FEDERAL ELECTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23333, 27 October 1937, Page 9

FEDERAL ELECTION

VOTES STILL BEING COUNTED MAJORITY OF MINISTERS SAFE INTERESTING DUEL AT MARANOA (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) SYDNEY, Oct. 26. (Received Oct. 27, at 0.45 a.m.) The checking of the general election returns has reached the stage where nearly 1,000,000 primary votes, in addition to postal and absentee votes, remain to be counted. No marked change is revealed in the strength of parties. All' the Ministers in the House of Representatives except Sir Archdale Parkhill and Mr J. A. Hunter are certain to be returned. It can safely be said that Mr H. V. Thorby, assistant Minister, will retain the Calare seat, where he is more than 2000 ahead of his Labour opponent, Mr W. Folster, with postal and absentee votes likely to favour Mr Thorby. Mr J. A. Hunter, assistant Minister, is involved in a most interesting duel at Maranoa, Queensland, with an author-journalist, Mr Randolph Bedford. The latter has already polled 11,900 compared with Mr Hunter's 9400, and the Social Credit candidate, Mr Madden, with 2100. The result depends on the allocation of Mr Madden's preferences.

The Minister of Customs, Mr T. W. White, has a majority in Balaclava, Victoria, of 12,00(5 over his nearest opponent. The Federal Treasurer, Mr R. G. Casey, has a lead of over 7000 in Corio against the Labour candidate, Mr L. A. Carmody, and should have an easy victory. Dr Earle Page, leader of the Country Party, is soundly beating the Labour candidate, Mr A. G. Brindley. in Cowper, New South Wales. Dr Page's present majority is 13,000. The Minister for the Interior, Mr T. Paterson, has polled 26,000, to his Labour opponent's 16,000 in Gippsland, Victoria. Mr W. M. Hughes, in North Sydney, has left his Labour and Social Credit opponents well behind. Mr Hughes at present has 35,152, the Labour candidate, Mr H. F. Clayden, 15,234, and the Social Credit candidate, Mr P. Minahan; 3303. Sir Frederick Stewart, who hitherto threatened to oppose Sir Archdale Parkhill in Warrington owing to the Government's lack of action in health and unemployment insurance, but was induced to remain in'his own electorate of Parramatta. has a commanding majority of 21,000. Among the seats in New South Wales which were hitherto regarded as doubtful were Hume, Macquarie and Gwydir. The first-named is no longer doubtful, having reverted to the retiring Country Party member, Mr T. J. Collins, who had a rather "comfortable majority over a strong popular Labourite, Mr J. E. Hoad. The 'voting in this constituency was indicative of other'so-called doubtfuls, where the Labour vote failed to reach the strength expected of it. Macquarie, which takes in Lithgow and Bathurst, two important country western centres, seems likely to remain with the Government. It is said that Labour here lost prestige ov/ing to opposition in Parliament by Labour members to the ratification of the agreement for development of the local Newnes shale oil deposits by private enterprise. The outcome in Gwydir will not probably be known for two weeks, but the trend of voting at present favours the retiring Labourite, Mr W. J. Scully. _ , A recognised Labour seat* Cook, has been easily won by the Labour nominee, Mr T. Sheehan. This seat was previously held by Mr J. S. Garden, who fell foul of the State Labour Executive early in the year, resulting in his expulsion and later reinstatement. He, however, failed to rehabilitate himself in the eyes of his colleagues, who declined to endorse his candidature. Mr Garden is now without a parliamentary seat or the secretaryship of the Trades Hall Council, and in conjunction with ex-Senator Dunn has set up business as " a tariff consultant. The Attorney-general, Mr_ R. U. Menzies, in Kooyong, Victoria, had an overwhelming victory. Mr J. H. Scullin, a former Prime Minister, recaptured the Yarra seat in Victoria with a majority of 22.000. . .„„,«,. The veteran Victorian Dr Moloney was unopposed in the Melbourne constituency, and a prominent Labourite. Mr E. J. Holloway, was unopposed for Melbourne Ports. Bendigo will probably be won on the allocation of preferences by an unofficial Country Partyite, Mr G. Rankin, while Ballarat has already resolved itself into a neck and neck contest between Mr R. Pollard (Labour) and Mr S. Walker (United Australia), who is within 500 votes of Mr Pollard. In South Australia the only doubtful seat .is Adelaide, where' the Labourite, Mr Bardolph, looks like •ousting the retiring Government candidate, Mr F. Stacey. The Labour leader, Mr J. Curtin, in Fremantle, West Australia, has defeated a strong Government opponent. Mr E. Jsaachessen, by 10.000. The latest figures in the Minister of Defence's electorate, Warnngah, disclose that Sir Archdale Parkhill has slightly improved his position, but there are at least 50,000 primary votes to come. His chief opponent, Mr Spender, requires to obtain about 60 per cent, of the preferences to win. The degree of personal feeling displayed against Sir Archdale Parkhill is the subject of wide comment. His Ministerial colleagues feel that it is quite undeserved. LABOUR SUCCESSES IN SENATE SYDNEY, Oct. 26. (Received Oct. 27, at 1.50 a.m.) The position in the Senate is without material alteration except that Labour continues to make headway, despite the fact that the Government has lost very little ground in the House of Representatives. The consensus of opinion is that Labour will win 16 of the 19 vacancies in the Senate, leaving the Government with a very slender majority m that Chamber." ,