The Evening Star FRIDAY, MAY 7, 1909.

Evening Star, Issue 14053, 7 May 1909, Page 6

The Evening Star FRIDAY, MAY 7, 1909.

The Victorian exchanges just to hand give unmistakable indications A Dying that there will be another Cause. shuffle of the political cards

as soon as the Federal parliament meets after recess. Mr Fisher and his colleagues have held the reins of Government on sufferance, and have blundered badly over the Dreadnought proposals. When they can be induced to break silence the members of the Labor Ministry seem to be uttering their own obituary notices, for they plainly realise that their days are numbered.. The situation is by no means a new one in Australian politics, for Mr DoaJdn himself, with all hi» ability and eloquence, has for years past been.' aimdlarfy subservient Mr King O’Malley, doe of the Tasmatßan representatives, pot Btefc Jjj&S. jQtsmiivfer position ,ia hie usaai

forceful and amusing fashion recently in this way: “Me Deakin never held office “since the foundation of the Common- “ wealth except as the advance missionary “of the Labor, party. The Labor party “sit behind him, but always as directors- “ general of affairs. The Laborites say “‘Alfred, march,’ and Alfred marches. “When they say ‘Alfred, retire,’ Alfred “retires. Thus, the beneficent legislation “of the Federal Government was the pro- “ geny of the Labor party. We "love our “Liberal brethren, and we wish we could “eat them.” This is a quite true declaration of the humiliating position held by Mr Deakin while in office, but there seems small probability of that gentleman securing the support of the Labor party in the future. Mr Deakin has , been telling large audiences in the several States that to build a Dreadnought for -the Mother Country is a national duty, and the Opposition support the patriotic proposal; Mr Fisher and the Labor party, per contra, repudiate the obligation, and have their own ideas of building fighting ships locally, notwithstanding the expert advice tendered to them by naval authorities and the hearty responses that have been given by wealthy Australians in the direction of subscribing finds for adding at least on© first class battleship to the British Navy.