GENERAL ELECTION IN VICTORIA.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 28 June 1924, Page 9

GENERAL ELECTION IN VICTORIA.

Government Party in Minority. COALITION CABINET LIKELY. Ev eablv —Press Association-—Copyright. MELBOURNE, July 27. Polling at tile State elections was apathetic. There are four parries in the field, namely, Conservative Nationalists (or the Government Party), Liberals, who consist of the breakaway wing of the Government supporters, and the new anti-Couservative candidates, and the Labour and Country Parties. The returns will not bo available till midnight, as the voting is on the preferential system, and the counting will not close till midnight. Early figures indicate that the Government might sustain serious reverses, and possibly may be unable to carry on without the support of one of il.o other parties. INCOMPLETE RETURNS. G O VER NMENT SUSTAINS REVERSE. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. MELBOURNE, June 27. Many returns are still incomplete. On the present figures Labour gained four seats, with the possibility of gaining seven. The six Independents elected iueludo five breakaway Liberals, so that the Government has apparently lost eleven seats, though there is a- possibility ol the position altering 'somewhat. The Country Party looks like losing one seat to Labour.

All the Ministers and other party leaders seem safe. The Premier declined to comment on the situation, but in face of the fact that as tilings stand the Government can count on only a scoree of directsupporters, compared with 30 in last Parliament, it is considered that it will probably resign. STATE OF PARTIES. LABOUR HEADS THE POLL. By Cable —Ascn-'int tor. —Copyright. MELBOURNE. June 27. The progress returns of the polling show the State of parties as follows : Labour 26 Nationalists 20 Country Party 13 Independents 6 There are 65 members in the House, Tt has been ascertained that Sir Arthur Robinson intends to resign from the Cabinet, shortly.