CLAIMS OF LABOUR.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9716, 11 February 1910, Page 5

CLAIMS OF LABOUR.

ME FISHER'S ELECTION SPEECH, HIS ADMINISTRATION DEFENDED. INITIATION OF THE DEFENCE S'JHEME. United PreßsAshOciation—By Eleotrio Telegrap ; Copyright. Received February 10.11 a.m. BRISBANE, February 10. Mr Andrew Fisher, Leader of the Federal Labour Party and ex-Prime Minister of the Commonwealth, opened his election campaign at, Maryborough last night. His speech! largely traversed Mr Deakin's policy Speech at Ballarat on Monday night. In the course of his address, Mr Fisher opposed the Wages Board, and urged the necessity of giving greater power to the Feltral Parliament to protect the work rs. He claimed that his Government whs responsible for the initiation of th" Australian naval defence scheme, an s was the first to put thejdea into concrete form. The inclusion of the financial arrangements with the States in'the constitution would, said Mr Fisher, prove embarrassing to the people of Australia, because it would be impossible to have a protectionist tariff and a large revenue from the Customs. If they were going to have a protectionist country—and he believed they were--very high duties would be required to defray the expenses of the Federation and the payment of 25s per capita to the States, The speaker urged the people to trust the Federal Parliament to do justice to the States. If justice were not done, the people had their remedy at the next election. _