AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1233, 15 September 1911, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

THE FEDERAL PROGRAMME. SOME REVENUE FIGURES. In compiling the programme put forward at tho opening of tho Federal Parliament on September 5, the Government stems (says the Sydney "Daily Telegraph") to have presented a full bill as a matter of course, notwithstanding that after beginning at this stago of the year tho session must be a short one. Virtually tho whole of tho immediate platform is promised, from a Commonweal!)) bank to a Seamen's Compensation Hill. • This however, is dono as an assurance of good faith rather tha.i with any serious hope of passing even a substantial pioportion of tho scheduled measures. What suggestively outstand jus-t now are the expenditures tho Commonwealth is already committed to and the question of whether any new revenue is to bo raised to copo with tiieui. Tho Government expects this year a gross revenue of X 20,000,000, which, alter payments have been made to the States will leave it with a round net XH,TOO,OOO. Six years ago it got along on a total expenditure of £i,■198,000, and even last year >t only spent Thus iu six ytars the Commonwealth's own revenue has increased by well over .£10,000,000, and yet Ministers have reluctantly had to paro down their Estimates. Naval and military defence, the government of tho Northern Territory and Papua, the preposterous "bargain" made with South Australia for tho Territory, and the western transcontinental account, 'with other things, lor this expansiveness, which offer such a sharp commentary on the prediction that Federation would not cost tho taxpayers mora titan tho price of registering a dog. Superficially no proposal is made for raising more _ revenue wherewith to ease tho admitted strain on the enormous revenue. But amendment of the Notes Act is promised, presumably in tho direction of enabling the Government to get at the gold reserve, and the bunking scheme is expected to bo an earner. As for the tarii), the intimation that it is being watched with a new to revision whenever the Government obtains information showing it' to bs necessary may bo taken as meaning that political or financial circumstances may supply tho necessity, tho Caucus being confessedly heedless about fiscal policy when what it regards as moro important considerations present themselves. That a proposal tending towards unification may bo tried on the ptople again is indicated in tho statement that "the everincreasing exactions of trust's" make an extension of constitutional powers imperative. These trusts aro always mentioned in dark generalities, instead of with any detail as to their identity and oppressions, or with any convincing argument with the States. The Federalist and tho Liberal'need not find fault with tho Government for persisting in its folly, however, both must rccogniso that it is playing into their hands by trying to forco unification and Socialism upon the people, who have just declared against them with unmistakable emphasis. LABOUR PARTS' NEARLY WRECKED. It would appear that had it not been for tho restraining influence of the Sabbatarian section of tho New South Wales Labour party, thero would have been no trouble now about the election of a Speaker, the by-elections at Mudgeo and Liverpool Plains wpuld never liavo teen held, Mr. M'Gowen-would not have gone to the Coronation, and thero would havo been 110 occasion for Mr. Neilscu to have been jettisoned by the party—in fact, thero would havo been no Labour party at all. At tho Presbyterian School of Theology at Sydney Mr. W. Wood made this plain, lie was speaking on "The Church and Politics," and said tho Political Labour movement would have been wrocked at its very inauguration had a proposal been carried to adjourn the first meeting from 11.30 p.m. on a Saturday to 10 a.m. on tho Sunday. When this motion was put forward, he said, tho indignation of .thoso.members of the league who wero Churchmoa could bo understcod. They took their stand then and there, and de'featpd n ths|, attempt of tho outside Social-., ists tho business which their fellow-workers had sent them to transact. They did not act on religious grounds, but on the grounds of expediency, arguing that the workers should be the very last to allow any infringement of tho day of rest. "It would liavo broken up tho Labour movement iu its infancy, if that meeting had been held 011 the Sunday," concluded Mr. Wood, bat Mr. R. M'C. Anderson a few minutes later declared, "Those men might have been praising God better at 10 o'clock in the Labour League than they could havo been at church. Tho churches aro getting empty, and ,tliey will get emptier. Rev. John M'Donald interjected, "They arc not getting empty," but Mr. Anderson repeated, "I say they are." SOUTH AUSTRALIA'S BIGGEST UNDERTAKING. Sunburned and healthy-looking after a journey of 1550 miles by steamer, train, and motor, the Eyre Peninsula Railway ltoyal Commission and party stepped from the steamer Rupara at Port Adelaido a few days ago. All were glad (ho end of a really strenuous, although interesting, trip had arrived. Of the distance covered 900 miles were travelled in motor-cars and traps in 12 days, at an average of 82.5 miles a day. Generally spealting, tho route lay along tho mail track, and tho roads were fair to good, but in tho branch excursions tho roads traversed were indifferent to very bad. Tho commission wont to a point a short distance west of Colons station, which is the furthest west that a motor has been on tho track round the head of the Bight. Coloi\a is 50 or 00 miles north-westward of Fowler's Bay. The chairman said: "Thero seems to be millions of acrds of arable land 011 the west coast in a strip about 30 miles wide from Streaky Bay to a little, west of Fowler's Bay, dotted with poor patches. Tho main question to be solved in regard to all tho country that was soon is in regard to rainfall. The evidence pointed to moderate and low register! ligs and onlv moderate yields. The excursion was the biggest undertaking of its kind in tflie history of South Australia.' MEN AND WOMEN WORKERS. Mr. Thomas, speaking at tho Postal Electrical Mechanics' Union smoke concert in Melbourne, said the Government policy in regard to men and women workers was that they should l>o treated alike. Thero should be equal pay for equal worth. If in a Government Department there was work more suitable for women than for men, the women Tshould get it. If the work was more suitable for men, then the men should get it. Each had the same right of employment and enual justice should be done to each by employing each on equal terms. If everything else was equal, the men should havo the preference. Considering that a man was regarded as the head of tho household, and hoped to be in a position to marry, that was onlv fair, both to the men and tho women. If in the course of time automatic switchboards should become general throughout Australia, it would mcitn a great deal mo-re work for members of this union, and if that meant that 111 the future there would not lie so many females employed in tho Department, but that thero would bo more men and more mechanics engaged, he ventured to ?ay that the new state of things would not bo any the worse for Australia.