AUSTRALIA TODAY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 812, 5 November 1929, Page 9

AUSTRALIA TODAY

OVERLAPPING OF ARBITRATION COURT OUTLOOK NOT BRIGHT “All the retail people I met were complaining of lack of business, but wherever I went there seemed to be an orgy of spending.’* This is Mr. P. Selig’s impression of Sydney at the present time. He returned by the Maheno this morning after spending a holiday in Australia. Mr. Selig. who was formerly manager of the Christchurch “Press.’* said that there was an obvious inclination to give the Labour Government a trial. Mr. Bruce had made a blunder by going to the country at the time when everybody was against him and when the coal and timber strikes were on. “A newspaper man told me a week before the General Election that Labour would go in,” said Mr. Selig. He thought that people were inclined to trust the new Prime Minister, Mr. Scullm, but Messrs. Theodore and Beasley were not nearly so popular. However, at the moment Mr. Theodore was behaving himself. Although the retailers were all complaining there seemed to be no lack of spending. Theatres were full and the picture houses were crowded all day long. Mr. Selig considers that if wool prices drop the situation will become very much worse for the Commonwealth, which this year has to face a big financial deficit. When he left Australia the wool market had a rising tendency and the outlook seemed brighter. In Sydney there were large numbers of shops and flats to let, and landlords were complaining. The flats to let ran into thousands and this indicated the present position in the city. Goods, clothing and food were dearer in Sydney than in New Zealand, with possibly one exception—boots. Potatoes were £4O a ton, and when Mr. Selig asked businessmen why the embargo on New Zealand potatoes was not lifted their only reply was some vague reference to blights. The present Arbitration Court system resulted, in a great deal of overlapping and extra expense to the country. Each State had a separate court in addition to the Commonwealth Court, and this resulted in the operation of two separate awards. Legislation in Australia was also a costly business, with its State and Commonwealth Parliaments. If the Federal Parliament were made the controlling body the country would be saved a great deal of unnecessary expense. There was no doubt that many Australians were in favour of the abolition of State Parliaments. Round-table conferences, piece-work or bonuses in industry were not regarded with any friendliness by Australian workers, said Mr. Selig, as there seemed to be no apparent desire on their part to speed up the amount of work done.