112 



The Review of Reviews. 



February tO, i90S. 



hers from opposite sides of the earth will hold in 

 its womb such vast potentialities we cannot say. 

 We hope so. 



The Conference will be interesting 



Th hC S r0 h n l from the fact that ' while almost all 



Covered. of the members of the new English 



Labour Party are Freetraders, pos- 

 sibly two-thirds of the Australian Labour Party is 

 Protectionist. Fiscal questions will, therefore, pro- 

 bably be barred, and it is as well that it should be 

 so. After all, this question should not. in Australia, 

 divide those who are seeking what is, at present at 

 any rate, of infinitely more importance, the solving 

 of some of the social and economic problems com- 

 mon to both Britain and ourselves. These are in 

 abundance for the delegates to discuss ; and if the 

 visit of the English friends will set .some of our 

 Labour members on tracks which will end in the 

 solution of our drink problem, our social evil pro- 

 blem, our housing problem, our unemployed pro- 

 blem, our lands' settlement problem, to say nothing 

 of the possibilities of adjustments between Labour 

 and Capital, strictly so-called, it will be of vast im- 

 portance. Truly a brotherhood of man may, with 

 regard to this Party, spring up. The rest of the 

 sections of society would soon follow. Needless to 

 say, all sections of the community will look forward 

 with the keenest of interest to the visit, for everybody 

 of advanced ideas in Australia must hail with exceed- 

 ing pleasure the men who have done so much to 

 push forward progressive legislation at Home. It 

 would be a great thing if Mr. Burns could add his 

 presence to that of the others, but that, of course, is 

 out of the question. 



At the recent Labour Council in 

 Labour Unions X ew South Wales, the question of 

 and Political , v ■., ,.,. , ^ ■ 



Alliances alliances with political parties was 



.discussed, and by a considerable 

 vote disapproved of. It is understood that the dis- 

 approval does not particularly refer to the present 

 party in the House, but that it is merely a direction 

 for the future. While, however, some of the news- 

 papers have used this as an opportunity to attack 

 the present situation, it is, as a matter of fact, not a 

 new thing for Labour Councils to propose. Their 

 policy has been one of isolation, and possibly, with 

 the idea of gaining all that they want, it is a wise 

 one. That is a matter of their own concern, and if 

 they choose to adopt that principle, it is simply a 

 question of fighting tactics. No one outside their 

 Party can complain of it, although at the same time 

 those outside are frequently justified in offering the 

 criticism that it is not wise to bind anv particular 

 party, whatever it may be, by a hard and fast direc- 

 tion such as this. The present Federal Parliament, 

 and the Governments of South Australia and 

 Queensland, are all of them giving excellent proof 

 that it is quite possible for the Liberal-Labour com- 

 bination to work harmoniously, and secure a verv 



Newman] [Photo. 



The Late Mr. T. Littlejohn. of Sydn«y, 



Who died last .month Mr. Littlejohn was the Chairman of the A. M.P. 

 Board of Directors, and a highly esteemed citizen. 



great deal in the way of advanced legislation. 

 Necessarily it means a give-and-take policy, but apart 

 from that the union may actually be accomplished, 

 and productive of good. This attitude tends to 

 erase dividing lines, and to the cultivation of the 

 spirit of brotherhood. This after all is one of the 

 most desirable ends to be gained. In the past the 

 Labour Party has without doubt made a mistake in 

 tying down its representatives too closely. While 

 general principles may be affirmed, and should be 

 affirmed, by every man who aspires to represent the 

 people, there yet should be a considerable latitude 

 for even 7 man to exercise his judgment in any con- 

 tingencies which arise. 



Very wisely the Government does 



The not intend to be left in the lurch 



Mail Contracts, over British mail arrangements, as 



happened when the last contract 

 expired. The conditions for the future contract, to 

 take effect after January 31st, 1908, are published. 

 It is probable that a very much superior service to 

 the present will be gained, and the present holders 

 of the contract will need to wake up or they may 

 find themselves superseded by other lines prepared 

 to grant better conditions. One noteworthy feature 

 of the specifications is that nothing has been said 

 about freight conditions. It is rightly pointed out 

 by the Postmaster-General that the exigencies of 



