DISSOLUTION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 595, 25 August 1909, Page 7

DISSOLUTION.

THE QUEENSLAND MINISTERIAL CRISIS.

SINGLE-VOTE CABINET, LABOUR WILL OBSTRUCT SUPPLY. • I (By aßsoclMlon.-OopjHiriit.l I (Rec. August 25, 0.40 a.m.) S / : ''•'■•■ . Brisbane, August 24. .Mr. Kidston, tho Premier—Who&o, Government was' recently saved by o)io votp oil a Labour no-confidenco division—to-day interviewed tho Lieutenant-Governor of tho State (Sir A, Morgan) to discuss the political situation. : ;''■ After conferring with the' LieutenantGovernor, Mr. Kidston • announced In tho Assembly that ho had asked for, and had been granted, a dissolution, In doing so, ho stated that :tho Government had not taken action with regard to securing a dissolution earlier because it was of vital .■, importance that tho State should be represented at the recent Premiers' Conference (which dealt with the. question of Federal and ; finances). .\ '< ■ ;..', Mr. Kidston went on to Say that the present House (which was elected early last year) had outlived its usefulness, and it was high time that the country had an tunity of sending in one party or the others The Lieutenant-Governor accepted his advice to dissolve provided thai; the House granted supply. He gave notice to move tomorrow with a view, to permitting the passage of the Appropriation Bill, through all its stages at the one sitting. ■■'''■~;■'■'■'.'■' The' Labour leader, Mr. Bowman, defended the right of his party to. move a want-of-conp.dcnce:motion', and said ho/Would refuse to grant supply. .'■. ■' ; . ..!'■■,''.' . The motion for the adjournment, of the House. was carried by' 36 votes to' 35, the Government haying 'thus—as ,on the . recent no-confidence mot jpn—a majority of one.

THE KIDSTON-PHILP FUSION

APPROACHING FIGHT 1 WITH LABOUR. A short time ago/the Kidston-Philp-coalition Government—formed to oure tho three-party evil and to present a united front to LabonrH had a majority, estimated at about eight, but it has undergone a propess of rapid erosion. According to the "Sydney Morning'. Herald, the troublo "has arisen apparently': over'the claim's.'.-of n certain number of ainlijtjcius members for the spoils of office or patronage. A'fusion had been reached between"the followers of Mr. Kidston and Mr. ; Philp, and there,can be little question 'that' a solid majority of. the. people of Queensland approve of it. "But discontented supporters have revolted, because n Judgeship did not come the right way in. one case,' portfolios 'ih the Cabinet were distributed the wrong way in other instances, and the Speakership failed to drop into an outspread lap for another. The socialist Opposition, under Mr. j3iwman, has rejoiced in these 'mishap's fqr the Goveriiiuerit", and has made' capital, out of the hunger fof thei 'tart shop of 'Certain unappreciated politicians;" '■: ~

, j Discussing the ■; question of-', resignation or dissolution, the •"Herald" considers that the ''resignation of Mr. Kidston would in any. oasts involve an appeal to the.country, for it-is difficult to understand how, the'.Labour -leader; Mf. Bowman, or Mr. Blair "as lender of ,h small cave,.' cou(d fprtii a Cabinet with h'nv jiopo of success.' . . -.'- It was,'indeed, hinteil that the : Labour party Was prepared to give Mrf, Blair and his cave all the portfolios iua new Government '. if they "would ioin with the Opposition in' throwing Mr. Kidsfpn out. - This would have meant that Labour members would ■have been the only supporters, for ' nearly everybody else ■■ would- have been in the Cabinet. .L'je-struggle to ; retain,tho/allcgiance of doubtful Ministerialists has been:, going.- on- from week to week,,'but always with in Mr.'; Kidston 4,favour. ■■* 'He his Cabinet to-removo ; certain obstaoles in the path of a better uiulerstandinp,-and ;,(be. strange neglect of Mr. ■philp-aiid his principal - supporters when the.fusion Cttbiliet was forhi'ed has been since-.-remedied to some extent. An appeal to the.Country, spems inevitable; soonor or later, and that it will have an imnortjint PWnIS o * l politics may "be ab : ' cepted as. corfaili. ' The socialists' are well ■ 'organised, and they., hope 'to - "capture -several seatsi-so-. that-if'by. any chance .they" could* iiommand a majority, they would set the tune for Commonwealth musio next year! ; But.Mr, Kidstpri and Mr.' Philp, represent a■'. strong combination, and .Queensland h,a!i good'reason tp ejye the hyp leaders, her"coii6derice. ,r - . ''.' : The.Governor-elect Of Queensland; Sir Wm' MacGregor, has* not' yet left for' his new duties, owing Mo illness. The : LieutenantGovernor, who has granted the dissolution.' is Sir-Arthur Morgan. , v .-•.' ::■'-..'. " The faot that :Mr. Kidston, when, he represented Queensland at the important Conference of. Premiers dealing, with' Federal and ■ State finances,, was holding offioe 'in 'his own Assembly by. a single: vote, will-be carefully driven hoipe by the Labour party j' and the ; election, campaign will probably be a fierce one.