AUSTRALIAN AFFAIRS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 117, 10 February 1908, Page 11

AUSTRALIAN AFFAIRS.

A POLITICIAN'S VIEWS." , COMPULSORY SERVICE AND THE 1 CAPITAL SITE • (itt. TELEGRAPH—SPECUI, CORVtESrONDEjMI) . . Chrlstohuroh, Febnnry 8 - Discussing tho' e^tr.'iorctiriai> o.utbuist- in j tho federal Sfiiate ot Sen'itor Steuart in ■ regard to; tfie messago of eondolenco with the ■ Queen-' of: "Portugal,'-Dr.' Grnttan .Wilson, i ' • Member "oto tie - Federal :• Parliament-tit.'-pre- ■ seiflb -en a" visit to ■ Chnstchurch, said that. . the ;statements attributed to Senator-. Steu art , • ' would' ho endorsed by his party.,, Tho. Senator -w;as a Republican and a member of the party. ,&omc of the. Labour extremists had openly confessed that > they; favoured the establishment, of .an Australian republic.' • Jloh like Mr.' Watsori, the 'late Labour leader,',' Dr.. Grattan WilBon and others of the best men in the Labour pvty, have no syropathyriuth such sentiments.." If'canuot r ber said jEhat Senator Stewart's remarks . represent the feeling oP,the .'Labour pjirty.-. .The- majority, of' tho members' of that party arc men or high principle, und they would doploi-o : any exhibition of (ho sou ae-cribed " i Speakingi.on:::!the. now -.- Commonsoislth - defence.'aoheme as outlined by Mr. Deakm, ■ Dr. said that: it-had hot.yet been discussed by tho Honso. Mr. Deakin ■ had taken an opportunity to mako his speech • so -that, tlle'j'scheine might" bo fully^discussed ' by. Members'of 'Parliament,, newspapers, and. the ptoblie.b'eforol Parliament me,t again. -Tho whole •'! schemes turned on thoj-jquestion of compulsoryservioo boing. rpquncd ' from adults of froni IS) to 24 v year, , There upio many,.diffipulj;ies^p;;thp',way,;of i accomplishing, ■ the ischem!?. - :as-.outlined.Li .For,';ono tiling, - it, • proposed to deal' with young men - at .the "raw age;"-when they wore not inclined to ' give ■ themselves •up to discipline. Further, : the Government had not a sufficient number of instructors to deal with such a largo body of men out..- The conipul--Bory cadet*fcystem-'at tlfo'schools, Statd.and .private, J 'Was; generally/ approved, -, as ; tho pupilsvwouldj leave school-with a ; grounding i m driU''ftnd? discipline.-vlh'e only; chance ot Mr. Deakin's--sohettfo; receiving -. legislate o approvaly dependod on,its getting the support of- "tho" Labour party.' ' iN6;'definite decision;■ ljas.,yet Keen .• arrived .i at in.' : rogard, to> the sito or the Federal -Wilson ; said,.that .-Dal-, gety, wliich" had beoh: proposed, - and. jvhich was. temporarily adopted, 'would ultimately be rejected, as. tho locality--was unsuitable, and the town'-was off-tho mum line, between Sydney .and Melbourne.'' The capital must be ' situatedvoiistliei'.mam: line, m tho'State - of l Newr/SbutliH'Walcs, i.and noteless than . 100 miles ■from.'.Sydney.'".- 1 ThO:-.'-, buildingof . a Foderal-capital; while a „.i costly. : business, -' - would allay: Stato jealousy, and would assist • in tho;cujjiivation/of a-, truo(Federal, spirit.:. :i -