MORE POWER

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 76, 31 March 1934, Page 11

MORE POWER

FEDERAL' REFERENDUM

ACTION LIKELY

(From "The Post's" Representative.) SYDNEY, March 22. Federal Ministers are unable to hide their disappointment at the farcical results which attended the last Premiers' Conference called to discuss Constitutional amendments. It is clear to all -who make, even., a. slight study of the matter .that the Federal Constitution, framed so many years ago, does not meet the needs" of today, and tis mainly responsible for the serious and expensive overlapping that now occurs in State and Federal Administrations. Probably the most disappointed man is the Federal Attorney-General (Mr. Latham), who put in so- much work in preparing ■. the case for his Ministry, only to,find that the States were not prepared to consider seriously any of the propositions that were: put forward. The- behaviour of some of the States was almost childlike—they eonld not get their own way financially, so they refused to give ground in any other direction, no matter how logical the argument that they should do so. The position will be considered at important meetings of the Federal Cabinet to be held next month at Canberra, and the idea is taking shape that the people should be asked, at the next Federal elections, to give the Federal Parliament full control over broadcasting, the cinema, and aviation—all of them national subjects. As a preliminary step towards educating the public, th<* important speeches made by the Prime Minister at the conference, outlining the attitude of his Government, are to be published in brochure form, and will be distributed through the organisation of the United Australia Party.

_ It is taken for granted in Ministerial circles,- in. view of the failure to reach the semblance of an agreement at the Premiers' Conference, that the Federal Parliament will be asked, soon, after the House meets in June; to pass Bills providing for a referendum on the question of granting increased powers to the Commonwealth. The Government wouia like- to ask, also, for increased inflnstrial powers with the object of unifying the various State and Federal Arbitration systems. At present the overlapping of industrial awards, and the operation of different systems in the various States has put a serious brake on industry, and has been the cause of much heartburning. In New South ;Wales, for instance, some of the railway workers come under Federal awards and others under State awards, and thediffereirt rates of pay and hours do not make for harmony. Some of the private industries are in the same boat. Many Federal Governments have tried to rectify the position, and so hostile have the States been that- they have nearly wrecked themselves in the process. The present Federal Government may not think that the time is ripe. The Commonwealth is already exercising fnil powers over aviation by virtue of the trade and commerce provisions of the Constitution, but its position is by no means secure, and a judgment of the High Court might restrain it. The test has yet to Tie made.