AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16499, 27 March 1917, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

NEW SOUTH WALES PARTIES. POSSIBLE NATIONAL GAINSTWO MORE SEATS MAY BE HELD. Australian and X.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 9.15 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 26. There is a possibility that two seats yesterday regarded as won by the Political Labour Party may be retained by the National Party. When the absentee votes are counted in the Kahibah district, the National Party candidate, Mr. Alfred Edden, may retain the seat. There is still donbt. however, whether a second ballot will be avoided. There is a bare possibility that Mr. Thomas Waddell, the Nationalist candi< 'date, has not lost the Lyndhurst seat. All the Ministers are safe. CAUCUS PARTY AWAKEMED. HOPELESSLY DISCREDITED. (Becd. 9.45 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 28. Commenting on the result of the New South Wales election, the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. W. M. Hughes, said the Caucus Party had suffered a wholesome defeat. It has been living in a feel's paradise since the referendum," he said. The light of day has pierced the mist through which it imagined it saw. the promised land, and it finds itself a hopelessly discredited party."

THE DEFEAT OF LABOUR. LEADER'S DISAPPOINTMENT. SYDNEY. March 23. The Sydney Morning Herald summarises the returns as follows:—Nationalists, 49; Political Labour League, 30; uncertain, 11. The Daily Telegraph puts the position as follows:—Nationalists, 47; Political Labour League, 33; Independent, 1; doubtful, 1; and second ballots, 8. The Herald points out that, although direct Labour has increased the number of supporters which it had, after the recent split on the conscription issue, the result of the election puts the Political Labour League back to where ii stood ten years ago, at the beginning of the rise of Labour to pow.isr. A feature of tho voting was that all the second-ballot victories of the Labour Party in the metropolis in 1910 were reversed. Of the old Liberal Party, Mr. Waddell was the only one to suffer defeat, but the Nationalist section of the old Labour Party suffered considerably, losing . nine seats to the Political Labour League. Mr. John . Storey, leader of the official Labour Party, says he is not exactly' satisfied with the results of the elections. Ha thought the party would have done considerably better. . Mr. Meagher, Lord Mayor of Sydney, attributes his defeat largely to a " feet id, venomous sectarian issue." The election aroused keen interest in the other States, as the result is accepted as an indicator for the forthcoming Commonwealth elections. The Herald, in a leader, says:—"The victory of the Nationalists is a victory for sane government on well-ordered, progressive lines. lb is- evidence that while the State is thoroughly democratic» in thought it abhors the extremists of either side, and I has no confidence': in men who would ; destroy institutions and out of the ruins seek to• erect an = anarchic State." The . Telegraph ■ says :—" The State has reason' to congratulate itself upon securing a sane, stable ; Government, .. free from a . secret taskmaster, in th,e shape of a caucus."-;

COMMONWEALTH ELECTIONS. A ■ ; LABOUR i MANIFESTO. , TAXATION ;, OF , WAR ; V PROFITS. . MELBOURNE. March 26. '■ ■ ■>•■; ■•'.-'-■ ► '■".'■ p. .'' ■v\ '■-,'■- ■■'* The manifesto issued by the Australian Labour .'Party.; in connection with the Commonwealth elections / says:—-"The ' party will continue under the voluntary system to secure,.■ every " man fit : for the front. If returned to power, it will instruct the censors to relax their irritating grip of the press';.i money will be lent without interest to returned soldiers wishing -to go ■; on'. the land or to engage in business; and the , tariff will be revised to give adequate .protection . to Australian manufacturers. There will be no tax on wealth for any purpose,'; and .war-profits will be taxed on a basis of 50 per cent, excess profits for "the ..year 1915, 60 per cent, for 1916,-and 100 per cent. thereafter for the duration. of the 1 war."