June, 1912. 



history of the ivionlh. 



b\ forcing the elections. Had they taken place in 

 the usual \va\ next year, the incident would havu 

 be-'n forgottiii, and the Party that worked so much 

 damage gone unpunished. But now it will not \'t 

 torgotten. The position now is that the parties 

 number I.ilwr.d forty-seven, and Labour twenty- 

 four, .IS against Liberal forty and Labour and Inde- 

 pendent OpiK»sition combined thirty-two. What a 

 tine jusitilication this of Mr. Denham's action. 



The Prime Minister of Australia 



t^he Fhen" Sf """^ ^ ''''■'■> '"'K"'"'' '" ^^^ election 

 the Strikers. <-ampaign. Forgetting the dignity 

 ot his p<.)sition, he desceniled to tin- 

 level of the ordinary candidate who seeks to win 

 his position by small, personal and offensive re- 

 marks about his opponents. Mr. Fisher let out a 

 great deal that was not helpful to his own cause. 

 but was decidedly entertaining to his opponents. 

 He not only sympathised with, but tried to justif\ 

 the .strike, and showed unmistakablv that at heart 

 he is just where the men are who thrust societv 

 into the fire of tribulation. Moreover, in a ver\ 

 undignified way he tried to justify his flouting of 

 the Constitution in his refusal to st-nd militarv aiil 

 to the Queensland Government, and made it prettv 

 plain that he was s<j sympalhotic with the strikers 

 that he was willing to give the law the go-by. What 

 a travesty on good go\ernment, and equal obser\- 

 iince of the law, and unbias.sed administr.ition Mr. 

 Fisher is giving. But it is better so. It is good 

 that the truth .should come out. The Labour 

 l^-aders have lieen lately keeping verv quiet, in thi' 

 hope of lulling the communitv into a false securitv ; 

 and it must have chagrined them that the Prime 

 Minister committed such an error of judgment in 

 o|)ening the uinilow and h'tting the light in. It 

 niav safely 1«- predicted that between now and the 

 elections next year, the leaders will do all they can 

 lo prevent any more .strikes and wild revelatory 

 >|ieeches. 



It is annising to note the imanimitv 

 and vehemence of the other leaders 

 against .strikes. The Brisbane elec- 

 tions hav<' turned their minds clean 

 . these strikes cease, they say, the 

 will he lost. And they are quite 

 right. The ti ni|)er of the |)eople is being rou.sed 

 against them. But the amusing thing is that the 

 I't-deral L.ibour leaders are di-nouncing them, not 

 Iiecausc the\ disl)elieve in them, but simjily as a 

 matter of tactir,. Even Mr. Fisher's constituency 

 declared unmistakably its opposition to insurrec- 

 tionary I.alHiiu. which f.ict must have opened his 

 astonished e\<v And during the next few months, 

 strikes willlK-.N-cried as he.-irtily as they have bwn 

 .since the Qtieensl.ind elections, hut only because it 

 is feared that the countrv will he terrorised into 

 wiping out of [>ower and place the Partv that uses 

 them as a weaiion of offeticr everv time it has an 

 indiutrial toe ache. 



Strikes 

 Anatticiiia. 



ri>nnil. L im 

 I.alxiur causi 



[Melhoiirne " Vunch." 

 THE QUEKNSr.AND OR.VSH. 

 FEUEnAi. Osi.cJOKERS (simultaneously): "Oh! Ix>r!" 



Tasmanlan 

 Elections. 



Readers of the " Review '" wouh] 

 he prei)ared for the improvement in 

 the position of the Labour Party 

 in Tasmania since the elections 

 which t<x)k place during the month. It was pointed 

 out before they took place that everything 

 pointed tu the Lilx-ral Party getting a reverse. 

 The marvel is that the rererse was not greater. Prior 

 t.i the el«:tions the I/iberals numbered 19 and the 

 I.alxiur Party 11. Now irhe I.ilierals haw 15 and 

 th<- Lal)Our Party 14, with one Indei)endenit. Labour 

 ha.-, distinctly gained. Tlie lovaltv of the 

 Lilx?rals must have been great to enable 

 them to cling to the Gowrnment. For it 

 has iM-en characterised bv dilatorine.ss and a woeful 

 lack of initiati\-e. Tasmania is suffering from a lack 

 of interest on the part of her Government legislators. 

 \o |)rogr<-ssi\-eness, no definite, aggres.sive policy, 

 no true insight into the country's needs — these are 

 the things that have made many prominent adher- 

 ents of Lib<^ralism support Labour, simplv because 

 thev fe«'l th<- ne«>d of a change, and are convinced 

 that any change whatever would be for the better. 

 Wh.at is wanted is a reconstruction of the Ministry, 

 with the introduction of .some vounger anil more 

 \irtli- nn-n. si-i/<-d with the necessities of the Stale. 



