay the utmost attention to this mutter. At tins important, epoch in the h.story of Australia e.n immense responsibility rests on the Farmers. Their intermedial.; preference arc of vastly more importance than their earlier ones. They . must think not.so much of getting their own .men in as Of the greater issue, winch now faces the Commonwealth. Turn we now to another aspect of the election. As has been stated., notlwig can ••be. gained for a candidate by any manipulation of later preferences. Hut. it the object of the clcctor.be not so mueli t.) put a particular candidate or •party in but *o keep a particular candidate or'party. out, then something, m i.act, a «ood "deal, may bo done by manipulation of tlw earlier preferences. . . If von want to beat a- dog, it is just as we'll to have u good stick. It is therefore best in such a case to give- ' the earlier preferences to candidates '-.vno hove the best, chance of success. Thus, if there be such a thing as' a Nationalist who cares more,about keepin" Labour out Hia.ii whether Nationalists'or Farmers get in, his best course -is obvious.' He must give his- curler iirefereiices lo Farmers, his intermediate preferences to Nationalists, and Ins later ones to Labour. The reason, of course, is that. ■ whereas all Nationalists can be relied on to place Labour last, all I:armors cannot'be so relied on. thus, it it turns out that the Nationalists arc all ■ reiecfed, the Fanners poll the full Mren«'th of Nationalists and burners combined, and so aiv all practically certain of election. On the other hand, it ' the Farmers are all rejected .the Nationalists are no worse off, owing to (lie tactic- used. The Nationalist yotey-il come back again to the Nationalist fold. But the Nationalists may not. -win, liecause thev cannot noil the full sticngta of the Nationalists and ; Farmers comThu's the Nationalist; may find the Farmers useful as -sticks with winch to beat Labourites..