AUSTRALIAN NEWS BY MAIL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 49, 21 November 1919, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NEWS BY MAIL

* FEDERAL ELECTION BATTLE LABOUR PARTY'S PLEDGES TRENCHANT CRITICISM BY MR. HUGHES Sydney, November 14 Federal Election Campaign. The Federal election battlo lias re- 1 solved itself principally into a duel between the lenders of tho two parties, Mr. Hushes and Mr. liyan. Tho official Labour Parly issued its manifesto a few days ago, which Mr. Ilughcs summed up as a display of "prodigality, disloyalty, and Jack of constructive statesmanship" Labour's pledgeß aro sot 1 out ns follow:— "We pledge ourselves to put to the people, without delay, our party's proposals for investing tho Commonwealth with full powers tof democratic selfgovernment uiwn the following plan: The people directly by the initiative, or indirectly through the Commonwealth Parliament, shall have tho power to make or repeal any law. Adult franchise shall he guaranteed by tho constitution. 'J-ho Senate and tho State Parliaments and Governorships shall be abolished. Local governmental powers shall bo exercised by provincial legislatures and municipalities, constituted by and subordinate to tho Commonwealth Parliament. Tho High Court shall become the final Court of Appeal in any Australian cause. Wo shall also propose such alterations of the Commonwealth constitution or of the traditional rules governing the relations between the different, members of the British family of nations ns shall secure to Australia, as a member of that family, tho fullest powers of self-deter-mination. Matters of Australian policy aud administration must be decided on the ndvico of Australian Ministers, who must bo responsible to no one but the Australian people and Parliament. All Bills passed by the Australian Parliament must receive assent on thoadvico of .Australian Ministers only. The practice of soliciting the King to confer titles on Australians must cease." Mr. Hughes on Labour Manifesto. Commenting on tho Labour manifesto the Prime Minister said — "The manifesto of the Official Labour Party bears tho imprint of the man. who inspired it—Mr. Ryan. It is his manifesto. Tho names of Mr. Tudor and Mr. Hollowly are added merely as a matter of form. It is worthy of the man whoso reckless oxtravagance, pandering to Bolshevism, disloyalty and pro-Ger-manism in Queensland, lias had 6uch a disastrous result. In less than four years of tho Ryan regime in Queens' land tho taxation has been trebled and tho cost of living doubled, while, there have been moro strikes and unemployment than in anv State of tho Commonwealth. As for tho primary producer, lie has had short shrift, and production lias seriously declined. The railways show an increasing deficit every year, and tho Government only continues io hold offico by tho almost complete abandonment of any attempt at government. In North Queensland Bolshevism is supremo. Not long ago tho mob, whom the Ryan Government daro not offend, defied tho law, shot at the police, and when tho Government at length mustered up sufficient courage to send up reinforcements, these were taken out of the train and forced to return by the so-called employees on the State railways, and to crown all those guilty of this open defiance of the law were amnestied. A crash is coming in Queensland. The sensible workers of British origin realise that things cannot go on. Mr. ltyau, as a speaker at Bendigo ■ showed the other evening, knows the crash is coming and is fleeing from the wrath to come, yet he has the face, in view of tho appalling results in Queensland, to ask tho electors of, the Commonwealth to apply Byanism to the whole continent. "Tho manifesto is mainly a siring of reckless promises, til of which involve spending huge sums of money. Thcro is not a word or a line to suggest how the money is to be obtained or from whom. The proposal to pay a war gratuity in cash means iiresumably that a sum of over £25,000,000 will bo sought from some local source, because tho amount cannot be obtained abroad even at ruinous interest The references to Empire policy aro vague; but they are quito clear enough to indicate a desire to get away, from oxistintr ties under the British fla», This country is the freest in the world while it onioys the inestimable advantages of British and Allied protection. Tho manifesto indicates a clear desire to cut adrift from all existing tics with our countrymen at the other side of the worlo". Tho three main features of the manifesto aro prodigality, disloyalty, and | utter lack of constructive statesmanship. ; We know what has happened to Queens- ■ land under such a regime, and know 1 only too well what would happen to all 1 Australia if the electors were foolish ' enough to adopt it for the Common--1 wealth." 1 Darwin Revolt Inquiry Mr. Justice Bwing has been granted a fairly wide commission by the Federal Government in connection with the inquiry which ho is to undortako into the onuses which brought about the reccnt "revolutionary" happenings in Darwin, which culminated in tho compulsory departure—the practical deportation— from tho Northern Territory of tho Director (Mr. Carey), the Government secretary (Mr. Evans), and Judge Bevan. The Roval Commission is to .inquire into tho following matters:— 1. Tho causes which _ have brought about tho present condition of affairs in relation to the government of tlio Territory, and the incidents which led to tho , recent departure of Messrs. Caj<ey, Bevan, and Evans from Darwin. i 2. The irregularities (if any! which havo taken place in the administration of tho Aborigines Department, tho Lands •; and Survey Department, and the Mines i Department of tho Northern Territory, | and tho officers or persons who aro nv SDonsible for those irregularities. 3. Tho accounts kept iu connection with the Aborigines Department. 4. The statements contained in a letter. oated July 8, 1919, written by Mr. H. E. Carey to Dr. Gilrnth, the ActingAdministrator of tho Northern Territory, and the statements made by Senator Ferricks iu speeches in the Senate on October 21 and 21. 1919. n. The officers (if who havo proprietary interests in mining properties in tho Northern Territory in respect of which financial assistance has been grantod bv the Government; and (!. Any matters incidental to tho mattors hereinbefore set forth. After examining Messrs. Carey _ and Evans and Judge Bevan, and obtaining evidence from other witnesses who may be forthcoming, Mr. Justico Hiring will uracced to Darwin to secure evidence on the soot. The Government is courting the fullest publicity in connection with the inciuirv. ana' any persons who may desire lo give evidence should communicate with tho Royal Commission.' Australian Air Lines. Tho Federal Defence authorities have completed arraiißements for tlio pioneering" flight from Point Cook to Cloncurry (Q.), and possibly thenco to Darwin, " lie B.E. machino which has been specially prepared for tlio journey will he piloted by Captain Wrigloy, A.F.C., who won the Distinguished Flying Cross on activo Bcrvico. Ho will bo accompanied by an air mechanic as observer, and, if t.ho weathor be favourable, a start will be made from the Hying school. Iho length of the first days' flight depends largely on weather conditions. If . these aro good tho aviators may bo able to reach Cootamumlni, wliieh may bo looked upon as tho end of the first stage of t.ho flight. From that point onwards, however, progress will he a good deal slower. The flight is not intended in any senso to bo an effort "against time," but is more in the nature of a_ survey flight for tho purpose of checking the various landing-grounds, which have been fixed upon by group survey a 6 suitable for aviators, and of making Riiro that they aro suitable.. Thus the whole journey may occupy some weeks, but, if it is successfully completed, will result in tho l'mal preparation of a good louto for intending aviators from overseas who wish to mako the long flight from Darwin ■ to Melbourne.