SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS,

Otago Witness, Issue 2358, 4 May 1899, Page 17

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS,

A DOUBLE .REFERENDUM. . . ADELAIDE, April 30. The referendum vote on the Commonwealth Bill and for household suffrage for the Legislative Council, taken in conjunction with the general elections throughout the colony, lent unwonted interest to the latter. Very few returns are complete, but the personnel of metropolitan representation is practically unchanged. Mr Kingston has been elected for West Adelaide, though Mr Batphelor, a labour candidate, headed the poll. The figures to hand so far indicate majorities of about six to one in favour of the Commonwealth Bill and two to one in favour of household suffrage for the Legislative Council. May 1. The return of all the Ministers is considered certain. So far the returns greatly favour the Ministerial party. All the Labour members in the last Parliament are out of harm's way, and there is a probability of the Labour party winning three additional seats. Mr Thomas Playford, the ex-Agent-general, is leading at Sumeratta. So *far the state of parties is : -.-Kingstonians, 17 ; Labour, 12 ; Conservatives, 20 ; uncertain, 5. As the Labour party support the Ministry on all important questions the Government have an overwhelming majority, but are more than ever dependent on the Laboijr vote.

The Catholic demand for a capitatioa grant was everywhere defeated except in North Adelaide.