FEDERAL FINANCES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 657, 6 November 1909, Page 5

FEDERAL FINANCES.

.LABOUR, DIFFERENCE. N.S.W. PARTY SUPPORTS PERMANENCE. S ■ SECURITY FOE STATES. ■■■■ • .. ... . I IBj Telegraph.—Press Asint:lttllon.--Qoprrl*hl.l Sydney, Novomber. 5. The State Labour party has decided ; to eiip- -j ( port tho Promior, Mr. Wade, in making the • Federal-State fiflancial; proposals permanent.; . The Federal ' Labour ' party, led by Mr. Fisher,' & 'resents..this action,:and.declares'that the Brisbane Labour Conference nover intended that j. the 'Fedoral : Government should - be hampered by permanent financial arrangements. ■ c The members of the Now South Wales Lab- . bur party,'led'by Ml'. M'Gowen, deny this. They declare-.that-the conference fully, meant, j [that proposals ;.shqnld be permanent,, fail j (order ).o . give 'security to tie. State Treasurers. 3 e MR.' FISHER AND UNIFICATION. j : Ever! since Mr; Sl'Gowen's speech of October, J 13.' endorsing •a - pormanent.. payment .by the e •Federal Government to. the .States of; 255/ per head per.annum;at has been obvious that an important ■ difloMnco has anson between the Federal Labourl: party and the bouth Wales State Labour party. the Sydney Morning .Heralff':;.. That the-leader of the State Labour, party! is placinghimself in I opposition to the leader of tha'Federal Labour party is not surprising under., the conditions \vhicli govern tie situation. Unification.is:fte . avowed end. of . all ; Mr. Fisher's .proposals. -He would Wace: Mr.; M'Gowen'and ,his supporters among'the unemployed, and ho,has noii>at>ence , with, any- financial .proposals,-which give the ; States'a reasonable promise: of-.continued ex- j istence. . But Mr, Fisher, and lus/.lieutenant,■ Mr. Hughes, do not 'see eye :to : eye in;_un-. J portaiit ; points,- and iti!is. : not astonishing that t differences of opinion should be sharpened .as it reaches the ■ Stately - ((r , ■ ] The "Herald" is glad that Mr., M Gowen stands' beside :Premier. Wade on this. question , of'Federal-Stated finance,-' making .-the New .. South Wales Parliament solidoorn r the most ,im- i nortant question of the dav. If to, i be . coritimtedj confusion and : anxiety with re- , soect: to the ; apportionment from Customs and excise, or if Federal members are going to throw, crumbs, or crusts to the States, instead of dividing the. loaf fairly .with them, the. work of development will be crippled everywhere, and in New South -Wales tyo shall . soon-come 'to a; dead .ond..- Unless .some assurance "is given -as :to the- future, .;we' r may as - VeUlstop altogether.'/.That-.is:to say, it,must either ; ,ba' fair play as between the ,States. ■the. Commonwealth,, or we must .accept unification' as the''only- alternative under union. / Put it is quite" cleat tli'at' South )Wales .;nor / Queensland .will, consider..umnca- ' tion .iinde'-..' , xisting circumstances.'• ■ i ■ lyhilo. diffenng"' absolutely: on the question whether' the : '25«.' oer; head payment should be permanent, both Mr. Fisher and Mr. M'Gowen claim -to hnve. the 'support;Ofthe' authority tif,'the Brisbane Lahour Conference.; In s ,his sbeeoh in the, NewiSouth-Wo'es Assemblv on netober; 13.-: referring, to':the Brisbane"..Lahnur,. Conferences ; ,iiropoffll, 'Mr. M'Goweri..', said! ,The . scheme '.was:' based on " certain average years. . and he believed the per'capita'sum; was. fixed atl2% .or-; 255:,...: It -.was! also .nnderstood—it ,wns i considered certain'',that: it. never-came to ! bfl orinied—that .thji .should ; fmpersedo . the Briddpn'claiisn. in.the and that ' jf sK"Tjl<l,not :Be nHeralile, at :the'-:mere will of 1 th»'Fclernr Parliament. V. The';Trt>aisnrer (Mr-,Waddell): That it should t be-, pennnnentf. . \< ; v Mrr: ArGnw'enV As'ierinan'ent as .theyl could. mskis.'ifc'i : TKe Constitution' could riot'be made soi-permflnenK'that - it could ineveri'be. altered." The nnnference airrced upon the essentials Hint, the States should hnve'an interest in- the Federal TCvenuo,'that it Should bo paid on a per capita. b«sis. , . ■■ i-. :Mr.. Fisher denies that the Labour Confer* in pemptnitr; and/attarVq .the proposal as. an unwarranted nledge of . State permanenoy, and aggrandisement. .' ' '