THE COMMONWEALTH.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LX, Issue LX, 1 November 1910, Page 8

THE COMMONWEALTH.

PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS. SPOILS FOR THE VICTORS. BY CABLE— PEESS ASSOCIATION— COPYRIGHT. (Received Nov. 1, 10.30 a.m.) MELBOURNE, Nov. 1. Replying to a deputation Mr King O'Malley (Minister of Home Affairs) said he had discovered that Ministerial responsibility would be a fiction if the departmental heads were tied down by a thousand-year-old system. When he obtained his freedom he would do what he could for the deputation. All future Federal Government contracts will contain a clause giving preference to unionists. This is the result of pressure by the unions on the caucus. The Government takes the view that they represent primarily the members of trades unions, and must give their own supporters the first claim to Government employment. STATE-OWNED CABLE. (Received Nov. 1, 10.30 a.m.) MELBOURNE, Nov. 1. The Government have received a cable from Sir George Reid stating he is getting data in regard to the Stateowned cable. There was a possibility of an alternative route, which Avould work four times faster and with far less mistakes.