DEMOCRACY IN AUSTRALIA.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20101, 3 December 1930, Page 10

DEMOCRACY IN AUSTRALIA.

DESCRIBED AS FARCE. TRADES UNIONISM SAID TO BE DOOMED. [THE PRESS Special Service.} AI'CKLA iCD, December 2. "Democracy in Australia has become to nil intents and purposes a farce," said Mr W. A. Boucher, who returned by the Marama after a business visit to the Commonwealth. "With Labour Governments in power, the peop'e have practically no say in the affairs of the country. Alter the elections, it is purely and simply Government by caucus —a particularly bad form of dictatorship."

The Labour P.irty in Australia had its saner elements. Mr Uoueher continued ; l>ut ll they attempted to euro Labour's Socialistic activities, they were promptly 'disciplined." The word "discipline" was freely used, and there was even talk in some sections of -'disciplining" the Prime Minister, the Right Hon. J. H. Scullin. on his roturn from the Imperial Conference. Trades Unionism, us it existed at present, was piactically doomed in Australia. The workers were beginning to realise chat for vears they hart been carrying on their backs paid agitators, who had done them far more harm than pood The workers had t° realise that they had now to face altered conditions, in the same manner as the primary producers ol the country. Australia was teelinj; the results ot its short-sighted policy as far ns tariff walls were con<crned, and it was to he hoped that Now Zealand would never give protection to the uneco nomic nnd unsmnd industries as ha«i been done in the Commonweal' li An illustration of the failure of hi E h tariffs was provided in the case of one firm, which had a protection of r-,) p C r cent, on its product, and which was now in liquidation.