AUSTRALIAN, NEWS BY MAIL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 10, 7 October 1919, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN, NEWS BY MAIL

A FEDERAL REFERENDUM

FOR POWERS TO DEAL WITH s , ./TRUSTS Sydney, September 27. The War on the Trusts. . > . " An announcement of extreme significance in view of the present Federal political position, was made briefly in the Federal House of Representatives by the. Prime Minister, who gavo notice to movo for leave to bring in a Bill for an Act to alter section 51 of the constitution; and for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the constitution. This brief announcement is regarded- in political circles, states the "Age,"- as being almost conclusive .proof of .the fact that there will be an election for both senators and members of the House of Representatives in .December next. Little doubt is entertained by members that the Bills which ./I i mie ,, Mimster Proposes to iiitrodsi tii P ur P ose of altering . secpon 51 of the constitution and for amend- ■}" : constitution will aim, primarilv, ftt giving tli© Commonwealth tho necesran- powers to deal with the evil of profiteering. Mr. Hughes . has eumhasised the importance of.dealing with this question; but ■in the course of his remarks ho suggested that the industrial situation was also serious,Vaiid that it was ?! u r " ec ?fary that the Common, .wealth should have full powers in this regard. Therefore, it is. believed that lie )ull lus Bills, at improving the position in this respect,-.possibly in the direction of preventing the irritating delays which have been one of tho most common causes of industrial unrest. section SI of the constitution sets out ■the legislative powers of the Commonwealth in detail. There arc already 39 different matters in respect of which Parliament has power undo!' the constitution to., legislate, but the question of price' uxing and the regulation of profits does not at present .come within the scope of its activities., l-'or this • reason 'it is necessary, if the States do i not agreo to cedo the desired powers, to introduce legislation for the alteration of tho constitution in the desired manner, in order to give the Commonwealth Parliament the powers which it at present lacks, not only in respect : ot .profiteering; but also in regard to industrial matters. .Before tta constitution is altered, however, it is necessary that a .majority of -the people of the Commonwealth should sanction the change. Theriffore,, after the Bill lor an Act to amend tho constitution is passed by' Parliament, a ref&endum will-have to bo taken to secure the consent of the people to tho Act becoming operative. The Federal constitution provides that all measures relating to an amendment of the constitution must have been passed by both Houses of Parliament for at least twomonths before a referendum is taken on the questions with wliiclf the Bills de.il. It i 9 understood that the proposals submitted to the conference are similar to several of those which the Ministry put to the people as the basis for tho referendum in .Tune, 1913. The proposals in question ore :—

1. AH trade and commerce, whether between the Commonwealth and other countries, between the States.'or within the boundaries of a'State, shall bo subject to Commonwealth regulations, the States to have no power to deal with such matters where State laws come into conflict with Commonwealth legislation. 2., All business corporations operating within-the Commonwealth to beebmo subject to Commonwealth law.

3. Tho Commonwealth' to have full control of the. terms and conditions of employment iii any trade, industry, or .calling, and the settlement of industrial disputes within the boundaries of a State, ns well as .those extending beyond the limits of. a State. .

4.: Commonwealth to "regulate trusts, combinations, and monopolies in relation to th? production, manufacture and the sunply of goods. .1 Tlieso proposals were rejected by the electors, in 1913.

The-Wheat Commission. ' The.scope .of. the New South Wales Wheiit Commission has been broadened' t6 permit of an inauiry into the finances of Mr. Grahame, Minister for Agriculture at the instance of Mr. Graiiame lumsetf tho following two clauses were added to the terms of tho commission

(1) Whether the investments of Mr. W. C. Grahame (Minister for Agriculture), as recently published, were in whole or in part from, moneys received as bribes, or improperly taken in hjj Ministerial capacity? (2). Whether,' in the case of reinvestments, the original moneys were from bribes, or improperly-received by the said W. C. Grahame rinco hi? assumption of Ministerial office? ( Soaring Prices, ' " Australian prices of food and groceries (46 commodities) foe. August, compared with July,-increased generally by .5 per cent; Ai the; States show increases except New' -South, Wales, which .had a ■decrease of- .4 - per cent. The increase in West, Australia was. 2.5 per cent., Queensland 1.4 per cent., Tasmania. 1,2 ■ per cent„ Victoria .8 per cent., and South Australia .7 per cent. Compared with the corresponding month of August, 11118, hll the . States showed increases. The greatest increase occurred in West Australia ' (30.2 per- cent.), followed by Queensland (17.9), New South Wales (17.7), South Australifv (11.4). Victoria . (11.3), and Tasmania (9.4). The weighted average index number for the 30 towns con-sidered-asa-whole was 1723 in August, 1919, .'compared with 1491. in August, 1918, increase of 15.6 per.cent:

State Hostel for Returned Soldiers. Mr. Holma'n (N.S'.AV. Premier) has announced that the Government, after con : sulfation with the -War Chest Committee, had acquired, at a cost of J22000, a four yearsi" lease of. a building for the temporary .accommodation of incoming soldiers and . their wives and families. The building, which contains furniture to the value of .£ISOO, is ideally situated and suited -for the purpose. • At preserit .it -has .accommodation for fjo persons, but with some alterations , this. can be alirfost doubled, A feature of the building is its flat roof, .which affords a playing area for fuGy.a hundred children. "Tho he&d for central accommodation of this kind," said Mr. Holman, "has been _ apparent to the Government for some time, and, with a view to making the necessary provision, I consulted with tho War Chest Committee, which has been caring most liberally for returning troops aboard transports, andwhich, during the epidemic was represented at the Quarantine Station by a snecial comforts officer. I learned that the committee had already begun a systematic endeavour to obtain information aq\to available accommodation in tho city "and suburbs, and that as a result a'liout 200 soldiers "and their families had been provided for during the past three weeks. A substantial number of soldiers, however, were averse to going out into the suburbs,. It; is to meet, these snecial circumstances that a lenso of The Oriental has been acquired. Everything will be done to ensure the' comfort of the occupants. Sister Lilian Ridge, 1 a capable matron, who saw, nearly four years' service in the war zone, will ho in charge, and she will be assisted by a competent staff of attendants. It is intended that the accommodation shall be. only temporary, Th,? idea i« to .enable, those who avail' .themselves of the facilities offered to look around for njrmnnent home®. The scheme." added Mr. TTnlnian, "will be a boon to i.ho?e of our returning men and their dependants without homes ready to go to, and under the efpeient mawrement of the War Chest, Committee will. I am sure, leave nothing to, lie desired."

The Rush to Europe, Intending passengers to England have Ijpeu v.-nnicd that returned passages can-, not be secmwl within six montlis except in cases whero business or othpr urgent reasons, exist. Passages via North America, though. sifbject to continual interruption and delay, are, it is stated, fully booked up to c,u l °f the year, nnd, except in a few- ensss whore berths aro sacrificed, this route has little oppor- ' tunit.y to offer, for the ijext six months. With the approaching end of demobilisation, fflino relief is being afforded for first-class civil ian passengers by the'allsea route, but there is an Urgent list of over 1000 passengers who possess claims to preferential treatment. It is intended to give priority to urgont cases, and consideration will be given to the olaims of Australian commercial representatives to return hoane as soon as it is practicable.