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Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 182, 7 September 1914, Page 4

Once again Labour lias managed to reinstate itself in power in the Com-

monwealth Parliament, ami this time with a healthy majority in both Houses. The result may be due to the "popular" election programme which Mr Fisher submitted to the constituencies or to the fact that the Fusion Government has not impressed the electors with its determination and resource. The Liberal dailies in Australia suggest that the untoward (to them) decision of a majority of voters was duo to a certain extent to the abstention of many supporters of the Cook Party from going to the polls on account of their opposition to a General Election while ~-the Empire was engaged in a critical war on the Continent. There was a disposition on the part of a section of Labour to defer the election lintil a later date, so that it may be inferred that the Labour Party, too, would suffer from electors refraining from voting on this account. The sound, clear-cut majority which Mr, Fisher has secured is due to some-more'J material cause. His programme includes schemes, such as the Initiative and Referendum, which are calculated to appeal closely to the mass of the workers. This recoil of popular feeling have proved a great surprise to Mr Cook, who went to great pains to have the constituencies pass judgment on the tactics of the Labour Party, both in the House of Representatives and the Senate. ' By virtue of an overwhelming majority in the Senate, the Liberals in the Lower House were sorely hampered in their work. So vexatious did "matters become at.last, that the Premier laid traps for the Senate, the Senate wasi shrewdly captured, and nothing was left but recourse to a General Election. Probably Mr Cook is sorry now that he was so persistent in the double dissolution. When the parties were in the midst of their electioneering the war cloud broke. The Prime Minister was steadfast in his purpose to hold the election, and, in face of this, it was suggested as an alternative on behalf of the Labour Party that matters could be arranged by Labour not contesting Liberal-held -seats, if the Government would do likewise with seats occupied by Labour. The proposal was turned down by Mv Cook with promptitude, and now the J electors have turned Mr Cook down. | The re-entrance of Labour into power in Australia need not necessarily provoke any misgivings on the part of the commercial side-of the community. Mr Andrew Fisher is no Socialistic firebrand, and, on his previous record, can be trusted to be just -as sane as, and a little more resourcefully Australian than his predecessor.