LABOUR IN AUSTRALIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19216, 4 January 1926, Page 10

LABOUR IN AUSTRALIA.

INDUSTRIAL PEACE WANTED. MANDATE TO MR. BRUCE. SIGNIFICANCE OF ELECTIONS. [by TELEGRAPH. —OWN COItItBSPON'DENT. ] DUNEDIN, Saturday. Mr. Harry S. Gullctt, the well-known Australian journalist, and writer of the official war history of the Australians in Palestine, who was elected to the Federal House of Representatives at the recent elections, is at present in Dnnedin. In an interview he said the Federal High Court has decided that the deportation of Walsh and Johnson, ordeied by a board specially created by the Commonwealth Parliament, is unconstitutional and cannot tako place. This, however, does not alter the fact that the great majority of the electors of Australia have given a specific mandate to the Government led by Mr. Bruco to rid Australia of individuals who may bo deemed to have violated the industrial laws of tho community. Tho general elections which took place last month had in reality but one issue, Mr. Gullett continued. Australia was asked to decide whether a few men prominont in trades unionism should have tho right to paralyse Australian industry. The electors in overwhelming fashion decided this question in the negative. "I am not a constitutional authority, and therefore I do not presume to off or any opinion as to the steps Mr. Bruce will take to give effect to what amounts to a peremptory instruction from the Australian people upon this question," said Mr. Gullett. "I am, however, absolutely of the opinion that Mr. Bruco will not flinch from what is his plain duty. He will, I am sure, find means to give to tho Australian people as a whole, and the trades unionists in particular, the uninterrupted right to carry on their everyday occupations. The mandate at this election is in effect a declaration that Australia will no longer tolerate a few peoplo who are in a political and industrial sense fanatical extremists. Peace iLoving Community. "There is a good deal of misconception outside the Commonwealth of Australia regarding our weakness in Australia for strikes, lock-outs and other forms of industrial misbehaviour. The cold fact is, however, that the Australian workers as a whole, together with the Australian employers, are in an industrial sense remarkably peace loving and patriotic and loyal to Australian and Empire ideals. With a very few exceptions Australian industries have been for years distinguished by the absence of friction between employers and employoes. Take for example our great manufacturing industries, which to-day employ about 450,000 hands, and it can be stated that it is very raro indeed for a strike to occur in these great, industries of the nation. "All or nearly all of our troubles which gave Australia such a bad advertisement abroad have besn confined to two or threo particular industries, which are, however, key industries. They are, in the main, the shipping industry and the coalmining industry, and here the disastrous behaviour has been done, due, in the main, to the unfortunate choice of trades union leadership. If wo in Australia can secure industrial peace in shipping and on the coalfields, iVe fihould be set fair for the enjoyment of a remarkable era of industrial peace. "It is an absolute misconception for outsiders to think there is a deadly feud between the average Australian employer and his men. There is nothing of the kind. There is, with the few exceptions I have mentioned, remarkable harmony in the Commonwealth industrial camp, but unfortunately those exceptions havo been widespread in their offect upon the Commonwealth production. " Tho Bruce Government has already outlined definite schemes for the restriction of our few disastrous industrial rebels, and I ha.ve no doubt that although there are difficulties to be overcome that those measures will be effective. Confidence in Mr. Bruce. "We are in one respect remarkably fortunate in the Commonwealth. Wo have in Mr. Bruce, Prime Minister, one of tho greatest political leaders Australia has known. We have had perhaps political personalities more interesting and outstanding, but I doubt if we have had at the head of our political affairs a man more free from class or party bias, more disinterested in every way, more determined to be juist to Australians of every creed, and more trusted by tho people as a whole. . Mr. Bruce is as yet a young man. Ho is only in tho early forties. He is first a robust Australian, but at heart he is a profound Imperialist, and we have every confidence that under his guidance Australia will prosper within itself and become an increasingly great factor within the Empire. N ■ "Apart from politics," said Mr. Gullett, "Australia is to-day astonishingly prosperous and progressive. We have, as you have in New Zealand, our heavy war debt, but it sits lightly upon our youthful and expansive shoulders. 'We need one thing to ensure our future as a great Pacific nation, and that is more and still more arrivals from the Mother Country. Our one weakness is that in consideration of our great continent we possess a very weak garrison. Hitherto we have been somewhat casual as regards our immigration policy, but I am hopeful that we shall now embark upon some big scheme which will rapidly multiply our AngleSaxon millions. '