FEDERAL MATTERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 196, 23 August 1904, Page 3

FEDERAL MATTERS.

MR REID'S TASK. | _. LONDON, August 20. The Times, comnientMiig on Mr, Raid's task, says a dominant factor j in the situation is the necessity of; showing » resolute, united front to the Labour Party's policy, which, if carried, logically would imperil the prosperity and the peace of Australia and me permanent connection of the Empire. It is doubtful whether f any coraDination of existing groups i can to trusted to unflinchingly re-, gist the dangerous movement toward extreme forms of State Socialism, and it in high time to make an es- - cape f roDi the perilous quicksands of a systei» of groups which has engulfed tae character and' credit of many Legislatures in all parts of the world. FORMING A DEMOCRATIC PARTY. (Received August 23, 1.12 a.m.) SYDNEY, August 22. Mr Watson is confidant that the efforts now being made to bring into existence a strong democratic party b|y the union of lataour representatives end those members opposed to Mi' Reid will be crowned with success. At a meeting in Melbourne a coin•mittee was appointed to draft a constitution for such an amalgamation. The question of abolishing the solidarity pledge has not yet been dealt * with, but Mr Watson has no fears on this point. THE NEW COMMONWEALTH MINISTRY.. Sir George Turner was Treasurer in the Barton and Deakin Ministeries. Before the federation he sat in the Parliament of Victoria, of which colony he became Premier in 1894. Sir Josiafa Bymon baa been the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate since the opening of the first Commonwealth Parliament. He is an old South Australian politician, and eK-Mißieterv Mr Dugald Thomson leads the Op-; position in the House in the absences of Mr Reid. He is a. New South Wales member, and is generally con-j sidered to be one of the ablest men in the House. .

Mr AUmt McLean is one of the leading members of Mr Deakin's .party. He has- lieen. in Ministerial office •in Victoria repeatedly. He is a Conservative Protectionist.

Mr McCtty is another Deakinite and Victorian. ..It was he who proposed tin amendments on which the Watson Government was defeated. ' Mr' Sydney Smith is whip in the Reid party, and is a strong freetrader. He has held Ministerial office in Mew South Wales.

Mr Drake was formerly Attorney- j General «n the' Barton Government. He is a Queensland lawyer and an exMinister.

Of the eight Ministers four are from the Deakto and Reid parties res-| pectively : The old principle of al-J lotting tfce- portfolios as evenly as possible oetween the different States bas not been adhered to. Three Ministers. come from New South Wales, tliree from Victoria, ' and one each from Queensland and Soutl) Australia. Western Australia nnd Tasmania are passed over.