CHOICE FOR AUSTRALIANS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19143, 8 October 1925, Page 11

CHOICE FOR AUSTRALIANS.

ISSUES OF THE ELECTION. ORDER VERSUS COMMUNISM. INTEREST IK OLD COUNTRY. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copy right (Received 8.35 p.m.) A. and N.Z LONDON. Oct. 7. The Times comments on the decision of Mr. S. M. Bruce. Pnme Minister of Australia, to go to the country on the issues raised by the Butish seamen s si! ike. It. says he has acted wisely and com ageously. He has appealed to the country to choose between the I arlianieritiiiv democratic system and the ten d ncies of the kind of contiol of which the Communists arc the chad e>p >ne.nts. "This is the fust time that such an issue has been so sharnly and cotispii uously raised in any part of the Empire, says the L-mes. " and the p;ogic\s of the electoral campaign in Australia w r ill be watched here, and in the Dominions, with some wundc; that Austuilia should be the scene ol such an expeiiment and with unusual concern. " Australia, prosperous, thinly populated. remote fiom the stormy Old Woild. was—so dtearners might have arguedthe last place on earth which might have been expected to be exposed to so modern and so sttenuous a conhoveisy. "Perhaps Australia has been too readily disposed to iingei among sunlit dreams, arid to tolerate many things that seem to be too absurd to be real, or dangerous This attitude has given the enemies o) authority their opening." The paper proceeds to review Mr B; uce's speech at Dandenong. It says the big programme for promoting the ptos perity of. White Australia, which is await ing accomplishment, can only be carried out if the country is detei mined to fiee itself, once for all, from the strangle hold of the extremists, who, by manoeuvres which are now transparent, have gained control of the trades union machinery. The Times commends as fair, moderate and thoioughlv democratic Mr. Bi uce's proposal to restore democracy within the trades unions by means of the secfet ballot. The article concludes: "It is a critical moment in the history of Australia, a moment in which the imperilled cause of constitutional government must make the strongest possible appeal." SHIPOWNERS COMBINE. ACTION IN DISPUTES. COMING LONDON CONFERENCE. (Received 8.35 p.m.) Reuter. LONDON, Oct. 6. The Continental shipowners will attend a conference with tFie British owners in London shortly for the purpose of arranging concerted action m labour disputes.