LABOUR IN POWER.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1380, 5 March 1912, Page 5

LABOUR IN POWER.

CIVIL SERVICE RETRENCHMENT. By Telegraph—Press Association—Oopjrifht Perth, March 4. ■ The West Australian Government : s rigidly retrenching the Civil Service in order to make up a portion of tho increased expenditure incurred through the advances in wages to railway and other workers.

The new West Australian Labour Government's big majority in the Legislative Assembly gives it unchecked administrative control, but it has only two members (Messrs. Dodd and O'Brien) and one sympathiser (Mr. Drew) in tho Legislative Council, which is very Conservative. The complete Ministerial overthrow at the elections was attributed to the following causes:—(l) Great extensions of unions in the metropolitan districts, in order that all kinds of workers might register under tho Arbitration Act, and. then bring about comprehensive organisation for political purposes; (2) solidarity, concentration, and discipline of the Labour party, as compared with the sporadic, independent efforts of tho Liberals, and the multitudo of their candidates; (3) Labour's contention that the Government was responsible for the increased cost of living, because it prohibited the importation of potatoes from blight-iniected States, and did not charter steamers to bring cattle from Kimborley and break down the meat ring; (4) the resentment of public servants generally, and railway and education employees in particular, at tho Government's economising in their pay, declining and delaying advances, in order to square finances and extinguish the deficit. Public employees expected tho Labour Government to be more generous, and would rather deal with it than with the Arbitration Court.