FEDERAL ELECTIONS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXIV, Issue 17733, 5 December 1919, Page 6

FEDERAL ELECTIONS.

PROGRESS OF THE CAMPAIGN,

Received December 4, 7.2 0 p.m. SYDNEY, December 4. Beyond bitter leader and party attacks, so far there is little public interest apparent in the election campaign. All parties are fighting shy of the referendum proposals. They are apparently fearful of causing splits in the party ranks on that issue. The Nationalists are afraid of provoking conflict with the State Governments, whose powers will be considerably curtailed if the referendum is carried. , The Victorian and South Australian Governments have expressed hostility to the referendum, while the New South Wales Nationalist Party, at a meeting, decided that members be allowed a free hand to vote as they like. The Nationalist Press argues that if the Hughes party wins it can be expected to use the extended constitutional powers with a reasonable sense of responsibility, but if Labour wins and gains extended power it might prove otherwise, and- warns electors that the question is of much more importance than is seemingly attached to it. The Labour ranks are divided on the question of the referendum, which previously was one of the strong Labour planks. The fact of it being a Government measure is largely responsible for the present opposition.