FEDERAL REFERENDA.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 47, 25 February 1911, Page 5

FEDERAL REFERENDA.

LABOUR MEMBERS IN LINE. By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Copyright, (Received February 25, 10.20 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. Labour members have replied to the letters from the Labour League expressing their willingness to speak in favour ! of the affirmative vole on the referenda. None have yet refused r The secretary stated in an interview that the failure of members to use their , best efforts might mean failure to the movement or to themselves. [A further pronouncement regarding the attitude of the State Government on the j Federal referendum was made by Mr. M'Gowen, N.S.W. Premier, who assert- j ed that there has been a, misapprehen- I sion on the subject, which has been magnified into an emphatic difference in principle between the Federal and State Parliaments. "There has been a good I deal of misapprehension," he said, "in rogard to the attitude taken ap by members of the Government and also of the State Labour party in regard to the referendum proposals. Some divergence of opinion has been magnified so as to make it appear that there is an emphatic difference in principle between the State and Federal Parliaments. As a matter of fact we arc all agroad that there is a necessity, in order to meet present day requirements, for an oxtension of the functions of tho Commonwealth under the-constitution. I believe both parties are agreed that such an amendmont is necessary as will bo for tho greatest, benefit of tho people of the Commonwealth, and tho only diltureiu-o has boon as to how far tho extension Li dttbiublo to meot our divergont views. Wo havo novei' upnor.ed "ertain extensions «yon muler the present eon.'ilitulion of l'Vdor<\l functions whidi experience has shown avo immediately norosmiry. What wo did un;u v/ns Miat tho proposed amendments of Lho constitution wove wido enough lo include tho tiannCcr of <ertain functions which had not boon proved to be iiwi.-wu'v, and which to my wind would not, hu iidviuifaceonti under Iho coiiKtiliitinu (i-i at pi'Obonl moulded. We, roidi.ifd thai I lie pioposed iui'urmori into tho dnnidin of piucly domain matteir. wa.-i to l)o (onl'unvd up<iu a Parliament aim ted f>n a Vedond basis, and we. hivvit always urged that if it is dtwirabht t<> givu tho iviihul Omotimiont lii^so powers oyur purely local mattov.s, tho wholo constitution nt llio Australian l*;irliamont miißt bo revibod "'(

CuMnnia lpvi-iuift collected nt. VWIIiiUJLo|i during Hip win k •> tiding 10-dny amounted to DkiTjOOl, .11 ii^utUbt JJ1U.039 10s. 2il lor tin 1 - oorii'spuniliJU 1 ; weok of 1910. Uier duty LoLilKul JDilOl l)s, v decrease of £31 Mjj lid on luul yt'ttr'n