NEW SOUTH WALES POLL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19032, 1 June 1925, Page 9

NEW SOUTH WALES POLL.

THE GENERAL ELECTIONS. LABOUR GAINING SEATS. .RESULTS STILL INCOMPLETE. By Telpjrrajjh—Press Association —Coprricht. (Received 5.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. SYDNEY, Ms.y 31. The New South Wales general elections took place to-day. There was fine weather in the greater part of tho State. The poll generally was heavy. The returns, excepting those from the metropolitan area, are far from complete and all arc capable of wide alteration. The outstanding featuro of the incomplete figures is that a gain o£ several seats by Labour seems certain. All the Ministers, with the exception of Captain F. A. Chaffey (Agriculture), are safe. The Communist Tarty and tho Protestant Labour Party have been routed. Miss Stanley Preston (Nationalist) was elected for Eastern Suburbs. She is the first woman member of the Legislative Assembly. On the present incomplete returns Labour has a lead in 45 electorates, the Nationalists in 34, tho Progressives in 8, and the Independents in 3. On tho present showing the Progressives seem likely to lose two or three seats. The state of parties in the last Parliament was: Nationalists 40, Labour 36, Progressives 10, Independents 4. In three or four of the electorates affected by the ' floods no poll could be taken at a few of tho booths, but this will bo done on dates to bo fixed later. Until these have been taken the final results must remain in abeyance. The general elections in New South Wales are for the 27th Parliament. There are 288 candidates for the 90 seats in the Legislative Assembly. Tho elections are carried out on the proportional representation system. The number of electors on the rolls in the 24 electorates is over 1,300.000. Nino of the electorates return five members each and 15 return three each. Sir George Fuller's Ministerial Party, comprising the Nationalists and a few members of the Progressive, or Farmers' Party, who linked up with the Nationalists shortly aft.er the last elections, is opposed to the Labour and Progressive Parties. There are other straggling parties in the field, such as Prohibitionist and Communist, with the usual Independents. But the issue lies between three parties—the NationalistProgressive, Labour and "true-blue" Progressive. THE LATEST RETURNS. ISSUE STILL ' IN DOUST. SOME POSSIBILITY OF A TIE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Rood. 12.35 a.m.) SYDNEY. May 31. The election returns up to 4 p.m. today, when counting ceased until Monday, altered the earlier figures considerably. Heavy absentee votes and the allotment of preferences have still to bo accounted for. This makes the position still capable of material changes. Approximately, on tho present figures Labour has won or is leading in 46 electorates and the anti-Labour parties in 44, with a possibility of a tie at 45 each. Tho counting has proceeded sufficiently far to be able to say with practical certainty that Labour lias secured 39 seats, the Nationalists* 28, the Progressives eight and tho Independents three. This leaves 12 seats in doubt for which Labour is leading in seven electorates, the Nationalists in four and the Progressives in one. Until outstanding votes and preferences havo been disposed of, however, these figures must be,accepted as tentative. Labour is highly elated at the result, which has certainly upset metropolitan calculations. Tho Premier, Sir Ceorgo Fuller, says he considers it is too early to pronounce any verdict yet. He expects the position of tho Nationalists and Progressives to improve 'when tho uncounted votes and tho preference distribution has been taken into account. Sir George and Mr. J. T. Lang, Leader of tho Labour Party, havo both been returned by largo majorities.