The Daily News TUESDAY, APRIL 18. A HOUSE DIVIDED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 279, 18 April 1911, Page 4

The Daily News TUESDAY, APRIL 18. A HOUSE DIVIDED.

Whether the Federal Labor caucus of the Commonwealth Government shall dominate every State Government and its people will be decided by the people of all the States on April 2G. The questions to be decided by referendum are of more vital importance than any that have been put to the people of the Australian Commonwealth. The consent of the people to the Bills giving the Federal authorities the right to alter the constitution having been given, the Federal Government may proceed with all the aggression it can command to override what rights the States havo hitherto held individually. The referendum may give the Federal Government power to deal with trade and commerce in regard to the creation, destruction and control of corporations, whether they hare been formed under State law or otherwise. TJie Federal authority, under the Bills, will have power to deal with wages and conditions of labor in every trade and calling, the prevention of disputes "including those disputes in relation to employment in or about railways, the property of any State." The Federal authority will, should the people agree, hare power to deal with monopolies and combines. The extraordinary control tlmt may be vested in the Federal Labor caucus is shown by the clause which, if passed, will enable the Federal Parliament by resolution of its two Houses during any one session to acquire any business, which in the opinion of those Houses is a monopoly. Presumably, when the Parliament (which means the Federal j Labor caucus) does not Bee its way clear to wiping out alleged monopolies by purchase, it can frame drastic regulations which may have the same effect, except that the Federal Parliament will not have so good a chance of filling State billets with its nominees. In fact, early in May it will be definitely known whether Australia is to increase its regiment of leaners to an army corps. We have been told that in the States the referendum is exciting more interest than the mere elections. The success of the referendum and the passing of the laws which would result from it would mean absolute loss of power to State Governments that were opposed to the policy of the Federal caucus. It will, therefore, be of extreme interest to note the proportion of people in "fat-man" Tasmania who desire Federal control over industries established under Tory principles. Both Victoria and Queensland are antagonistic—at least, as far as existing State Governments are concerned —to the Federal policy, and the referendum will at least test the true feelings of the majority of folks in these three States. If the people in these States answer the questions in the affirmative, they virtually doom their State Government and consent that a caucus in Melbourne shall rule with a greater and more despotic power tlmn any Government has held in the annals of British affairs. Australia, although in a highly flourishing condition, is more industrially dissatisfied than ever before in its history. The failure of alleged arbitration to settle disputes is admitted. State government as opposed to Federal authority, therefore, benevolently steps in in an endeavor to slay State sovereignty, making it of no effect. It asserts virtually by the two Bills which it hopes may change the constitution that as the States do not understand their own business, a small caucus, pledged absolutely to do as one man shall demand, will settle all these intricate and personal quarrels out of hand—and (here shall be no appeal. It says that whether a State may or inav not want a certain industry to he run as a private concern, the Federal authority may either destroy it or "socialise" it and may man

it as It likes. In those States where Labor Governments are hoding office there is not absolute fealty to the idea of rule by the Federal caucus. Labor does not wholly agree, whether it is in the Federal House or in the South Australian Parliament. Labor unquestionably desires to dominate the situation, but one petty Government hates the thought of domination—and unquestioned extinction as far as some grave matters are concerned—by another Labor Government, however exalted. The referendum question virtually asks the people of Australia to regard the "fat-man" as their deadly enemy, and the Federal caucus as their only friend. It has been inferred that many of the powers of the States will not be interfered with, and it is clear that the east-iron methods laid down by the caucus for the running of private enterprises are the only just and reasonable ones. If the Bills for which public consent is asked are passed into law, aggressive action of the Federal authority in State industrial matters cannot possibly kill industrial unrest. On the other hand, the vast undercurrent of feeling against suppression and dominant class rule must ultimately foment greater disturbances than ever. The Federal Government is suggesting that it has a panacea for all State ills, is superbly self-confident, but without reason. It may take the people of a continent to its nostrums, but it cannot make the people eat them. It asks the people to give a small body of men permission to ritally interfere with any of their enterprises it thinks fit to interfere with, and it invites them to become coerced to a degree never before attempted in history. i