The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1913-07-12
In THE LABOR WORLD
LABOR men TO
resign POSTS
CHARGES OF ELECTION FRAUDS
WILL LEAD TO r ETIREMENT
OF AUSTRALIAN MINISTER'S
GRAVE CHARGES HAVE BEEN
MADE.

Sydney, July 12.-There is no
longer any doubt that the labor gov
ernmert will resign and that Joseph
Cook will assume office despite his
majority py the appointment of the
speaker.
Mr.. Cook observed in a special in.
tervieW that the labor ministers are
obviously bad losers, but have to rec
ognize that they have been defeated
at the polls and accept the conse-
quenCes Of the electors decision. The
liberal party was clearly in a diff
ticult position, and the only satisfac-
tory solution would be a further ap-
peal to the country, which would not
be long delayed.
In the house of representatives Mr.
Cook said, business could only be con-
Quoted by the casting vote Of the
speaker, but even if he had a sub
stantial majority the overwhelming
hostile majority in the senate would
ultimately bring about deadlock.
tory condition of the electoral rolls,
and said that the new voting system
was open to grave abuse.
This question will undoubtedly I've
made a prominent feature of liberal
electioneering during the next few
months. Charges are made in all the
states against the labor party "stuff-
ing" the rolls.
More Votes Than Voters.
In Victoria the number of persons
on the rolls is over 100000 more
than the total Of adults in the state,
including criminals, lunatics and
aliens. In Queensland, $4,000 more
persons have been enrolled than there
I,,1A
more in South Australia. 1t is esti-
mated that at Oxley (Queensland)
formerly a liberal stronghold, and
won at this election by the labor par
ty, the number of votes recorded was
in excess Of the total electorate. AT
Brisbane 81 per cent of the state cleo
tors voted, and at Ballarat, 95 per
cent.
In hundreds of cases impersonation
and duplicate voting were& discovered
and there were numerous other irreg
ularities. The polling arrangements
at several places were chaotic; there
was no system of checking absent
votes with the rolls, or the rolls were
different at various polling places in
the same division, the result being
| that each elector would vote twice
or oftener with trifing risk of detec-
| ton. One elector at Ballarat boasted
VI udNlIlS NOlSu uluSl6Sl IlIleSs
Have Proved Cases.
The liberals are preparing com
prehensive list of proved cases Of this
kind. They are confident that the
vast ma ajority of the electors disap-
prove of the practice of manipulating
the rolls for party purposes and ar
| electoral system by which fraud is en-
couraged. Australians are proud OF
| possessing the widest and freest suf.
| frage in the world, but the manner
in. which it has been used at this
election indicates that it is by nc
means a pure democratic instrument
| The latest indications point to the
| fact that it is unlikely that a fur
ther dissolution will take place fol
six months at least and possibly nine
or twelve. The liberals are determin
ed that clean rolls shall be provided
| by the next election, and their prepara.
ton will occupy some months.
The dissolution party is prob
ably larger in numbers among the
labor party than the liberals. 1t is
almost certain that the liberals will
improve their position at the mex
election Nearly all the seats wor
were held by substantial majorities
on the other hand, several seats were
retained or won for the labor party
! by narrow majorities.
The liberals. it is believed, giver
| fine weather and a straight fight
will probably win all the senate seats
in New South Wales and Tasmania
and possibly also in Victoria; while
they should gain some at least II
South Australia. The liberals, there
fore, stand to gain much and lose
little by further election.