MR REID'S MAJORITY.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 12014, 15 October 1904, Page 6

MR REID'S MAJORITY.

r ——— After wasting nearly four weeke of the most important period of the session 3o a profitless debate, the Federal Houre r.f Representatives, on Thursday evening, came to a division on Mr Watson's motion that the Reid-McLean Government was unworthy of the coriSdence of members. The narrow majority by which the motion hae been rejected (thirty-seven to thirty-five), ootrpled with Mr Watson's threat that, believing tho Opposition had a majority in the country, he would use every legitimate means to drive the Government out of office, indicates that the affairs of tho Commonwealth are still in an unsettled condition, and likely to remain co for saome time to come. Tho debate, however, has served one useful purpose. It has ehown the electors of the Comnwnwealth that, in spite of its protestations to the contrary, the Labour party is still hankering after office. So far as it had proceeded, when tho last mails loft Australia, *the debate, although it had not altered the state of political parties in the House, had sensibly strengthened the coalition Government. The bitterly envenomed attacks made upon Mr Reid by sundry Labour members and members of the Left Wing of the Labour-Liberal alliance, practically defeated themselves. The repetition of the oft-exploded charges levelled against Mr Reid's personal hono ir in the House of Representatives by Sir William Lyao and others, gave him the opportunity of rehabilitating himself in the eyes of the Australian public, and, by irrefutable documentary evidence, he i.ns been able to show that the accusations made again&t him wero -utterly void of foundation, and that the men making them were really disgracing themselves and their party by co doing. Beyond this, the only noteworthy feature of tho debate has been the extraordinary number ofv "personal explanations" made by' members, day after day, as the reemit of the reckless statement* and aspersions made by their political opponents. It is thie sort of thing which has made the country sick and tired of the whole machinery of Federal politics, ani a dissolution would have been welcomed, because it was felt that even should Mr Reid obtain a majority (which wae then uncertain) it would scarcely constitute a working majority. The Labour Leagues were industriously at work preparing for a General Election, and the Melbourne and Sydney press were alike urging the electors to be prepared for J all contingencies. Mi Tom Mann had been re-engaged by the Victorian Political Labour Council as its propaganda speaker at a salary of £300 a year, and the Electors Alliance in Victoria was welding together all the anti-socialistic leagues in opposition to tho Labourites, ftir Watson'e assertion that the Opposition commands a majority m the country : hae been largely -discounted in anticipation, by the growing disfavour in which the public views the Labour and Liberal Alliance. - Outside of Parliament itself no attempt is being made by the Labour Councils to observe the compact entered into between, Mr Watson and Mr Isaacs that the seats of the Protectionist Liberal members of die Alliance should be guaranteed against attack from Labour candidates. The probabilities are that, in the event of a dissolution, the dissentient Protectionist members of the Alliance will have to fight for their seats againet their own party allies. But all present idea of a dissolution is at nn end. Mr Reid has rightly determined to try and ect the House to business and the Estimates, long delayed, and upon which the State Parliamentary budgets are all more or less dependent, are to be dealt with next -week. However email his majority may be, the Federal Prime Minister is bound at least to try to dispose of tome of tho accumulated business of a session which has so little to chow save nearly six months struggling between the '"ins" and the "outs:" If he fails, it will then bo time enough to appeal to the electors.