AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19239, 1 August 1924, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

A COMPOSITE MINISTRY. ANXIOUS DAYS. (From Otm Own Correspondent.! SYDNEY, July 33. At the moment of writing it is impossible to tell what 24 hours may bring forth in AusimUs’i Federal politics. The fate of the Composite Ministry composed of Nationalists and Country Party, with the former in the majority, is trembling on the uttermost edge of disaster. It eeoms hopeless ever to expect the two parties to come to a sound agreement and present a united front in opposition to Labour. The pact that was recently entered into by the leaders of the two ministerial wings—Mr Bruce, the Prime Minister, representing the Nationalist side, and Dr Page, the Treasurer, the Country Party, has been the subject ever since it was a.rrranged A stormy debate, especially in Country Party circles, wherein the provisions relating to immunity from opposition from either side for xhe sitting members of each at tho next election has been received with anything but a good grace. The practice in tho past has, been for tho Country Party and the iMtionaiists to squabble on the hustings with, if anything more bitterness towards each other than each displays towards the common foe of Labour, each trusting that added strength will give it added power after the election, to make exacting demands upon the other as a, condition of a composite ministry. The fact that Labour is slipping into power all over the Commonwealth owing to this state of affairs has not yet been sufficient to cause the more bellicose of tire Country Party members to call a halt. Matters in tHe Federal arena have been brought to a head during the past few days by the assembly of the Farmers’ Federal organisation, and the Federal Nationalists, separately, to consider the pact entered into by the respective leaders.

Mr Bruce, so far as his party was concerned, left nothing to chance, declaring that he would stand or fall by the pact as it stood. On the other hand it was known that the Country Party members would not pass the pact without modification regarding the party’s attitude at the elections, even declaring that the central body had not power thus far to commit tho local organisations, which had largo powers of autonomy. Instead of waiting to negotiate the Nationalists forthwith ratified the pact at is stood, and it was then generally expected that tho life of the Composite Ministry had but a few hours to run. At J. he eleventh hour, however, the Country Party bad shown a epiri'j of conciliation, and Mr Braca, having won the formal endorsement of his action from his own party, has consented to conferences with the Country Party on the question of modifications that the Country Party members contend are necessary to make the pact consistent with tho powers of their local organisations. It is known that the Country Party members m» anxious to keep Dr Page in the position of leader, owing to the capacity that he had displayed in his high office, and to simply turn down the pact would necessarily displace him. Therefore members are anxious to patch matters up if possible. Those conferences have yet to be held, and it is impossible to forecast the events of tho next few days. It is believed that some compromise will be reached, but the state of perpetual uncertainty that such compositions engender, and the personal rather than essentially political divisions that arc at the root of the party divergences, has been strongly emphasised, and it seems probable that only the sobering influences of a lohg spell in tho shades of opposition, which old campaigners assert to he the inevitable consequence of such tactics, will bring about any real unity and strength in the Ihbcral elements of politics in tho Commonwealth.