Manawatu Evening Standard. TUESDAY, JULY 18, 1939. AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 194, 18 July 1939, Page 6

Manawatu Evening Standard. TUESDAY, JULY 18, 1939. AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

The belief that a general election in the Commonwealth cannot, in view of present circumstances, be delayed for any length of time is gaining* strength. Mr Lyons’s death brought Mr Menzies to the head of the Government, but he has inherited problems which have caused more than one crisis. The Prime Minister has denied that he is contemplating* an early election, and though he would naturally desire to see the term of the present Parliament run its course till well into next year, he may be compelled to appeal to the electors. The defection of the Country Party on Mr Menzies being chosen to lead the Government places him in a minority at Canberra, and his personal ability and the capacity of his Cabinet will be tested in the coming* weeks to avoid defeat. This state of affairs, a Sydney journal recently commented, must bring about constant humiliations and rebuffs and, eventually, loss of prestige without which no Government can successful} 7 maintain itself in office. To a Prime Minister of Mr Menzies’ strong character such a position must sooner or later become intolerable, if it is not already so, and for this reason it is believed that be must find recourse to the verdict of the electors. It may be recalled that when the question of national insurance was before the Commonwealth some months ago he resigned from the Lyons Cabinet rather than compromise on a matter in dispute. At the present time the authority of the Administration is being* challenged by the industrial Labour movement on the question of the compulsory defence register. Labour unions are determined to boycott this legislation and are using it for their own political purposes. It is one of the problems Mr Menzies has inherited from the previous Government. Before the proposal was introduced by Mr Lyons as part of the national defence programme, the Labour Party was invited to co-operate in a truly national Government to prosecute defence with the utmost force and national strength. The offer was turned down and since then the unions have shown their hostility to the register. Its purpose is to provide a complete stocktaking of all the available manpower for both military and industrial purposes, to enable the

Government to plan in the most effective manner the country’s protection and the maintenance ot essential services should an emergency arise. To such a commonsense proposal there can bo no really sound objection, but the unions prefer to see in it a means of conscripting man-power but not wealth. Assurances to the contrary have been of no avail, and the Council of Trades Unions insists on legislative and not verbal affirmation. Yesterday stop-work meetings were held in the Eastern States to enter another protest against the compilation of the register, and members of other unions have expressed themselves fully determined not to complete the official forms. To an Administration which is throwing all the strength it commands into national defence the situation is perplexing and disappointing, but the unions cannot escape condemnation for their action. As Mr "W. M. Hughes has said, “Those who object to defending Australia within Australia are unfit for fi*ee citizenship.” . Mr Menzies has so far had a most exacting time in office and bis difficulties are far from being ironed out.