AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8290, 19 November 1906, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

MR RAMSAY MAODONALD ON NEW ZEALAND. "A COUNTRY WITH GREAT POSSIBILITIES." MELBOURNE, Nor. 17. Mr Ramsay Maodonald, Secretary of the English Labour Representative Committee, in an interview on his return to Sydney, said New Zealand was a country £with great possibilities, but it required very careful management; to secure the prosperity of the general body of the people. If New Zealand waft going to oarry on progressive legislation the freehold system of land would require to be knocked on the head, for the freeholders were going to skim off the cream of the colony. The great problem that v ihe labour party had to deoide was the purchasing power of money* They had in the past concentrated too much attention on the amount of wages received, and as a consequence they overlooked the. fact than while wages had increased the cost of living bad gone out of all proportion to the wages. They would be foolish if they tried to force up the wages In keeping with tho cost of living, for such a step would only further inorepse the cost of living. In this connection, Mr MoNhb's land policy comes in. With the elimination of the freeholder that policy, if carried ont, would eventually reduoe the oost of living, and correspondingly increase the purchasing power of money. Mr Maodonald thought New Zealand ought to tery carefully oonsider whether it was wise in its Protection policy. He had seen nothing in the oiroumstanoes of New Zealand, to make his opinon with regard to free trade. A STRIKEJTHREATENED. ADELAIDE, November 17. The timber trade employees and the butchers are seeking an increase of wages to strike. MELBOURNE BUILDING TRADE. The area affeoated by the strike in the building trade is widening. It is Estimated that 2,000 men are now affected.