AUSTRALIA'S POLICY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8837, 31 March 1909, Page 5

AUSTRALIA'S POLICY.

TWENTY DESTROYERS PROPOSED. COMPULSORY TRAINING. , (By Electric Telegraph—C.opyßiGHT.) (Peb Press Association.) . '■■ ■ BRISBANE, March .30. The Australian- Prime Minister, Mr Fisher, delivered the first section of his policy speech /at Gympie to-night. ; Dealing with , national finance, he declared for a fixdd minimum of five millions per annum guaranteed to the States, the latter to receive any surplus, on a per capita basis. He proposed tho creation of an Australian fleet of not less than twenty, destroyers, calling for an expenditure of at least three millions in addition to the cost of maintenance during tne next three years. Tho military, defence proposals will include a scheme for universal compulsory military training. To effectively accomplish these naval and military schemes financial provision will be made by direct taxation. In default of proper steps being taken by the States to provide land for immigrants the Federation will institute a progressive land tax with an exemption of £5000.. Mr Fisher also proposed an absentee tax. Mr Fisher declared the Dreadnought scheme • was not his policy at all. The Government could not have justified itself if it yielded • to popular clamour because he believed it was on wrong lines. His compulsory training scheme proposes that cadets commence service at 10 years of age and go on till they are 21. Tho scheme entails an initial outlay of £580,000 and the cost the first year will be £1,200,000 and will reach a ma? imum of £1,407,000 in the sixth year. The naval scheme proposes in addition to the-three destroyers already ordered four ocean destroyers and 16 river class destroyers. Mr Fisher foreshadowed a Commonwealth note issue and the minting of a silver coinage- which together will produce a revenue of £190,000. Ho also hinted at an amendment of the constitution as regards new protection. Tho Federal Government would not go on the money market on any condition whatever until a settlement had been reached over the State debts question. He considered the appointment of a High Commissioner a necessity. Mr Fisher estimated that naval construction would cost £650,000 in the first year, £880,000 in the second, and £734,000 in the third. The maintenance would cost £168,000 in the first year, and £236,000 next. The Herald declares that Mr Fisher is entirely astray on the naval defence question. He merely commits Australia to an enormous , expense for construction and maintenance without even gaining local immunity. At the same time he fails most- shamefully to play the part in the Empire's defence that events so loudly call Australia to ,undertake. _ He strongly misread the signs of the times, and thinks that now is an appropriate time to appeal to purely local patriotism. Hie plain duty was to stand by tho Empire, and the Premier must be left under no illusion that he is helping the Empire with his destroyer fleet. The Telegraph points out that destroyers ixre useless unless attached to a deep-sea squadrom, and continues, J'Our clear interest and manifest duty is to strengthen the fleet which, while it holds the seas, makes invasion impossible. Any defence scheme ignoring that is a. fraudulent delusion, and just there the incurably weak point of "Mr Fisher's policy protrudes.