The Timaru Herald FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 1935 VICTORIA’S POLITICS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20064, 22 March 1935, Page 8

The Timaru Herald FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 1935 VICTORIA’S POLITICS

Interesting developments are forecasted by the political quidnuncs in Victoria, following the dissolution of the Coalition Cabinet, composed of representatives of the United Australia Party and the Country Party. Following the general election, three members of the Country Party were accepted by Sir Stanley Argyle as Ministers of the Crown, and the combined forces of the two Parties were preparing to meet Parliament and present a legislative programme acceptable to the Coalition. An offer to assist the Country Party to displace the Argyle Administration was made by the Labour leader, Mr T. Tunnecliffe, but Brigadier Bourchier, who had not then been deposed as leader of the Country Party, said he preferred to await developments. Almost dramatic developments came out of this offer. The election of Mr A. A. Dunstau as leader of the Country Party was followed almost immediately by the dissolution of the political partnership under Sir Stanley Argyle’s leadership. It is significant that the leader of the Country Party is willing to place himself in ilie hands of the Labour Party with its seventeen members in the Victorian State Parliament. So far, the terms of the bargain have not been disclosed; nevertheless, we think it can be taken for granted tiiai the Victorian Labour Party has no intention of assisting 111 q. Country Party to gain the Treasury benches, just for the satisfaction of witnessing the downfall of the Argyle Administration. There is a price to be paid for such service. The Victorian Government recently submitted itself to the judgment of- the electors with four main accomplishments to its credit:

The reduction of the State’s deficit from staggering proportions almost to vanishing point. Substantial relief to pensioners and employees who had suffered reductions under' the Financial Emergency Act. Reduction on two occasions of the rates of unemployment relief tax.

Reduction of the numbers of registered unemployed from 61,000 in June 19at, to 28,000 to-day.

Although the Labour Party made profuse promises of gifts to the electors, the decision of the country was given in support of sound finance. It may be mentioned that in marked contrast to the policy outlined by the Victorian Labour Party, Sir Stanley Argyle’s programme for the future is characterised by the determination to try no dangerous expedients, but to continue quietly along the road to general recovery, merely giving a plain undertaking that “in order not to cripple industry, taxation should be as low as possible consistent with the need for budgetary equilibrium.” The State Premier made no secret that he regarded the result of the general election as a gratifying demonstration of popular confidence and an expression of the desire of the electors for a policy of sound finance in the conduct of the national affairs of the State. The decision of the Country Party to seek office by making a compact with the Labour Party, has certainly introduced a decidedly discordant note into the political affairs of Victoria. Obviously the temptation to gain possession of the Treasury benches lias completely destroyed the sanity of the Country Party, members of which are now prepared to make substantial sacrifices to satisfy the ambitions of several thrusting leaders. The Government, on its part, notwithstanding the secession of the Country Party, indicates its intention to maintain the principles of sound finance. The Argyle Administration will introduce legislation immediately for the relief of the primary producers and continue its policy of enabling private industry to reabsorb employees. The bombshell has yet to come in the form of a censure motion tabled by the Country Party at the instigation of the Labour Party, which may yield quite unexpected results.

BEARING THE BURDEN “No group of men in New Zealand has had a worse time than the mayors of the cities and boroughs of the country,” declared the Mayor of Christchurch at the annual conference of the Municipal Association of New Zealand, which opened in Christchurch yesterday, “because,” added Mr Sullivan, “they have had to bear the racket more than other public men during the depression. There probably is no country in the world where, to the same extent, a burden has been placed on local bodies as lias been placed in New Zealand”: “Both the Government and the Unemployment Board to a large extent have sheltered behind local bodies, and a very large financial burden has been thrown on to those bodies.” It is not necessary to agree to the last letter with the Mayor of Christchurch to feel impelled to endorse his references to the mayors of the cities and boroughs of New Zealand. They have borne an immense load of responsibility and every community owes their own municipal authorities a great debt of gratitude for the sympathetic consideration that has been consistently shown by them for their fellow citizens who have fallen on unhappy days.