LABOUR GAINS.

Grey River Argus, 28 June 1922, Page 3

LABOUR GAINS.

VICTORIAN ELECTION. MELBOURNE, June 8. The polling for seven Legislative ■ Council seats, three metropolitan and ! four in the country, took place ycsterI day. Of the 17 seats that became vaj can’., 10 were, not contested. The lack I of interest on line part of the I’tindiI dates, particularly in the country disj tricts, was outmatched by the lack oi I interest in the metropolitan area. In I the Melbourne province, IL IL Smith J was opposed by IL I’. Pride. The poll I was fairly large and resulted in the reelection of Air Smith by a substantial I majority. For Melbourne West, J. G. j Aikman, the retiring member, was beatj en by the Labor candidate, R. Williams. ! A feature of the polling in the Mvl- ‘ bourne North province was the lark ■ of interest displayed in The industrial centres. On tire occasion of the last election there was a dual contest, two Labor candidates, W. J. Beckett and E. T. Kiernan, being successful. Yesterday, despite that there were approximate! v 6000 additional electors on the roll, the votes recorded showed an in-i-rouse <>f few-'r than compared with the election in June, 1919. It was a triangular contest between the retiring member, Mr Kiernan standing in the Labor interest, and T. Passfielu and A. Renbew, two “Nationalist” candidates. The poll recorded was 11.552 votes, and represented considerably less than one-third of the eligible electors. Mr Kiernan was elected by an absolute majority 6T 244 votes. The voters on the roll totalled 37,560. The totals were: Kiernan 5899, Bassfield 3988 Renfrew 1666. Melbourne West Province, electors on roll 29,326 (complete), John George Aikman, grazier, “Nationalist” 3414: Robert Williams, caterer (Labor), 5693; majority

or Williams, The result of the •leetioiis is a gain of one Labor seat n the Legislative Council. LABOR GETTING READY. MELBOURNE, June 9. In preparation for the 'Federal elecions, more particularly the Senate poll, he Labor party is organising the met■opolitan and country districts, ano carrying out the policy laid down at ho Labor party's conference, held in Melbourne at Easter. The eo-opcra-ion of the State Labor members has men obtained, and Messrs J. Nt - Billion, Tunnecliffo, Lemmon, Jewell, Slar Cann, and Solly have been deputed o visit several centres to assist in ormnising supporters and advocate the Maims of S. Barker, J. Barnes, and E. Findley, the three selected candidates lor the Senate. The. three candidates verc formerly members of the Senate X conference will be held in a few days regarding the metropolitan organisaion, with the object, of conserving and rvoiding overlapping. Labourites are warned to prepare themselves for any jmergeucy.