POLLING TO-DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22368, 15 September 1934, Page 13

POLLING TO-DAY

THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS GOVERNMENT CONFIDENT (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) SYDNEY, September 14. (Received Sept. 15, at 0.30 a.m.) The stage is all set for the Federal election to-morrow, and the Prime Minister (Mr J. Lyons), his Ministers, and the majority of the influential newspapers predict a substantial victory for the non-Labour forces. Whether the Government will obtain a clear majority over all the other parties, as at the last election, is a matter of conjecture, but the fact remains that the Government expects to retain more than 95 per cent, of their seats and capture a couple from the Country Party in electorates where there is a strained feeling anent the tariff. The outstanding issue at the election is the socialisation of credit advocated by the combined Federal and State Labour forces.

Whatever slight difference of opinion exists between the United Australia Party and the United Country Party relates to the tariff. Labour expects to win back a few of the seats they lost at the last election, two in New South Wales, two in Victoria, and one in Western Australia. On the other hand they may lose a couple in New South Wales, and one in Queensland, due to the redistribution of boundaries. Exactly what part will be played by Douglas Credit candidates in to-morrow’s poll remains to be seen, but the consensus of opinion, is that they will prejudice Labour’s chances where the margin is likely to be narrow. The party position in the last Parliament was as follows: —■ v United Australia Party .. .. 38 United Country Party .. •• 16 Federal Labour Party 14 Beasley or Lang Labour Gtoup .. 5 Independents 2 Total -75 The new House of Representatives, owing to the elimination of the Angas seat in South Australia, will comprise only 74 members. In order to obtain a majority over the other parties the combined Labour factions require to double their present strength, of 19.