The Maikato Times With which is Incorporated The Waikato Argua. MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1929. AUSTRALIAN ELECTION.

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17841, 14 October 1929, Page 6

The Maikato Times With which is Incorporated The Waikato Argua. MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1929. AUSTRALIAN ELECTION.

Political landslides are the order of the day. Labour has won a great victory in the Australian Commonwealth elections after suffering great defeats in the Queensland and NewSouth Wales contests. Labour adherents will be justifiably elated at the prospect of having a clear majority in the Federal House of Representatives, but the impartial observer naturally takes in a longer v>ew and asks what is the meaning of such apparently conflicting expressions of public opinion, It seems reasonable to conclude that electors in general have no great confidence in party shibboleths. Few of those whose change of vote has brought Labour into power expect any remarkable boon. The yote, like that in the New Zealand, New South Wales and Queensland elections, is doubtless largely one of protest. As far as the one clear issue—that of the fate of the Federal Arbitration Court —is concerned, the people have rejected Mr Bruce's plan of abolishing the Federal jurisdiction In industrial disputes except those concerned with the shipping industry. They had previously rejected his proposal to give the Federal Government practically complete control. But the defeat of both these plans for removing the conflict and overlapping between the Federal and State arbitration systems certainly does not mean that the people are satisfied with present conditions. Indeed, there is probably much truth in the Nationalists’ claim that the Labour people scored largely last Saturday as the result of the impression that Mr Bruce’s party was aiming at a general reduction in wage standards. The anti-Labour propagandists, including practically all the greatest newspapers, were very largely responsible, through the virulence of their attacks, for creating this impression. Like the powerful press of Britain, they have been hoist with their own petard. The country has voted decisively against any attack on the wage standards. It had shown at previous elections that it wanted no violent revolution, and in the Queensland election proof was given of dissatisfaction with Labour’s tentative efforts towards Socialism, but on Saturday a strong rebuke was given to the tendency tow-ards the use of force on the part of the anti-Labour groups.

The fate of Mr W. M. Hughes, the war-time Prime Minister, is of special interest. He has been elected with a large majority over his Nationalist opponent, but, if he had any hope of holding the balance in the new Parliament, he has been entirely disappointed. In his comment on Saturday’s voting he said that the Government’s defeat sounded the death-knell of the party machine. Probably he referred only to the party which he, by his revolt, has succeeded in wrecking. Party government in general is still far from dead, and Mr Hughes is hardly the man to assail it, since it is men of his type who are most dependant on party machines for their rise to power. However, he is now simply in the position of an independent member, and Labour’s leaders

will have no inclination to take him into their Government. What then is to be expected of the Labour regime? It is not even certain what it will do in regard to the trouble over the two arbitration systems; in fact a large section among the Labourites favours the plan first proposed by Mr Bruce —to give authority wholly to the Federal Court.' This could not be done-without another referendum, but it seems necessary to do something to remove the confusion that has existed in recent years. As to the larger Issues, it is not so much a question of what the new- Government desires, but rather of what it can do. The world’s condition is not such as to give hope for expanding markets and higher prices. Without such aids to progress, the Government will not be able to give very substantial benefits to the town workers except at the expense of some other group. The farmers seem certainly unable to bear any greater burden; in fact, with the drop in the price of wool, they may have to get relief in some form instead of being called upon to add to the subsidies they already give to town industries. In the circumstances, there is every prospect that Labour will adopt a policy of borrowing. It will probably have little difficulty in this, at least for the time being; for both Britain and America (for good or ill] have abundant millions for investment abroad. Loans will be raised; unemployment, which has caused terrible distress, will be relieved, and therein is occasion for rejoicing. But whether the ultimate outcome will be for the good of Australia will depend on the use Labour makes of its power in directions that have hardly come into view in the wordy warfare of the election campaign.