FEDERAL PARLIAMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 282, 28 November 1929, Page 20

FEDERAL PARLIAMENT.

A QUIET OPENING. GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S SPEECH, i GOVERNMENT'S PROGRAMME. (By the "•Star's" Special Representative.) CANBERRA, November 20.

As outlined by the Governor-General at the opening of the Federal Parliament to-day, the policy of the new administration will'be primarily one of caution. There is no rush to frame new industrial legislation, all the information vouchafed being that the Government will introduce a measure early next year "designed to improve the working of arbitration," which the mandate oF the people desired should continue a Federal function. It is noteworthy that conciliation is the first note sounded, for Lord Stonehaven informed the House that his advisers had extended invitation to representatives of employers and employees in all industries to meet in conference-for the purpose of exchanging views, and of suggesting improvements whereby more cordial relations might be facilitated between the parties to industry.

There was an expression of concern and regret at the turmoil among men and tie idleness of the mines on the northerp coalfields of New South Wales, which had caused so much hardship-find bitter feeling, and an assurance waf* given that every avenue would he explored with a view to arriving at a peaceful resumption of work.

Unemployment and Immigration. Mention was made of the serious amount of unemployment in Australia, and of the action of the Prime Minister in having suggested to the British Government a suspension of the assisted passage clauses of the £34,000,000 migration agreement, which your representative dealt with in a recent dispatch to the "Star," and it was stated ( a mild rebuke to the screeching protests of State Righters) that on the receipt of a reply from the British Government, the Commonwealth Government would consult with the Governments of the States. It will please most Australians to learn from the Speech that the new Commonwealth Government proposes further to restrict the admission of foreigners to this country. The costly Migration Commission (one of the many pack-carriers created by Mr. Bruce, who had a positive mania for commissions to do the work of the Government) is to be abolished, in that its functions will be taken over by the Council of Industrial and Scientific Research. Further, the Government will not proceed with the creation of a Bureau of Economic Research. The reason given is shortage of finance, and a desire to restrict the formation of new government departments. All the money available, the new Government holds, should be spent on developmental works.

"Raising the Wind." Early in the session—before Christmas adjournment —a Loan Bill will be introduced for the raising of money for public works of a developmental charcter. The loan, it is understood, will be a local one. There are many financial experts who doubt the wisdom of obtaining local money, for they hold that investment in. Government loans sidetracks funds that' would otherwise be spent in labouremploying private . undertakings, and leave the ordinary investment market short of finances, with resultant depression in trade. And there is already sufficient depression, without aggravating it. An Increased Tariff. There is of course to he a revision of income tax. That always happens when a Labour Government comes into power —the idea being that any other form of Government insufficiently taxes persons of wealth, and overtaxes the poor. One wonders how the poor will fare in the additional taxation they must pay with increased Customs duties. The tariff is to be revised, and this is declaredly a Government of High Protection, out to foster manufactures by stiff imposts against imports. This is all very well, in the sense that it certainly builds •up local industries, and there is no doubt that largely increased production ultimately lessens cost. But in the meantime, the consumer pays pretty dearly for the national benefit,, and his wages are of less worth, even if there is more employment. However, the Government will doubtless watch that high protection will not be granted industries which will use them simply to exploit the public. t

Government of Peace. It is a Government of peace also. It has abolished compulsory military training and ifc whole-heartedly welcomes the invitation to send representatives to the Five Power Naval Conference— '-'in the fervent hope," recited the GovernorGeneral, in the course of Ms Speech today, ' "that the further efforts that will be made to remove some of the obstacles that now impede limitation of armaments will meet with success."

There is no vast programme of proposed legislation in this. Here's it will be a case of doing little, but doing that little well. For most Government's fall in attempting too much and doing nothing.