The Dominion THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 1917. THE POLITICAL STRUGGLE IN AUSTRALIA

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3034, 22 March 1917, Page 4

The Dominion THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 1917. THE POLITICAL STRUGGLE IN AUSTRALIA

The New "South Wales election campaign will come to an end on Saturday, when the electors will have the opportunity of deciding whether tho State is to be governed by a Ministry chosen from the now National Party or by the nominees of the Political Labour Lcaguo. It is hoped that the decision will ho an unmistakable one, and that it will have the effect of moderating the bitter spirit of party strife which at presont prevails in Australia. Unfortunately this is not tho only election struggle that is now in progress in the Commonwealth. The. Federal eleycion campaign is also proceeding, and the n>hole of Australia is soothing with political rancour and unrest at a time when it is of supreme importance that the attention of tho- nation should be conoontratcd upon the task of winning the war. Such discord at the present juncture in tho Empire's history i 3 most doplorable, and it must bo the earnest desiro of every patriotic citizen of Australia that the now Federal Parliament will have such a nlear mandato from the people to jg?vo its undivided attention to war that jthe selfish clamour o' the partisan shall bo effectually silenced until victory has bee", achieved. Both tho State and the Federal campaigns aro being, conducted iu the most acrimonious manner. Old party divisions have been broken down, and tho croation of now political combinations is compelling the. doctors to reconsider their formov political preferences. It is not a matter of choosing between two rival programmes of doincstio legislation. The electors will have to decide between tho claims of party and the olaims of Empire. The Now South Walos National Partycomposed of Liberals, Progressives, and Labon?-Holmanites—puts the Empire first; tho Opposition—the Political Labour League and its supporters—judged by their actions, give the paramount place to party interests.! *

in the previous Parliament, the National Party held 63 Boats and the Political Labour League i! 7 twiita in a House of 90 members. If tin; National!; arc able merely to hold their own at the coming "poll, they will Rocuro a very substantial victory. Thoy are confident of their ability to do this, and nothing but a. sweeping change in tho party allegjanoo of the general public can deprive thorn of their superior position. It is possible that somo of the Labouv politicians, oxpclled from the P.L.L., may be defeated, but it is equally likely that the Political Labour League may be deprived of a few of the rural scats that its nominees now hold. The special reporter of the Melbourne Arffus, who has been investigating the prospccts of tho parties, is of opinion _ that the Labour League may jpin one or two mora scats than it loses, and that tho new House will probably consist of 55 Nationals and 35 Labour League members. This would give the Nationals a handsome working majority, Both sides are campaigning strenuously. The Labour League is attacking tho Holm an i tea in a most savago manner, and the Nationals aro calling' upon the electors to show their determination to uphold the • system of representative government, and not allow the affairs of the oountry to be controlled by the union bosses.

'In both the New South Wales and tho Federal election campaigns the conscription question, and tho evil influence of the I.W.W. wreckers are receiving a, good deal of attention. The Labour League objects to being associated with tho I.W.W. and the Nationals complain that their views on conscription arc being grossly misrepresented by their opponents. The Labour League candidates aro endeavouring to make political capital out of a statement alleged to have been made in Tasmania Dy the Federal Minister for Customs (Mr. Jensen) to the effect that one of the first tbingß the new Federal Government should do was to place the conscription question before the people and get a. strong affirmative answer. In re-1 ply to this line of attack the Prime | Minister (Mr. Hughes) recently stated that the Government's policy on conscription had been set out puito unambiguously in his declaration of policy to Parliament. Tho Government had decided to accept the verdict given by moans of tno referendum. The Government did npt contemplate attempting to disturb that verdict, and the attempts to persuade the electors to the contrary could only be regarded as a mere electioneering dodge. This misrepresentation of the intentions of the Government is one of tho trump cards of the Opposition. The Labour League orators' aro doing their utmost to make the people believe that the National Government will not abide by the result of the conscription referendum. Some competent (judges aro of opinion that if the olectors could be made to believe this mis-statement of the a. stampede disastrous to the Nationals might occur, and National candidates are losing no opportunity of placing the real facts before their constituents. On the whole the Win-the-War Party seems to have a much better chance than its' opponents both as regards tho State and the Federal elections. It is quite clear, however, that no confident opinion can yet be expressed regarding tho outcome of the Federal contest. At any moment there may be a swing over of public opinion one way or tho othy..