FEDERAL POLITICS

Hokitika Guardian, 12 September 1929, Page 6

FEDERAL POLITICS

(Australian Press Association).

ALL AUSTRALIA AGOG

SYDNEY, September II

Tlie Federal political crisis is the subject of lively discussion in all parts of Australia to-day.

The majority of the influential dally papers are standing behind the Bruce Ministry’s action in seeking on a dissolution.

The remainder of the papers claim that Mr Bruce is ill-adviked in attempting tp abolish the Arbitration system without a special mandate from the people.

THE DECIDING VOTE

SYDNEY, September 11

Air Marks, whose last-minute, defection from the Government caused a sensation, explained to-day that one plank of the National Party platform permits freedom of speech and action, and had .Mr Hughes not moved for the postponement of the abolition! of the Arbitration Court, then he (Air Marks) would himself, have taken that course

A DISSOLUTION

ASKED BY MR BRUCE

CANBERRA, September 11

Immediately after a meeting of the National Party was held to-day, Mr Stanley Bruce, Prime Minister, went to the Government House and requested that the Governor-General should grant a dissolution of Parliament. His Excellency promised to make his decision known later in-the day.

GOVERNOR TO SLEEP ON IT

CANBERRA, September 11

Mr Bruce announced in the House of Representatives to-day that he had tendered certain advice to the Gover-nor-General, who was now considering the position.

Mr Bruce then secured an adjournment of the House till to-morrow,.when it is expected that His Excellency’s decision will be made.

NATIONALIST’S VIEW

SYDNEY, September 11

The concensus of feelirigi- among the members of the Nationalist Party is that those members .f ; of Mr Bruce’s party who have crossed the floor to vote with the Opposition, and have thereby wrecked the Government, should be ejected from the party, and should be denied the party’s endorsement in the event of a general election. ' is 7-‘" JL . ' MELBOURNE, September 11. The Melbourne’ '“ Argus ” (Nationalist) in the course of an editorial on the position, says .that Rt. Hon. W. M. Hughes must now take the responsibility for his action. It declares: “ He is a leader without a following—a wrecker with no jiower to reconstruct.”

The “ Argus ” adds:—Prime Minister Bruce warned the members before the division took place: “If you are all determined that .this issue shall go to the people, we will all go and get their answer, and many of those who so insist will regret it.”

LONDON PRESS

QUOTED IN BRUCE’S FAVOUR

LONDON, September 11

The defeat of the Commonwealth Government is given prominence in the press.-

The “Morning Post” says: Experience in Australia, as elsewhere, proves the fallacy of outside intervention in the affairs of industry. The best hope of p ace lies within industry it&lf.

'the “Daily News” asks: “Can anyone deny that Australia’s experiment ill iiidurt-inl arbitration has been a fai’ure. C ompulsory arbitration in indusuv lags even further behind than compulsory arbitration in international affairs.”

“ The Times” says: “It was always clear that the question behind the .Arbitration Bill must sooner or later go before- the people. They alone are competent to decide, for upon it depends, as far as can be judged, the social, economic, and political future olf the Commonwealth. The people will have to choose, not between Mr Bruce and Mr Hughes, or between Mr Bruce and Mr Theodore, but between the rule/of Parliament and rule of trade union manager, and those behind them —between the rule of socialism and anarchy accompanying it. That Mr Bruce will now lose heart and abandon his post, now that the battle is joined, seems wholly incompatible with his character and his past.” A HUGHES PARTY. (Received this day at 9.25 a.m.) SYDNEY, September 12. It is announced as the result of the political crisis that an attempt will be made to form a new party, consisting of certain Labour Parliamentarians and a dissatisfied section of the Australian Labour Party, to be led by W. M. Hughes. The Australian Workers Union figures prominently in this move. It is regarded as not unlikely, that a few of Hughes former staunch friends in the National Party who were expelled from Labour ranks for advocating conscription during the war, may range themselves behind Mr Hughes. It is practically certain Mr Hughes will be ostracised from the National Party along with other members who rebelled the Ministry.