THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 769, 18 March 1910, Page 4

THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS.

Australia is now in the throes of a General Election, the result of which is certain to have, a very marked effect on the future of the Commonwealth. On the one side is the Deakin-Cook Coalition Government, on the other the Labour party. The "fusion Government," as it has been styled, stands for Liberalism, the Opposition for Labour-Socialism. At the outset of the struggle the ad-

vantage appeared to be distinctly in favour of the (Government; to-day a cable message proclaims .that Me. FiSHEKhas declared that in a very short time he expects to bo at' the head of a Labour Ministry. Judging from Australian files, to hand, the result of the election is not a foregone conclusion' for either party, but will depend very largely on the extent to which the public, who have in the past supported the Cook faction, sink their antagonism to Me. Deakin in their deeper dislike of the Labour-Socialists. If the fusion holds with the supporters of the two leaders as well as it has done with the leaders themselves, the Government should be returned to office; if not, Me. Fibhee's anticipation will probably. be realised. One of the outstanding features of the contest is the referendum on the subject of the readjustment of finances as between the States and the Commonwealth. The proposal to embody in the Constitution a clause providing that' thevCommonwealth Government shall return to the States 25a.' per head of the revenue collected iB meeting with most strenuous opposition in Victoria. The _ Age, which is leading the campaign in antagonism to this financial agreement, condemns it on the ground that it is a blow aimed by the States against the dignity of the National Parliament— that it is a "State, Rights" spoliation of the Federation. The real reason of the antagonism ,of the great Protectionist journal, however, is probably to be found .in its fear that the Federal finances will, under the scheme, in course of time be crippled and that the Commonwealth will be forced to enact a revenue tariff "destructive of scientific Protection." On the other hand,if this proposal is not carried the Federal Government will be in a position to, please itself as to what proportion of the revenue it hands back to the States, and to leave the matter open in this way, it is contended, would place the States .at the mercy of the Federal Government and might embarrass, or'evon render them unable to meet their obligations. This latter contingency appears,to be rather far-fetched, but the argument is being freely used. The electors will have to decide the question on the. day of the General Election, a referendum on the subjectbeing provided for. The Labour party has displayed great tactical skill in conducting the campaign. The manifesto it has is-1 sued isroaUy moderate for a Lab-our-Sofcialist party. The planks of its political platform are:-— •'• .■ 1. Maintenance of white Australia.

2. New protection. 8. Nationalisation of monopolies. i. Graduated tai on improved land values. ■ 5. Citizen defence force. 6. Commonwealth bank. : ' 7. Restriction- of publio borrowing. 8. Navigation laws. '■ 9. Arbitration Act Amendment. 10. Insuranoe,- including insurance against unemployment With the exception of the planks providing for the nationalisation of monopolies, a Commonwealth bank with State note issue, and the graduated land tax, practically the whole of, the proposals are covered by the; Government's programme. Tho moderation of the: Labour leaders, however, is viewed with distrust by their opponents; not that they doubt their sincerity, but that they fear the_ driving force behind the party. It is admitted that most of the Labour members who have had any experience of public life havo broadened under its influence. "Education in the facts of lifo," remarks the Sydney Morning Herald, "has developed tho more experienced Labour Parliamentarians into, in the main, quite rational men; but what tho electors of the Commonwealth have to remember at the present juncture is that behind the present Parliamentary party is the extremist tail—the aggressive irresponsibles, the Red -, Socialist group which added fuel to the flames in the Broken Hill strike, and to whose desolating influence must again be ■debited so much of the industrial loss and individual privation incidental to the still partially operative coalstrike." Tni ; is l the.statement which hampers the chances of the Labour party with a great body of electors, who, while not viewing with over-friendly eyes the fusion of the Deakin-Cook factions, fear still more the forces behind the Labour leaders.

Councillors of Miramar borough have expressed a decided opinion that the suburb should be promptly rid of the scourge of wandering cattle. "At present the law is a farce," remarked the Mayor, (Mr. C. J. Crawford) Inst evening,' when referring to the amount of the fines inflicted upon owners of straying cattle when brought before the Magistrate's Court. Some councillors considered that a £1(1 fine would not be too severe to meet certain cases, aud it was agreed that a remit should be framed, dealing with the matter, to be sent on to the conference of the Municipal Association. The Mayor pointed out that, in other countries, the authorities j were able to deal with the trouble. In tho suburbs of some Canadian cities, lie said, the houses were not fenced off, only flower bods separating them from the road, and, these conditions could not exist unless the wandering cattle problem had been solved satisfactorily. An ordination service will be held at St. Panl's Pro-Cathedral on Sunday morning, when Bishop Wallis will ordain to priest's orders the Rev. W. Raine, of Masterton, and Rev. G. W. Kendrick, of Polmerston North, deacons.