QUEENSLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20701, 26 April 1929, Page 16

QUEENSLAND.

ELECTIONS PENDING. LABOUR VICTORY LIKELY. (From Our Own Correspondent.) ' SYDNEY, April 11. . Interest is again centred in Queensland politics. The general election has been fixed for May 11, and the campaign is now in full swing. Once again the moderate forces will do their best to depose the long-reigning Labour Government, but their chances of success in this direction are as remote as ever; in fact, they seem more remote than they were three years ago.' when the last general election was held. The anti-Labour parties have never been well organised in, the Northern State, and although efforts have been made to bring about a better understanding these do not appear to have been attended with much, success. There seems to be a lot of petty jealousy behind this.’ Labour therefore enters the campaign full of confidence—a confidence heightened by the results of the. voting in Queensland on, the occasion of the last Federal election, In the Federal sphere Queensland has'heen' almost wholly. Nationalist, and it seemed anomalous that the Queensland people should themselves return a Labour Government. However, the State and Federal electorates arc entirely different, and maybe there is some justification for the assertion that the State electorates have been arranged to suit the purposes of the Labour Party. At any rate. Labour’s position is regarded as impregnable, and its defeat would surprise the whole of Australia. •

Of course, even the Labour Government of Queensland has not been able to fulfil all its promises, and in delivering his policy speech the other night the Premier (Mr W. M’Corniack) felt called upon to explain why the Government had not given the State widowhood and child endowment. : Mr M'Cormack admitted that there had been financial stringency, but he did not blame the Government nor did he say that the position was due to its wild cat schemes, and to the huge losses incurred in ‘State trading. He blamed the drought—an act of God. “It must be remembered,” he said, “ there have been a period of financial stringency, of drought, and of economic disturbances, and the results must show in the balance sheets of the Governments. A glance at the financial position of the Governments of the Commonwealth and of the States shows that Queensland’s position is incomparably better than any of the other States or the Commonwealth, whereas all the others show deficits Queensland shows a surplus.” . The opponents of the Labour Party say that it is a suplus of a sort only, and does not take into account the huge debits that have mounted up against the trading concerns. Perhaps the surplus takes into account the credit in the fund lor the sustenance.of the unemployed of the State. In nine months of the current financial year the amount of doles paid to the unemployed was £311,666. and ' n't Maich 31 the fund was in credit £37,301. But operations on the fund last month showed a loss of over. £IO,OOO, so at that rate the credit will rapidly disappear. ■ As usual Mr M'Cormack’s speech was full of promises of all sorts, most of which moan the expenditure of huge sums of money, suggesting that if Queensland has a surplus now it was not what the Labour Party intended. There are many ways for spending the money that might accumulate, He made a definite promise that the existing policy of arbitration would be continued, and that is important as re fleeting Labour’s attitude to this all-im-portant subject. The Government promises greater assistance to co-operative agriculture, a soil survey allied to closer settlement, a vigorous development of the cottongrowing industry, legislation to control‘.the drifting 1/nnana industry, and the permanent establishment of the Lands Administration Board. An important decision reached by the Government is one to establish an Electricity Commission to co-ordinate the various power schemes of the State. The Premier has promised to make provision for the payment of allow*, anees to widows, deserted wives, and the wives of sick husbands who are unable to work. This should assure him ample support from the wpmen electors. If, this is not enough they may Be tempted to vote Labour by a promise of extension of the hospital, maternity, and child welfare schemes: In addition it is promised that Queensland will step into line with the other States and adopt a vigorous main, roads policy. Further, there is to be a new education scheme which would enable any boy or girl showing aptitude to pass from the kindergarten to the university without the payment of any fees whatsoever. Queensland is certainty a State with remarkable resources. It. had need to be if Labour remains in power much longer.