GOING BACKWARD

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 36, 11 February 1926, Page 11

GOING BACKWARD

LABOUR IN AUSTRALIA , VICTORIA PREMIER'S VIEWS I "CAN'T HOLD NEW SOUTH WALES." 'The Hon. J. Allan, Premier of Victoria, accompanied by Mrs. Allan, a.crived in Wellington last night by the Moeraki from Melbourne, and will spend a fortnight in the Dominion. They leave for the South to-night to 1 see the Exhibition at Dunedin. To-day Mr. Allan had interviews with , the Prime Minister and members of tho . New Zealand Government. | Although primarily on a holiday visit, Mr. Allan is taking the opportunity to discuss trade matters with i Ministers. In conversation ■with a "Post" reporter to-day, Mr. Allan remarked that trade relations between New Zealand 1 and Australia were fairly amicable, but there was a difficulty in giving prcfertial treatment, as to what articles suited one country, and what another. Ha had no doubt, however, that if the re* presentatives of the respective Governments could get together a more satisfactory arrangement could be reached. Mr. Allan pointed out that Victoria was the only non-Labour State in the Commonwealth. The next election in Victoria was due to take place in June twelve months. "I don't think that . Labour has much chance of capturing Victoria," said Mr. Allan. "They aw strong there, but there is no danger of them getting a majority. In the present Parliament, Labour has 28 menibers and the Government 37, but that takes no account of the Speaker. It is not a great majority, but still it is a workable one." In answer to a query, Mr. Allan said that his Government was not faced with any difficulty in regatd to its pper House as was the New South Wales Government. The Victorian Upper House was an elective body, whereas the nominative system was in force in New South Wales. As a -result of the recent Federal election, Mr. Allan was inclined to the opinion that Labour was more likely to go backward than forward in Australia. "I don't think they can hold New South Wales," he said. "They could not hold it to-day if an election took place. The things that Mr. Lang is doing will swing the crowd the other way as far as he is concerned." Mr. Allan declined to express an opinion as to the merits of the controversy how going on in New South Wales over the abolition of the Upper House. He mentioned that he would be returning to Melbourne via Sydney, and would be interviewing Mr. Lang on his way back. The opinion was expressed by Mr. Allan that there should be a greater development in trade between the Commonwealth and New Zealand. "We are the same people," he said. "We are pretty British over there, but I think you are, if anything, a little more British than we are." One.thing noted by.Mr. Allan in Ms walk through the city to-day was that the New Zealand children appeared to be much rosier than those In Australia; climatic reasons, of coarse, accounted for this. , • ■ , There was no State Arbitratipn Court in Victoria, said Mr. Allan. Industrial disputes there were dealt with by a Wages Board. When a dispute arose in any industry the employers in that industry appointed an assessor on the Wages Board, the employees in the industry doing likewise, and the Government appointing an independent chairman. "This system works out fairly well," said Mr. Allan, "but we have a few strikes all the same." The Commonwealth. Arbitration Court exercised jurisdiction in the various States of Australia in regard to such industries as shipping, or shearing, or those industries which were of an inter-State character.