The Federal Outlook.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 October 1922, Page 1

The Federal Outlook.

A N.S.W. POLITICIAN’S REVIEW,

.Mr 0. K. TV. McDonald, M.L.C., of Sydney, who is paying his second visit to New Zealand, was the youngest member in the Legislative Assembly, where he sat for ten years, and the youngest in the Legislative Council, in which he has sat for the past two and a half years. Interviewed at Wellington, lie consented to give his views on the outlook for the coming Federal elections.

“The Labour Party; as now constituted, and as controlled by the political organisations, appears,” he said, “to be hopelessly out of touch with the public opinion of the Australian people. The remnants of the party still exist, and claim that they are necessary to the welfare of the' Australian workers ; but the depression, of the last few years and the awakening of the economic sense of the average worker, which has resulted from the unemployment attending the cessation of industry, and the general readjustment of economic conditions since the war has produced a period of introspection, as far as the worker is concerned.

“APOSTLES OF PROGRESS.” “Despite the promulgation of goslow and other pernicious doctrines preached by the alleged Apostles of Progress, the worker has come to realise that he is a necessary cog in the economic machine, and that the value of his industry is based not u]K>n the conditions that his leaders would like to attain in his own country, but on the competition created by standards that obtain in other countries. He has begun to realise, , too, that the amount of work available for him is exactly what can he provided by the capitalist, vieing with his competitors in other parts of the world. Theoretically, the arguments of the extremists are mentally attractive to him, but have been proven to afford little comfort to an empty stomach. “The closing of the big steel works at Newcastle arose solely through economic coiuliticMis, and the shutting down of many of the big mines of Australia, owing to their inability to produce at prices near the level of their competitors in the world’s markets, has definitely convinced the worker that his vision required adjusting. Realities, facts, and figures confront the employers, and workers are beginning to appreciate them in their true significance.

“ABANDONED THEIR LEADERS.” “Tlio fact Hint workers have now abandoned tlie views put forward by thoii- leaders is demonstrated by the action of the miners ill South Australia in returning to work under a big reduction of wages agreed on with t!ip companies. The shearino: sheds of Queensland. New South Wales, and parts of Victoria are in full swing, under an award of the Commonwealth Arbitration Court, despite the excited efforts of the moving snirits in the Australian Workers’ Tnion to exact higher rates and extravagant working conditions. T.ast week the South Coast colliery proprietors were threatened with a strike on one day each week unless they yielded to the miners’ demands for tlm immediate installation ef patent eb'etric lamps. Experiments had proven eostlv and unsatisfactory. and while anxious to meet the miners in regard to their claims under this head, the proprietors had no option hut to continue the present svstem until a better one was definitely ascertained. If the oue-dav strike was insisted on. the proorietors in turn said it eonld bo extended to the whole week. T’hc mines were dosed, and after a lapse of several davs tin' Honors were compelled to intimate (V't they were prepared to return to work. uneondHi uallv. The proorietors do not acclaii" Dos as a victory over unionism, but simolv a triumph of common-sense nvr xtunnutv. “Tn view of tbe nonerel attitude towards nnVMcal Labour in Australia ” void 'Ur At. Donald, in eouelnsien. ‘“the SUeeess of the north's opposed 111 cvtremisni is assured in every State.”