QUEENSLAND ELECTIONS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 122, 8 May 1912, Page 3

QUEENSLAND ELECTIONS

j SOCIALISM DEFEATED, j MR. DENHAM’S STRONG PARTY. I Brisbane, Maj' 20. ( A great victory for Liberalism was ; achieved at the Queensland State ! elections. The electors were faced 1 with a clear-cut issue, Liberalism V. Socialism, and they spoke with no uncertain voice at the ballot boxes. In the last Parliament the Liberal ■ majority was seven- In the new Parliament it will be between 17 And : 20. The Premier, Mr. Denham, ex- ' presses himself highly delighted with the result. A feature of the elections i was the Liberal successes on the gold . fields. I The circumstances under which the ■elections were held, and the strenu--1 ous efforts put forward by both parties, made polling day one of excite- | ment and suspense. There was r.o ; disorder. The wishes and fervid exj pectations of the socialists, kept before their eyes the prospects of office and power. That party* boastied from every platform and street I corner that it was certain to get i there. Keen partj' men and women j laboured as they had not done for | many elections, to arouse the less I alert body of electors to the perform- ! ance of their duty. To a great ex- ! tent they were successful, for in many constituencies polling was Very I heavy, and the attitude of the eleci tors consistently earnest and resoi lute. Seldom, indeed, have they gone about their voting in a more calm and businesslike way, or exhibited more keen and sustained interest in the contest. In manj- constituencies visits were paid every house, and every elector who could be found, or who could be persuaded to go to the poll was brought to the nearest booth. LIBERAL APATHY.

In Brisbane North the commitees failed to reach nearly 2000 voters. That was perhaps the most glaring instance of invincible apathy’ which the daj' afforded. Indeed, it maj- be mentioned that three electorates — Brisbane South, Brisbane, and Merthyr—lost on’j- bj' 150 votes. In many electorates the percentage of votes polled was very’ high. The Liberal vote which exists, but persis tenth’ avoids the polling booth w.?f touched, but its icj- indifference only partiallj' melted. The number ol those Liberals who did not go tc the poll is still lamentably' great. The socialists polled all the votes

thej- could command. It was perfectly obvious in some booths that scores of those who presented themselves as voters, and wearing the obstrusive red, were not 21 j-cars of age, but it appears there is nothing in the act justifying the returning officers questioning voters on this point. ■ What will be done in the matter remains to be seen. A factor which increased the general feeling of suspense—at times most acute—was the alteration of the boundaries of the electorates. Large numbers voted early. Cases of personation were noticed, and doubtless these will be followed up. RED AND BLUE. The socialistic red ribbon and Liberal blue were very- conspicuous. One socialistic candidate sent out two ponies decked with reel ribbon and ridden bj' boys wearing red. and employed in ringing cow-bells. There is no doubt that the massing of red ribboners around some polling booths gave a false idea of the strength and prospects of socialism. Except sentimentally, it did no harm, for the reds and the blues carried or their work side by' side with great good humour. Indeed, orderliness and the absence of ill-feeling were very pleasant features of the day. There was good feeling amongst the candidates and their supporters everywhere. It seemed to be realised that a great party fight was in progress, and that personalities and personal bitterness were neither necessary nor helpful.