FRIENDLY VIEW

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23269, 11 February 1939, Page 16

FRIENDLY VIEW

DOMINION AFFAIRS AUSTRALIAN FEELING EX-PREMIER'S COMMENTARY EXPERIMENTAL LEGISLATION "Australians are watching your legislative experiments with friendly interest, and hope that they will be successful," said Sir Walter James, of Perth, a former Premier of Western Australia, in an interview aboard the fit rat bed en yesterday. Sir \V alter, who is making the round trip from Fremantle, said he included import control in his statement. Labour's great success at the general election had caused a good deal of surprise to Australian onlookers, ho continued. Most of them had expected that tho political pendulum would swing back a little, at any rate, and that the farming vote would affect tho Government's position. Industries and Defence

Speaking of Australian affairs in general, Sir Walter said that the great development of manufacturing industries was clearly in the line of the country's progress, and so far as superficial observation went, it had not increased the cost of living. He believed that New Zealand was wise in attempting to follow suit as far as conditions in the Dominion allowed. It. could fairly bo said triat the people were now "dcfonco-conscious. uitli the possible exception of some Labour elements. Ihe latter were opposed to conscription because they believed that it would introduce a form of national discipline which could be used to combat strikes in the larger industries. Drought in Western Australia His own State, Western Australia, was suffering severely from drought, but its people looked to the future with confidence, Sir Walter continued. Farming was becoming more diversified, there was a large fruit industry and the State was self-supporting in all primarv products. The political dispute over the Federal constitution, which bad led to a secession movement some years ago, might be described as "still sleeping." „ , _ . Sir Walter, who is a King's Counsel, but has retired from practice, was Premier of Western Australia from 1902 to 1904, and the State's AgentGeneral in London from the latter vear to 1906. He was chancellor of the Fniversitv of Western Australia from 19:50 to 1936. On the present trip he is accompanied by his daughter, Mrs. W. Walsh.