VICTORIAN ELECTIONS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 5293, 3 June 1904, Page 5

VICTORIAN ELECTIONS.

CABLE NEWS. UNITED I'ttESS ASSOCIATION. —BY ELECTItIC

TELECKAPH. — corviucm

ALU MINISTERS RETURNED. SUCCESS OF LABOUR CANDIDATES. .MELBOURNE. Juno 2. The weather was wot and cheerless for the elections, to which factor the comparatively small polling was due. The now Assembly consists of sixty-eight members instead of ninety-five. As only a handful of legislators decided not to seek re-election there was the spectacle of brother legislators contesting the same constituency, nith the result that many of the old legislators disappeared. A prominent feature of the election was the signal triumph of Labour candidates in the metropolitan area. In addition to Albert Park, Carlton and North Melbourne, mentioned in last night’s message, Labour candidates have carried Collingwood. Fitzroy, Flemington. Port Melbourne and WiUiamstown, hut wont down before the Ministerial candidate for Melbourne seat. Both Mr Kirton and. Mr Shoppco were defeated bv Labour candidates at Ballarat YV est, through the splitting of votes. All the Ministers have been returned. The leader of the Labour party and the leader of the Opposition only scored slight victories, the latter only beating a Ministerial candidate by forty-six votes. The present position of the parties is as follows:—Ministerial, 23; Opposition, 7 ; Labour,. 12. When'all'returns are completed MiBent will have a majority of about eight. The • elections for the Legislative Council have not changed the character of that House very much, one Labour member only being elected. The elections just hold are the first under the Reform Act, wnich ouected a reduction of about ono-third in the number ot members. This was decided upon in view of Federation, which lessened the importance of State Parliaments by taking out of their control Customs. Post and Telegraphs and Defence, rue victory of Labour in the close suburbs of Melbourne was anticipated. It is |jartly a result of the famous Victorian railway strike. Mr Bent, the present Premier, Was Minister of Railways in the Government which forced on ‘that strike and gained such a victory over the men. The victory has rankled in the minds of the Labour party even since and a determined rally has been made to inflict a blow ui»n tbc Government. Ballarat, in wnich Labour lias been alto victorious, is a mining constituency and also polls a strong railway employees vote. Only languid interest has been displayed in the election. This is accounted for by tno fast-growing feeling that the State Parliaments have pretty well lived their day. An annuai Parliament. with its two Houses, two Speakers, and the attendant paraphernalia, is sidered somewhat ridiculous in view ot -ts dot lessened importance.