The Daily News TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1929. AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 October 1929, Page 8

The Daily News TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1929. AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS.

Within a few days the Australian electors will decide whether they are prepared to support the policy of the outgoing Ministry or will place Labour in office for the first time since the question of war conscription split that party from top to bottom. The circumstances leading to the present election are of the utmost importance to the future of the Commonwealth. When federation came into being nearly a generation ago certain specific matters, such as Customs, Post and Telegraphs and Defence, were included in the written constitution upon which the Commonwealth is founded. In process of time industrial legislation was added to the functions of the Federal not by virtue of powers given by the constitution, but because that document contained nothing which excluded industrial laws from being enacted and administered by the Commonwealth. As a result the Commonwealth Arbitration Court came into existence, but its scope was limited to the handling of industrial disputes which affected more than.one State. All other industrial matters remained within the scope of the State Governments. It was not long before anomalies began to show themselves between the rulings of the Federal and State Courts. Astute union leaders were quick to take advantage of these discrepancies with a view to getting the decision most favourable to their views. The position of tlie employer was not an enviable one. He had to obey the behests of both £>tate and Federal Courts, and from the establishment of the compulsory arbitration system he was well aware that while he could be forced to comply with awards of either Court, it remained to be seen whether the trades unions would be equally loyal to the Courts’ determinations. Until 1917 there was not much to complain of in this respect. Labour was, up till then, a strong, united, progressive party with means it never hesitated to use for disciplining any within its own ranks who would not conform to party rules. Until 1917 those rules included the acceptance of awards of tlie Commonwealth Arbitration Court. As each award showed no reduction in pay or privileges, and very often an increase in both, the enforcement of discipline was not particularly difficult. At any rate, it was maintained. When the Labour Party broke up over the question of military conscription its discipline broke also. The coalminers of New South Wales chose to ignore an award of the Federal Court and went on strike. The president of the court, the late Mr. Justice Higgins, refused to have anything to do with the dispute until the men showed obedience to the award to which they were parties and returned to work. History has shown that when they were just on the point of doing so the intervention of the Prime Minister, Mr. W. M. Hughes, who had been Labour’s leader but had joined the Nationalists over the conscription issue, put a different complexion on the whole matter. Instead of supporting the court he entered into direct negotiations with the miners, resulting in their obtaining nearly all they asked for. The mischief was that they and other unions learned that the Arbitration Court could be defied with impunity. Its record ever since has been one of uncertainty and ineptitude, and whenever thought desirable its rulings have been openly flouted. When Mr. S. MBruce succeeded Mr. Hughes as leader of the Nationalists and Prime Minister, the weakness of the Commonwealth’s position in industrial matters was manifest On two occasions power to amend the Constitution in that regard was turned down by referendum, and the open defiance of the Federal Court continued. Last year the subject was reviewed at a meeting of State Premiers with the Federal Ministry, and it was made clear that the States would not give up their industrial administration. Mr. Bruce then stated that as mere duplication and confusion were brought about by the dual system he proposed to abolish the Federal Court, except in . regard to the waterside and shipping industries. His Bill to bring about this change was defeated in the House of Representatives, and an appeal to the country has followed. The defeat of the Bruce Government was due to defections from his own party, headed by Mr. W. M. Hughes, and the controversy throughout . the election campaign has been bitterly personal. A divided party is never likely to kindle enthusiasm for a cause, besides which Australia is in the throes of a good deal of depression. However guiltless a Government may be in regard to hard times, it is often made the scapegoat therefor, and H is not unlikely that Labour

may obtain office. If it does it remains to be seen whether it can bring about the old party discipline that included obedience to Commonwealth arbitration awards. If it cannot do so a Labour Ministry will have a thorny problem to handle, and one which cannot be ignored. ”