AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1598, 15 November 1912, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY

NEWS BY MAIL. NEW SOUTH WALES CABINET CRISIS. Sydney, November 8. In an. editorial on November 8, the "Sydney Morning Herald" spoke of Mr. Bceby's reported rejection by the Labour party as tlio greatest of several surprises of late in connection with tiiat party. The "Herald" remarks that Sir. Bscby will probably attack the Federal referenda proposals at tho cowing elections, just as ho did at tho beginning of last year. "Yet the Labour conference," it continues, "lias decided that tho Referendum shall bo supported. Mr. M'Gowen and other of ins colleagues have crumpled up ot climbed down, and even Mr. jjolmnn has left a -convenient loophole of escape against condemnation. But Mr. Besby has uever compromised, and is consequently anathema. How, then, can ho continue us a member of a Labour Governmet? It may, perhaps, be tactically sound from his point of view. Ho holds the Cabinet •• in the hollow of his hand. He can force a dissolution if ho pleases, and the longer he retains his portfolio after this tho worse must it bo for his fellow Ministers, and for tho party. Everybody can now see what is happening, as though the Cabinet had glass sides. Division and disruption will proceed apace, and in the ' end the country will have its cluuice of dealing with the Government and the Labour party upon the best possible lines of light, and moved by .a spirit of more vigorous indignation. But for Mr. Beeby tta immediate outlook must be full of difficulty, as it is already illogical and provocative. In our opinion lie would do well to faee his critics with a final break, .and make the country see that he is as sincero in his convictions as he is deier- ■ mined in his actions." Mr. Beeby's Difficulties, Interviewed on November 8, Mr. Beeby did not deny the probability of his early ' retirement from politics. He said that he,did not think that the majority of trades, unionists in any way resented his administration of tho Industrial Disputes Act. "If there is any substantial resentment," ho added, "it comes only from the section of the unionists who do not desire any system of arbitration at all. My experience of tho last few months has strengthened my opinion that the big majority of unionists do not want the old system of indiscriminate striking restored, but believe that they get better results from an arbitration law which gives the increased facilities of the present Act." . Are you likely to got into trouble over the Referendum? Mr. Beeby was asked. "I don't know," he replied, "whether any trouble is to arise over the Referendum or not. With others, I am waiting to see tho details of the measure submitted to the Federal Parliament. My position on that question is tho same to-day as it was some 3'ears ago, when I gave notice of a resolution in this House that it was advisable to summon a new national convention to consider a rearrangement of tho whojo Federal scheme. • "During the contest on tho last Referendum .1 supported any amendments of the Constitution which were necessary to give tho Federal Parliament the full exercise :of Federal functions. What I opposed then was the amendments which proposed to transfer to the Federal authorities purely local functions, unless such transfer were accompanied with a reconstruction of the whole Constitution. "I still support any l proposal to give the Federal Parliament control over Australian monopolies, to extend the industrial powers of the Commonwealth in such a. way as to enable them to completely and «ffectivoly deal with industrial .disputes in which the conditions of one State ■are affected by the conditions in another.. ;Any proposals in the Referendum Bill which cover these grounds will he slipported by mo as before.' But if the proposal'for the transfer of the whole commerce power and any purely , local functions be submitted,-1 will be in the same position'as on the previous referendum." .-. , Naming the Federal Capital. • ■Mγ! 'King O'Malley made the definite 'nnnoiuice'juent ..the other , d_ay he. would sliprtly; ask Parliament to decide on '.a'namo for tho.Federal capital. So much Voluntary- ingenuity is being expended in the endeavour to find a suitable designation that itmay.be unnecessary.to follow the usual .Commonwealth'practice of offering a'prize and appointing a committee to decide between tho competitors. And yet of the hundreds of suggested names sent in not. one can be regarded as completely satisfactory, many of them border-in-j.on the ridiculous. Mr. O'Malley him-, self favours "Shakespeare," a. respectful tributo to the greatest name. ill. the ; world's literature. "If they won't, have that,".-he said A few days ago, "I am for Federalia, which seems to me to fill the bill : completely. Sir George. Reid's 'Pacifica' does not mean anything, but Federalia. .means tho City of united Australia." Among the new names that have been proposed by Mr. O'Malley's correspondents are Cookia—a particularly ugly manufacture—Cooksburg, Parkeston. Andrewtnn,! Bndasmia, AVisfcraloonmo, Australopolis, Bartonia, and Sdymebpha, a hideous combmation, in which the chief city of Ails-, tralasia is honoured with three letters, another with two, and the rest with one each.