FEDERAL POLL.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 244, 15 October 1929, Page 7

FEDERAL POLL.

MATTER FOR REGRET. 1 British Press And Defeat Of Bruce Government. FUTURE OBSCURE. (Australian and N.Z. Press Association.) (Received 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, October 14. Commenting on the result of the Federal election the "Morning Post," in a leading article entitled "The Deep Calleth Unto the Deep," says: — "The defeat of Mr. Bruce is a matter for regret rather than surprise. He has been long in office. Bad trade and industrial depression inclined the electorate to a change. A coalition is never the best ground on which to build a Government. "The work of the Arbitration Court seemed to be successful when a brisk demand for labour was raising wages, but with the turn of the tide the difficulties of enforcing awards began. The Australian Government was faced with the impotence of the Courts to enforce their decisions. "When Mr. Bruce attempted to make a compromise he courted political disaster. He antagonised our old friend, his enemy, 'Billy' Hughes, who by his antecedents is wedded to industrial arbitration. "The deep calleth unto the deep. No doubt the present success of the Labour movements in the Mother Country contributed to this victory in the Commonwealth. But, if Democracy makes itseif too expensive to compete with the rest of the world, no social legislation will save it from unemployment and dead trade. "Australia, we believe, will live to regret Mr. Bruce's fall. He is not a showy politician, but he is an honest, patriotic man, trusted and. respected at home and abroad." The "Daily Telegraph" in a leading article under the caption "Landslide in Australia" says: "Labour's victory is by far the greatest Labour has won in. the 28 years of the Commonwealth's existence. The severity of the defeat was quite unforeseen, though many anticipated a result which would enable Mr. Hughes aud the dissident Nationalists to hold the balance of power. "A strong majority is the ideal outcome of an election. The people of the Commonwealth have assured that blessing to Australia, which has had a long experience of Labour Ministries. It is clear that Labour must have had the support of many voters • who are not adherents to the party on ordinary occasions." : Continuing, the "Telegraph" says: "Mr. Bruce has served his country well. Mr. J. H. Scullin, Leader of the Labour party, is an able and respected public man, but it is hard to see how he can deal better than Mr. Bruce with' the corroding vice of the Australian economic situation, namely, the resolute policy of the trades unions to maintain fiat defiance of arbitral awards, and to force wages and conditions which industiy cannot support." The "Times" says: "Labour in Australia has won a'decisive victory. The figures mean that Australian democracy has utterly repudiated Mr. Bruce's policy and' declared in favour of tht> somewhat obscure policies of hi* opponents. Mr. Scullin is credited with having a clear,'logical mind. It may take time for the new Ministers to appreciate the position, but it is not likely that Mr. Bruce's successors will contemplate any very desperate or alarming policy." The "Financial Times" says: "Time will-tell whether there is immense scope for the reproductive employment of British capital in . Australia, but investors, will closely scrutinise the issues by a Labour Government, the financial orthodoxy of which may naturally excite doubts." The official organ of the British Labour party, the "Daily Herald," says* "Australia has rejected Mr. Bruce as contemptuously as Britain did Mr. Baldwin. It was not merely the opposition to his attempt to abolish the Federal Arbitration Court which destroyed Mr. Bruce. It was the realisation that he stood for imperialism abroad and reaction at home—that he was the ally, if not the servant, of big business interests in their attacks on hours, wages and conditions. "By a fortunate coincidence Labour has achieved power in Australia when Labour is in office at Downing Street. Mr. Scullin's promise to co-operate with Mr. MacDoiiald's splendid peace efforts will make them easier and more effective, because it will bring to the new type of Imperial problem a new type of Imperial mind where Mr. Bruce's oldfashioned imperialism would only have been a nuisance." The "Daily Telegraph's" financial correspondent writes that while it is untrue to say that the victory of the Labour party in Australia is liked in the city, there is a feeling that there may not be any particularly disastrous results. The declines in Australian Government stocks are limited to a quarter in half a dozen securities. Mr. Theodore and the other Labour leaders may be assumed to have learned something about economic truths from the experience of Queensland. * The "Daily Telegraph" continues that apart from the check to the carrying out of the loan programmes of the States, as arranged by the Federal Loan Council in August, a. reduction in loan expenditure will affect those forms of, activity, the employment of which loans have stimulated in the past. A more moderate growth of public debts, even at the expense of a deflation in activity arising from annual expenditure, is desirable in the interests of the Australian public and with the restrainintr influence of the , Senate it may be hoped the new Government will not lose sight of this.