THE FEDERAL REFERENDA

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 253, 4 March 1911, Page 5

THE FEDERAL REFERENDA

SPEECH BY MR. DEAKIN. COMPETITION DEAD OR DYING. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Sydney, March 3. Mr. Hughes, speaking on the referenda, regarding the giving of the Commonwealth power to deal with corporations, said that competition was dead or dying over half the industrial, commercial and financial sphere of the Commonwealth. ; •• : Melbourne, March 3. Mr. Deakin, speaking in the referenda campaign, said that the vote was more important than that at a general election or even the vote which created the Federation, because no State could retire, as all would be bound by the majority. The Federal Government had power to give preference to unionists, which could be horribly abused, to make the industrial unions political and to create a despotism which Russia could not rival. He was prepared to give the Court power to give preference to unionists for industrial purposes, not for political. The latter would create a privileged class even above that of the Lords in Britain. He pointed out how the Ministers of New South Wales were crushed by the majority vote. The -referenda proposals would leave the State powers intact, but the Federal law would override every State law, and the resultant cost in litigation would be enormous.

THE COMING DESPOTISM. Melbourne. Ma.th 3. Mr. Deakin opened tli" ■ "'inpai'.rn against the referenda before ;i;i immense audience. He declared that the currying of the events might mean ushering in a reign of despotism, which would mean crushing the State sovereignty. It was only by true federalism that the effective development of the country could be ensured.

MR. FISHER'S HINT. Sydney, March 3. Mr. Fisher, who is in Sydney, states that if the referenda are passed it will undoubtedly strengthen the Commonwealth's hands for dealing with the American meat trust.