ELECTION FIGHT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 80, 6 April 1910, Page 7

ELECTION FIGHT.

» IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. FATE OF THE MINISTRY. IT HANGS ON NORTHERN TERRITORY RETURNS. By Telegraph.— l'ress Association.— Copyright. (Received April 6, 10 a.m.) ADELAIDE, This Day. In connection with the South Australian elections, tho fate of the Ministry hangs upon the rct-ult of tho contests ."or tho two Northern Territory seats. If they aro divided between tho parties, Labour will have a majority of two. The Ministry were unable to count on tho loyalty of several country organisations, with tho result that teats wero lout by the splitting of votes. CONGRATULATIONS. SYDNEY, sth April. The Labour Congress haa Bent a telegram to tho Leader of the South Australian State Labour Party, congratulating him on the result of the elections, and adding : "We ehall follow your lead at tho New South Waite elections." ELECTIONS OF EXCEPTIONAL INTEREST (By "Unionist.") The rp-establishinent of tho two-party system in Australian politics — both Stata and Federal — the rise and present strength of Labour representation sinco the inception of the movement in New South Wales, less than twenty years ago, the fact that at the Federal elections to-morrow week Labour hopes to oust the Deakin Government, and the indication the result* would give as to the prospects of Labour achieving its ambitions — all went to make the South Australian State elections of exceptional interest to electors throughout Australia. Only the merest details have been cabled as to the- results of Saturday's polling. The reports, however, go to justify Mr. Fisher's prediction* as to his party's successes in the forthcoming bigger contest. Labour in Australia will be jubilant over the South Australian gains, and the possible institution of a purely Labour Ministry in the State in place of the Pcake-Butler fusion Cabinet. Mr. Deakin must now be lees confident of chocking Labour's headway in the Australian political world, especially in South Australia, where in the last Federal Parliament Labour counted four out of the six Senators, and four out of tho State's seven representatives in tho House of Representatives, and where already two Labour men have, .been returned unopposed to the new Federal Parliament. LABOUR'S GAIN. According to Monday's cables, the position of parties as a result of the polling wa» : Ministerialists 19, Labour 21, with the two Labour candidates leading in the incompleted figures for Northern Territory. To-day's cables suggest that if the final count results in the defeat of the two Labour men in that electorate, Mr. Peake's tenure of offico is safe, and that if tho two seats are divided between Labour and Government, as in last Parliament, then Labour would have a majority of two in tho new House. Unless the earlier reported results have been altered by a subsequent count, the definite gain of one seat by Labour is fatal to the Peakc-Butler , administration's continuation in office. j Even if the final coi/- for | Northern Territory ousted tho two leading Labour candidates — an event not likely, in view of the fact that the electorate returned one Labour man to the last Parliament— the Peako Cabinet must ftill resign. Sir Jenkin Coles, Conservative, is certain of re-election to the Speakership, and Mr. Peake's following will thus only be eighteen in the new House, or possibly twenty, if additional results show the defeat of the two leading Labour nominees in the electorate up North. On division, without Mr. Speaker's vote, and granting Mr. Peake the two Northern Territory members' votes, the voting would be : Labour 21, Peake following 20. If the returns cabled are unaltered by the final count, on division the- voting would be : Labour 23, Ministerialists 18. Laboui' ran just 29 candidate* at Saturday's elections, against 50 Government supporters and five Independents. It went to the polls with twenty retiring representatives, and returns, according to present figures, with twenty-three, only six of it« nominee* suffering defeat. Mr. Peako reckoned on spoiling Labour of its strength in the metropolitan districts; the new Labour daily and the activity of tho union organisations upset his calculations. In the last Parliament Adelaide and district returned fourteen Labourites; in the new one, though tho cables give no information as to the figures, there will bo probably fifteen or sixteen Labour memberß for the same district, leaving seven or eight Labourites scattered over the remaining electorates. CONTROL OF THE NATIONAL PARLIAMENT. It is tne retention of the Labour party's power in the city of Adelaide that augurs well for Mr. Fisher's party in South Australia, and especially for tho return of the three retiring Labour Senators, who aro nil seeking re-election. Votes count in tho aggregate for the Senatorial contest, and in connection with Ihft two referendums, which are as keenly fought over almost as are the legislative elections, Adelaide and district can easily outvote the Test of the State ; henca Labour's happy position. It*> victory on Saturday will be hailed in the Labour press throughout Australia as a victory over State rights against the financial agreement, and as indicative of the people's preference for Labour control of the National Parliament. It will also mean that oticc again will there bo a State Labour Ministry in power in the Commonwealth.