Through the deliberate restriction of the franchise to those specially qualified to vote, the ballot-papers for the six foundation members of the Republican Academy of Australian Letters were fit but few, and the returning-officer had to be satisfied with but 31 voting lists. In these ballot-papers, however, an astonishing range of nominations is disclosed; no less than 50 names were submitted for admission - an utterly unforeseen profusion of Australasian men of letters.

A restriction against members of The Bulletin staff was necessary in order to avoid any suspicion against the fairness of the competition; but unfortunately, from a sense of modesty, or pain, the officially debarred members of the staff were not mentioned. Thus Bertram Stevens, James Edmond, J. F. Archibald and C. A. Jeffries, who are not now on the staff, may have lost some votes owing to the voters' natural doubt about their eligibiity.

The voting generally was so small that practically only two immortals can be regarded as definitely chosen: the mere difference of one vote between the other candidates in so small a poll is hardly sufficient to gain Australasia's confidence in the authority of the R.A.A. The question is open to discussion.

If voters had been allowed only one choice, instead of six, the new immortals would have been: Lawson, O'Dowd, Bedford, Breenan, Archibald and Dennis. Dyson and Ethel Turner score by aggregate votes, though neither was regarded by any of his or her barrackers as worthy of first place in their lists.

The competition has been practically an Australian one. Yet the guinea award is divided between O.N. Gillespie (Box 303, P.O., Wellington, M.L.) and Bartlett Adamson (Box 1526 on the same premises). Gillepsie's list is as follows: Lawson, Brennan, Dennis, Ethel Turner, O'Dowd, Bedford; and Adamson's: Lawson, Paterson, Dennis, Bedford, Ethel Turner, O'Dowd. These get nearest the list as settled by the general vote - Lawson, Bedford, Dennis, Dyson, O'Dowd and Ethel Turner, in that order.

It is curious to note that in the six technically elected, no literary critic or professor of literature finds place. The voters confined themselves solely to practitioners of the art - which is as it should be. And Sydney and Melbourne divide between them equally the elected members.

The Bulletin, 5 July 1917, red page