N.S.W. POLITICS AND POLITICIANS

Hokitika Guardian, 8 January 1921, Page 1

N.S.W. POLITICS AND POLITICIANS

WHAT THE LABOUR GOVERNMENT’ HAS DONE.

SYDNEY, Decern her 28

There are two interesting announcements this week. One, that the Labour Premier, Mr John Storey, is off to London on a financial mission with the full approval of his party. The other, that Mr W. A. Holman, K.C., foYiimrly a Labour leader, and more recently thla Nationalist l’rcnnier, whom Mr Storey displaced, is to bp the new President of the Commonwealth Arbitra-

tion Court. If the latter announcement is true, Mr Holman is taking on a most difficult task. The Federal Arbitration Court, , ostensibly, is the bulwark between Commonwealth industries and the industrial disputes which constantly paralyse them. The Court has never been given a fair chance. It has been wrapped around with legal formulae, and orerj whelmed with work, so that the disI satisfied trade union not only has 1 ad to wait an unconscionable time for attention. but, more often than not, has had a perfectly fair claim blown out o'.i some legal f|nibble raised by a barrister. The result lias been that the mo"e powerful unions are inclined to ignore the Court altogether*. In these c’rcumstances. th 0 Federal politicians, par. ticnlarly Air Hughes, have stepped in to secure the settlement of disputes. This inevitably has created friction between the Court and Mr Hughes, and it is in eonseqdenoe of this that Air Justice Higgins has resigned. Tt ’S liis place that Afr Holman may fill. It is a sine qua non in the new judge 'lint lie possesses the confidence of the more extreme unions. That claim cannot ho made for Holman. AVhon Mr John Storey become Premier many critical things were raid Air Storey, before he entered politics, was a boilermaker, and there was nothing in his political career to slntw administrative capacity. However, in the eight months he has been in office, he has displayed many really statesmanlike qualities. While displaying absolute loyalty to his Labour Party, he has consistently resisted the pressure of the Labour extremists, in that he has given justice to the non-Labour sections of the community, and lias refused to do anything to weaken the Imperialistic tie. He has won the warm friendship of his bitterest political foes. The Labour Government, in its first session

has passed the following important measures: An Eight Hours Bill, legalising a 44-hoiks' week for the building an.l iron trades; a Fair Rents Bill, abolishing the system of demanding bonuses for the keys of to-let dwellings, '.ml making it an offence for landlords lo refuse to let to persons with children : a Profiteering Prevention Bill, which provides elaborate machinery for Die prevention of profiteering; a Bill lo grant re-registration to the union deprived of registration for participation in the 1917 strike; a Bill for the establishment of a Rural Bank; a Bill f t the marketing of wheat in association with the Commonwealth wheat pool ; and a host of minor measures.