COMMONWEALTH POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1726, 18 April 1913, Page 5

COMMONWEALTH POLITICS.

ANTI-REFERENDA CAMPAIGN. j tj Tolecranh—Press Association—CoDirieht Sydney, April 17. Mr. Wade, Leader of the Stato Opposition, has opened the campaign against the Federal referendum proposals. lie declared that if they were carried they would make such tremendous inroads on •the activity of tho State Parliaments in dealing with their internal'affairs that the residue of power left tho Stato Parliaments would Iro too small to justify, their continued existence. Tho referendum proposals, which concern important alterations to the Commonwealth Constitution, are to bo token simultaneously with the general elections of tho Federal Parliaments next month. Tho proposed changes included in the present referendum differ in several respects from the last referendum. In the first place, there will bo six referenda instead of one. The principal point of the desired alterations is probably contained in Paragraph 1 of Section 51 of the Constitution, which reads: "Section 51: The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to mako laws for tlie peace, order, and good government of the Commonwealth with respect to:—(i) Trade and commerce with other countries and among the States." The proposed amendment reads:—"(i) Trade and commerce, but not including trade and commerce upon railways the property of a State, except so far as it is trade and commerce with other countries or among the States." • At. tho previous referendum it was proposed to omit the words "with other countries and among the States" from after the words "trade and commerce" in Paragraph i, thus enabling tho Federal Parliament and Government to control all industries in the Commonwealth, whether inter-State or engaged in foreign trade or not. On this occasion it is proposed 'to exempt Stale railways from the sweeping power fought by tho change, except in regard to trade on the railways which is "with other countries or among the States."