THE COMMONWEALTH.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 737, 9 February 1910, Page 5

THE COMMONWEALTH.

;•;: DEAKIN-COOK: POi.ICY. V■■ !■ : ;.: FINANCE/ TARIFF^. RAILWAYS,;AND '■; ; v ; : ■■~:' £•:■;!>vDBPENCE: v'; I'; c:. -..':••■' .:. By Tclejrraph—Prese Association—Oopyrlcht.. V :; ' .' vFebruary 8. ; β ■•\:■.^■^ t *^y , .•'' Mr ,•. Ddakin,-delivered:-,: his 'promised .policy! speech :before'his electors: at Ballaiat last ovening. ;: The": speech 'marks'^the: definite oponihg ■ of;tho;,;Ministerial .campaign in connection : .with ; . the, general flection in April 'f/:'t;-■,:■,':•'■'•-'■■. •_

■ ."At the ■■ forthcoming election!'.said- Mr. Deakini;, there.' would ;.bo>only : tiro '. parties, and:generally, one.;: work done, by tho'. fusion ■ Government of last session formed, a:,basis';sufficient appeal to'thei country' ■:': *.;■■..;..■':■;

'■■■..■;: ; Financial Rqlatioris' WitK/Siaies/-'■ liHei next ■referred ':id')• the:-:- Financial Agreement. Bill, and the; State Debts -Bill, 'which ;providb ': that,; the; .Commonwealth 'shali''take\over : .the, ! Stato debts, I 'and'shall .make'a.'nxed. payment, 'to. tho States-of 255..! per',heail' of "population 'per .annum', , ;instead;-of returning / to. ; tho States': three:fourths ..'of' oiistoms' revenue' under : the jpresent-Braddon clause. t.This proposal ..of the'JFederal Parliament, involving' a con-' .'stitattonai.;ohahge,iinusij:be:,end6rßed by a^vote 1 bi!-,• thei.-people; ':..>•";; ''.y.-.y:'.-; "■'^■■•...•j.

'.■Mr; Deakinurged.'.tho'. electors ; to vote for .both:measures'. i>'Hβ said, that until these '.two ".".Bills : were.. adbpied". ■' by.'.' the' ■people, of the financial, position .was ''*,'. '. ■';. ■ '■'V;'

•■feViffs!^"Ney..:\Protectiori."^preferencii.'.' : , -He "hopedvthat;,' the -tariff vVopld i.in futuro'bevdealt'iwith/apart from■• theory ■and; general, political'rdoctnneiV: Whole- ; 'sale'; reyisionV he,,trustedi'; would; ;bec6me. a-thiig of. the-past.'. .There' Were anomalies' in;: the -tariff;-but -;whett..the 'resulte.;; : of examination-were brought.put there would , .be suWitted' more";complete' proposals on ;a'new" plan,'.free..frpmi theoretical. inipedi-. 'men,tsJ. ; "':v'-;- ; v'.-':;.:■'':'•{•;'....'V.--;; >"i' ,: '.''.. :, .'.'.-;f'' J. ']:.\.

.^Preferential : .' : , trade :• proposals'.'.would tbe submitted•'. ,i or.,,.promoting' , -trade ■ 'with' .Canadav-'Nw.VZedand;--'''and:Sonth''Afrlca;'" ' "A ' "new:,protection" policy.,-wquldv-be formulated; ;dealing : not' only-with- tariff-, p^tebtodi'-induetiiosi;^Knts.wiin : '.other.;-ini' jdu'stries, as ,welL/;Fair/hours, ]fair' 'Wages, fair ■'. conditions .of employment,'' were' ends the /Government aimed :at. >He 'hoped ■to see'; Wages;,'. Boards,/ general '/throughout 1 :just'difficulties.;:;';V>:s^;;:i';V,/:i '/:':•:■■'■ '■■i'- ; ,i,Tie. proposed :', : inUr-State: /Commission .(which' enibodied.in.'a;Biil;lntr6du'ced. .last year, sbut /not passed),.'would :bb/, in-' Tested'with wider pbiv'drs of. inquiry than the/British ; Board'/tif>Trade/ ; possessed. ; ':} ! S

.. .The .problem '.of must;, flrsi'.be; altacked/.ih α-inodcst/way.', The , ■unemployable ; would .beVtnarked,. itickod andisflpaiately/ dealt :,'witti.//A/great" •:deal : ;'ixi?:thV.''way;-'oifVq'pial^SinelioraHbn ! jcould'.be■: done -by • GpTernment. iriquiry,/ ;superyision,;and.aid.':v.v'U ;.;;;:;/.■-V;/; ; i^vV./i

ji; Eβ-indicated the;.need/o£, a-,eyetom'of ■superannuation •pr-/.pe'nsions v for. I .'. Federal Civil;,; Servants; and' 1 suggestedUtha't'the States.; and : tie Federation might 'be/; able! to .-co-operate. in/ybe/; matter./f'/ \:\ : *:. ""■'•,■•:'.

,';; / Northern: Territory and .Defence;; ■■■; v : ;Territory,HMf.; said,/must.be developed," aid/people- put. there, i It \ must: be .' and.; railway '■ .communication. establishedi':.■/■ ft;;r;':(/ ;.i<- : .

: yEeference to-the offer, of %\ Dreadnooght terthe-Bnttsh Gqvernment.iwaa' : receiv.ed; aiediatelyv.by'; a ; 'cpunter/'dein6nstr'ation;,qf. 'cheering."^•.vJjv^i.:";-:;;;^i>':i'fi ; --i

~' Mr. 'Deakinfexpressed-,(ia;.opiniqh'that' the; soheme , ;/bf :V-..defence : . : Vhich-■ Keld- ( would;be/essentially ; apceptabl« iri ; prin-. ciple, ■'■ practical in\.-• idesign,'; economical, i and s'ecuring);.abqve: all,/effiqieicj;. -v :.-';; territory', 'eii'd' 'the'.speaker,-; the' Government /intends'■' to raise'ihorses. for/.military .purposes. ./' ;■';■■;

...'/It ;wonld bo :'.[ disappointing V(if next .Parliament • closed•.withont,;.havingtioned;' the,,'.building' of /railways to "con- : ■ncct.'iwith'/the/West and' , Port ;'Darwih'. •-,•;

a.newer; and fasteri: steamer; service ; with : ' Organisation-pi; a; drastic oharacterrWas' contemplated v in' "thepostal ■ .postal' rates : wpuld 'be .assimilated .'through-; put /the. Commonwealth. v,' ''■'■■'. ■'/'"'"; L '.;(■;

LAST SESSION'S RECORD,

VMi. -Deakinir aaf spokesman-,; of -the ■l^kin-CbokPudpn, , Governinent,'. ; has' not : apparently '.:■ thrown much slight-.' on ..the Government's; jblicy;as -regaras.the'tariff, •and the; "hew.'protection." " ;:.It v-was jcabled: in .December'• that - the :Gbyernment' • had -not. abandoned; the "new. protection,"bat.the, speech: as'/cabled'above, does 'not indicate -more than'-vaguely :■ w.hat; the ;Doakin-Cook- scheme.will :bi>.:i/As-to'/the tariff," at'- , the: time of-the "'fusion,-' Sir George; Eeid:(now:"effectively, disposed' of in London' as .High Commissioner)". itote'd ..that•: its' . ; basis;"■vwas..';a v . fiscal'compromise, which •', amonnts i to. a.truce" ! for' this- and ,the noxt;Parliament. : lf: the! Government seekir tb^reopen 1 the'tariff,'.. 7 it'-Canrioti'he ipr ■ the.'mcre. ■purpose; .of .\Tunnirig duties;;■ but ''only-.to; .'rectify, anomalies. , Lveryr.ireo.-trader in the :fusion :'is .'left' at liberty .'to .fight .'for: his :cbnyictipns' if any..proposal- is. brought forward -which .he;;thinks; will.-"-rouse:;.the: fiscal contioyersy. .-. , .'.-..', , .-''-->:'.\-."!-v'-'-, ; .■■■,.■.-'.■,■■.- '■■■•.-■■.:■.■■.■• v.■■.■•..•'■

Fusion - Government's:-Work;■';'•',■'•;;' : ', ■ ; -'. l-:r : ' :; iealrin"xlMms; that; the; legislative work done;by the. ■Pusion'iGovernment' is a'sufficient ground>on which to'iappeal to the /country.'. -,The Hstibf.'measures passed ■t/i'i XT h •'^°T Ses ':%??' m ™ s i-Defence BiU,. Naval' Loan ■ Bill, .Financial. Agree,mont;Bill/ State Debts-Bill, High Commissioner ; Bill,-Inyalid-'and Old-ase'Pen-sious BUls, (two),-Adult Bill, * Coinage 'BUI, ..Telegraph:,(Emergency)"Bill, Seamen s ■: Compensation, 8i11,,, Patents ' Bill, .^rP!«?; j Eefenuo..Bill ( ! /llarine',lnst.ra n c e ■Bill,; Federal;,Capital;Bill, Electoral Bill; Appropriation.Bills (2),- b'npply'BiUs (4) Eeierendum Bills of Exchange Bills, Pub■nSii berv J, ee ' ■ Salary); Bill, : 01facors, Compensation Bill, Australian ln•»vn iV£^ se: BlU ' ■'■ Conciliation and:Arbitration.BUl. v. z^ , :. , ,.;■-,:,■ .■-.■'.-,-.■■:

'Nbrtliern'Jerritorirand ißailway^ \ : -'\: ■■■■■ rii Tll ®:Soiate .wasihe etninbiing, : blocfc to the.Bill.fqrJho.taking over,"of the Nor-' thortt/remtoryiromScmth Australia,'and also.: to, tho .'Commission -Bill and. the Bureau of Agriculture Bill. With regard., to".;.the ': Territory. Bill, tho■ .Sydney .Morning Herald".comments: ■In .vetoing ; the •.clause'Tin ■• the transfer ■agreement.relatiYe'to■ the traEsoonUnental;railway,■:the; Senate/has .perhaps indefinitely, hnng up, tho settlement of :the Aorthern Territory problem. : .' . South Australia wants,to.have : two cakes.and eat them both. .-■■lt/vants- to.get rid of its expensive;, white elephant, whioh costs some hundreds ■of .thousands a; year tomaintain, and returns practically nothing; ; and'jnot content- with ithis, r it wants a present of a: strictly delimited: railway copneotion, .costing : anything over four millions sterling, into tho bargain. ,Such »■■ line, would, only be oxcusablo if it oould bo , shown tqibev.the: best; possible I way of developing the north. ..But,, on the contrary, it is; according to the j way o( .thinking l 6f all the eastern States, ;far- from-'being the 'best possible, .way;, and if built the line would be merely a gift to South a gift of doubtful : value,oven at that. : ; It would do nothing towards' that .-linking up of. .inland communications, which is - the' outstanding great and vital problem -in contiiiontnl railway policy.; ■', .* It would pay her handsomely to ; lia,nd over. Ithe territory, with its vast potentialitiee, and its accumulated deficits,, without 'any..'qualifications whatever. To be rid of tho burden. would .be.for her an-exceeding great relief; and if the Commonwealth succeeded in doing anything with the, territory ..she would be probably' the largest; sharor in the results -of success.":; ■ :. • i ' ■ ■■■ ,

. Lately Field-Marshal : Kitchener's scheme- of ■strategic, railways and: Northern Territory.. has loomed : up as a •/' new.; factor; the •'■' result of, which . romains to be seen. ~ : '•■.' . ■-. ..•■.i;