Australian Politics.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 1, Issue 5, 20 January 1911, Page 4

Australian Politics.

MR HOLMAN INTERVIEWED. The Hon W. A. Holman, AttorneyGeneral of NeAA' South Wales, is spending a quiet holiday in NeAV Zealand. He told an intervieAver that the Government to Avhich he belongs, and Avhich .took office at the end of October, has several important policy measures to elaborate. In the first place, it intends to introduce advanced industrial legislation, to open up land for settlement and help settlers Avho are in need of help, and to establish a forward educational policy, especially in respect to continuation schools. The Government has hopes of being able to deal with some monopolies, notably in the brick trade and the iron works. Mr Griffith, Minister of Works, has already prepared a scheme to establish a State brick-yard. It Avas stated wrongly in the New Zealand journals that the NeAV South Wales Parliament had rejected a proposal to spend £50,000 in that direction. As a matter of fact, the proposal was never submitted to Parliament. It Avas ruled out of order by the Speaker, on account of a regulation that a project estimated to cost more than £20,000 must be subject to certain inquiries before it Avas placed before Parliament. The Government intends to bring the scheme forAvard again next session. It has been induced to do this by the action of the brick manufacturers. An award of the Wages Board increased the cost of labour in making bricks by 9d a thousand. The manufacturers formed a close combine and raised the price to the consumer by 4s a thousand. Consequently, the cost of buildings has been enormously increased. It is not proposed that the State should trade in bricks at present, but only that it should meet its own requirements; but it is believed that if the State makes all the bricks it needs for its own buildings the manufacturers Avill be compelled to reduce prices to the public. The new Government is confronted with the question whether it should give the leasehold or the freehold tenure. Mr Holman's opinions are largely dictated by his observations in the United Kingdom. The freehold principle, he says, has been in operation there __ for many years. The result is that it is difficult to get the freehold noAA' for love or money. Land has to be leased, not from the State, but from the Duke of Bedford, the Duke of Westminster, or some other wealthy person. If the freehold is given to the present generation in Australia, he does not know Avhat future generations will do except lease from State-created landlords. The Government is confident that it Avill be able to lead Parliament. Nominally, it has a majority of only one. That is to say, if all the sections unattached to it voted against it there would still be a bare majority in its favour. But the Government sees no likelihood of the votes being cast in that way. It has ahvays had the support of a number of the independent members. Its majorities have been as large as tAventy-three, and have never been less than nine, and it regards its prospects as being distinctly good. Mr Holman speaks someAvhat strongly of irritating complications in the relationship between the State Governments and the Federal Government in the Commonwealth. He thinks that

New Zealand is very fortunate in being able to manage all its own affairs in its OAvn Avay, without having to consult anyone else. It has-been found_ in Australia that control is often split up in a very absurd way. In defence, for instance, the cadet corps are under the State Governments, while the training of adults is in the hands of the Federal Government. Land administration is a State function; the land tax is a federal question. Railways are built by the States; they are used and administered for defence purposes by the Federal Government. In many cases it is only by means of expedients, conferences, and compromises that public Avork can be, done. After legislation has been passed by a State Government or the Federal Government the High Court may step in and say that the subject should not have been dealt with by the body that took the question in hand. There are, in fact, endless complications, which cause delay, and, unless infinite tact is used, friction. The people of Australia, however, who of course knoAV nothing of these inner difficulties, are still in favour of unity, and apparently would not like to go back to the old system.