THE OUTLOOK FOR THE REID GOVERNMENT.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 61, 9 September 1904, Page 4

THE OUTLOOK FOR THE REID GOVERNMENT.

Tho latest step in tho evolution of parties in tho Commonwealth Parliament bodes ill for Mr. Reid's Government, but well for Australian politics as a whole. Tho coalition for which wo had hoped while tho Labour Party was in .offico was not realised, but tho forces which were then unable to coalosco for tho purposo of carrying on tho Government seem now to have formed a working alliance in Opposit'on, which may be expected to lead beforj long to stiH closer and moro stable relations. The terms of tho arrangement much resemble the compact between tho Conservatives and tho Liberal Unionist* in tfio Old Country, which wns expected to have as short v life as other coalitions, but after lasting nearly twenty years, and long surviving the urgency of tho siUiation which called it into being, is still as strong ns ever. The Labour Party and tho Isaacs and Lyne party have agroed, while rotaining their separate identities, to work together during tho term of this and tha succeeding Pail iament. "Each party will use its infiuonco, individually nnd collectively, with its organisation and supporters to secure support for nnd immunity from opposition to members of either party." A joint election committeo is to consider tho respective claims of tho contracting parties in the matter of the nominations tor tho various constituencies— -an cKsential piirt of tho work, in which again Iho model of the Unionist compact in tho United Kingdom has been followed. Tho voxed question of the tariff, which appeared to be' the chief obstacle to the nihanco, is to bo settled ns Mr. Sod don has Kottled the laud question, by "remitting it to a Royal Commission later on." Wo regard tho understanding thus arrived at as the best thing that has happened in Australian politics sinco Mr. Donkin's Ministry first got into difficulties. Tho triangular situation which rendered tho continued tenure of oflico oqiially impossible for them nnd tlioir immediate successors couW never bo cured ' oxcopt on tho basis of a rearrangement of parties, in which each must sacrifice something for tho snko of a new union. Mr. Watson's briof term of olH|i has proved an irtvaltiablo discipline for tho Labour Party, by teaching it tho differonco between criticism and construction, between theorotical nnd prncI tical politics ; and whilo it hap been learning tho value of compromiso tho country has loarnt that tho party is ronlly less dangerous in offico than in I opposition, and that in Mr. Watson it has a leader who, so far from being a | visionary, has moro tho cut of a statesman than any other possiblo loader of I Australian democrncy. A permanent fu- ' siou, or oven a prolonged alliance, bctwoon his mon and tho most democratic elements •in tho othor parties should 'beforo long gi-vo thorn tho control of ,tho nlf air s of the Cbmmo.mvenUh, mid Mr. Reid appears to realise already that his drfys aro numbered. It is, howoyor, vefiy satisfactory that his preparations for/? doparturo havo not provonted his making nn important declaration which should bo of special interest to Mr. Chamberlain. " With roforonco to profoTcntial trndo, Mr, Roid states that tho Government intends to wait until somo declaration is made by ,tho Imperial Goyornment." This is very much tho nttitudo which Mr. Wntson htid previously adopted, nnd, at any rate sinco tho general election, Mr. Deakin's position was similar. If Australia is (o wait for tho Old Country, and tho Old Country for Australia, thoy will take a long timo coming to terms and saving tho Empire Mr. Chnmborlnin had bettor ask for 'another Colonial Conforcnce or Royml Commission to find that colonial offer of which ho has talked so freely.