THE AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17339, 10 December 1919, Page 8

THE AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS.

' The general elections in Australia, j which will be held on Saturday, are , not without features of special , interest to New Zealand in view of I the polling here four days later. In • the Commonwealth, unfortunately, ! the party which stands for disloyalty ' and class warfare is sufficiently strong to make a serious bid for . power. It is aggressive enough to . have forced into combination against . it all men and women who wish Aus- . tralia to enjoy peace at home and . honour abroad, and who desire . security both from internal enemies , and external foes. The Official i Labour Party, which is contesting - the elections again the coalition of . moderate voters, cares little for Auss tralia's place among the nations of , the Empire and the world. It is r anti-military in its external policy, . but in its internal policy it is milir tant to a degree which is disturbing . to those who desire orderly progress. , Labour is attempting to win this elec- , tion by presenting such another pror gramme as has brought Queensland i into severe straits. There are . promises for everybody, but no : practical proposals for financing ; them. The Federal Treasurer has . estimated that the Labour Party's i programme would cost an additional ; £23,000,000 a year, apart from the j £2,000,000 of revenue which it re-

bates. This estimate has not been challenged by Mr. Ryan, who is now the virtual leader of the Labour Party, but he continues to make fresh promises, hopeful that each i will catch some votes. The most j satisfactory feature of a struggle that is without precedent in Australia is the closing of the ranks of moderate voters. There are three parties in the fight, Labour, Nationalists, and the Farmers' organisation, but though the farmers will win severaL, seats, and may possibly hold the balance of power, they may be counted with the Nationalists and against Official Labour in every critical test.