AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 75, 7 July 1910, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S FINANCE.' GOOD DEAL OF TROUBLE AHEAD. By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright Received July 6, 9.50 p.m. Brisbane, Last Night. Mr. Kid son strongly dissents from the Federal Government's proposal to hold a portion 'of the moneys due to the States till thei end of the financial year. The Commonwealth Government was not in financial difficulty, and there was no need to. violate the constitution.. If Mr. Fisher's action was a fair sample of the coming finance there was a good deal of trouble ahead. FEDERAL PARLIAMENT. PREMIER. VINDICATES CAUCUS METHODS. THE NOTE ISSUE. Melbourne, Last Night. Mr. Deakin resumed the debate on the Address-in-Reply, and exhaustively criticised the Government proposals. With its strong i following, he said, nothing could prevent the Government carrying out its wkile'programme, but he feared the ancient constitutional practices would be undermined by a caucus deciding the policy, outside the Parliament. The country thus lost the advantage of an expression of opinion. Mr. Deakin urged the necessity of at ■ once dealing with the tariff anomalies'in the financial relations of the States. The Prime Minister (Mr. Fisher) replied that it was no part of the Government's policy to use its powers of numbers to vindicate the method of the caucus in discussing the policy. No harm could come to Australian democracy thereby. Both Mr. Gladstone and Lord ■Salisbury held meetings of their supporters and submitted their policy to them. The Prime Minister contended that the Federal note issue was not brought forward with a view of assisting the Government financially. The banks were not asked to take notes unless they voluntarily wanted notes. They were covered by the , gold deposit.