Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, MONDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1929 AUSTRALIA'S DECISION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17081, 14 October 1929, Page 6

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, MONDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1929 AUSTRALIA'S DECISION.

Saturday was a fateful day for Australia. It saw the end of a Coalition Government which had labored hard to restore the national finances, left in a most unsatisfactory state by the preceding administration, to establish self-reliant confidence, to develop the resources, and to build up; the industries of a great continent. ..Of the sincerity of the efforts there could be no possible doubt; of its results there are many gratifying evidences pointing to success. The burden of taxation has been lightened, social benefits extended, industries have been built up and expanded, and existing problems due to world-wide economic conditions faced with courage and devotion. The one thing necessary to give success to the policy and to lift Australia out of depression on to a plane of abundant prosperity was the hearty co-operation of all sections of the people, but unfortunately the evils of discontent and disunion have been more manifest in Australia than in most countries in this post-war world, and every effort of the Government has been hampered and harassed by prolonged industrial conflict; so much so that the productive industries of the country have been prevented from making the expansion that was necessary to establish' economic stability and progress. The Bruce-Page Government has used all its powers of persuasion to create a healthy public sentiment and to bring about an era of industrial peace. It has been thwarted at every turn, however, by the stubborn and mischievous recalcitrance of a section of the community, led by irresponsible extremists, which would listen to no reason and viewed with suspicion and distrust every ell'ort to promote peace. ' Realising the utter futility of being able to carry on the government of the country so long as the constitutional laws governing industry were being constantly flouted, the Government sought to amend those laws by removing one of the most prolific sources of obstruction, the dual system of control over industry in the Federal and .State Arbitration Courts. Tt was prepared to adopt a unified system, either of Slate or Federal con trol. Proposals for complete Federal control having been rejected by referendum and by the continued opposition of the State Governments, the Federal Cabinet decided to abandon the field of industrial arbitration and to leave the whole control of industry to the States, which already exercised through a majority of the awards a preponderance of authority. Defeated in Parliament on this proposal, it confidently appealed to the country, and after one of the most spirited election campaigns ever fought, in Australia the electorates have put their veto upon the project, and so reversed the state of parties in the House that the Government must go out of office. The Prime Minifcter and several of his colleagues are iii danger of defeat in their own electorates, " renegade" .Nationalists have been returned with substantial majorities, and the government of the country once more has been handed over to the Labor party. It is, in our judgment, a most unfortunate and deplorable situation. Past experience of Labor rule both in the Federal and State Legislatures does not encourage the belief that any solution to the troubles of the Commonwealth can be found by the change of administration. It is significant that Queensland, which is now endeavoring to set its house in order after a lengthy period of Labor maladministration, accorded the strongest support in till the States to the Nationalist cause. There is neither the ability nor the desire amongst the members of the party now coming iiitb power to bring peace in industry, to establish confidence, 1 or to promote a greater expansion, in industry—factors so essential to Australia fulfilling its destiny as a great and prosperous country.; Throughout the election campaign just concluded passion and prejudice have b«ep appealed to, and tije quo cardinal

issue at stake has been beclouded by a host of trifling and irrelevant issues. It is well known that had the election gone as it should have gone, the disturbance in the coal-mining and timber industries, which have seriously affected Australian trade and commerce for many months past, would have ended in a peaceful settlement, but the strikers held over submission to the decision of arbitration tribunals and commissions of investigation in the vain hope that a change of government would give them some sort of political advantage enabling them In enforce their will on the affected industries and the community in general. The prospect now is that the strife will become more bitter and prolonged, and that only through the loss of markets and continued unemployment will Australians learn the lesson of the great mistake perpetrated at the polls. The result of the elections has been a victory for the basher gangs which for months have been creating a state of terror in industry, and for the harking mobs which crowded the meetings of Nationalist candidates and endeavored to prevent them giving expression to their views. It is an encouragement to those extremists who have been urging the workers wherever awards of the arbitration courts, after careful investigation into industry, fail to comply with their demands, to ignore those awards and to set up irritating conditions that will compel submission. The fact is that there have been so many concessions in industry, so easily obtained, that people have lost sight of the important fact that Australia is a competitor with other nations, and that it will be impossible for it, to maintain its economic position and its credit abroad unless it is able to produce on an economic basin. The lesson, however, will some day be learned, and probably the advent of a Government under the leadership of Mr. Scul--1 iTi or Mr. Theodore may hasten the day of awakening.