Revieic of Reviews. 1/12/06. 



History of the Month. 



533 



The retirement of Mr. Isaacs neces- 

 The sitated a re-arrangement of port- 



New Minister, folios, and Mr. Groom becomes 



Attornev-General, Mr. Ewing Minis- 

 ter for Home Affairs, wliile Mr. Keating becomes 

 Vice-President of the Executive Council. .Mr. S. 

 Mauger, one of the strongest supporters of the 

 Deakin Government, becomes Honorary Minister, a 

 position which is due to him. Indeed, he could not 

 have been passed over, for his allegiance to his 

 party has been unquestioned, and its leading tenets 

 have no more strenuous advocate. It is, however, 

 to be hoped that the way soon opens for him to as- 

 sume the position of the Head of a Department. 

 Mr. Mauger stands in the foremost rank of the com- 

 paratively small knot of men in the Commonwealth 

 who lead in the cause of Social Reform, and prob- 

 ably is better known for his advocacv of such mat- 

 ters than even purely political ones. He has for 

 many years been the most relentless foe that the 

 sweater has known. He has nursed and tended the 

 Anti-Sweating League with fatherly care. Indeed, it 

 is of his own making (although he gives the credit of 

 its inspiration to Mr. W. T. Stead, having adopted 

 as the motto of the league Mr. Stead's aphorism. 

 '■ The union of all who love in the cause of all who 

 suffer "), and it is a credit to him. He has associ- 

 ated with him a number of leading men and women, 

 but the great success of the Anti-Sweating League is 

 due to Samuel Mauger. Thousands of workers in 

 Melbourne have need to bless his name for better 

 wages and improved conditions of living. It is there- 

 fore with unfeigned feelings of pleasure that we 

 heartily congratulate him upon his elevation to 

 Cabinet rank. In the hajids of men of his calibre 

 and character the interests of the countr\' are safe. 



The South Australian elections, held 

 The South f|-, demonstrate the feelings of the 

 people with regard to the attitude 

 taken up by the Price Government 

 over the refusal of the Legislative Council to loosen 

 the bonds of electors over Council elections, have 

 resulted in a victorv for the Government. The Go- 

 vernment has gained an extra seat in the city, and 

 the whok- of the twelve city seats are now held by 

 the Labour Party. This party has also won two or 

 thr-.c- seats from the Opposition, so that, including 

 the Premier, the partv will have a solid vote of 19 in 

 a House of 40 members, and this, with others who 

 support the Government in their action, will give it 

 such substantial support that it ought to be able to 

 carry through its intentions. A curious sidelight 

 came in at the elections. Mr. Vardon retired from 

 the Council in order that he might =*Tnd for the 

 Senate, and a Labour man contested the seat. He 

 won it, but the significance of his success lies in the 

 fact that he won it upon a franchise which was held 

 to be so restricted that the Government went to the 

 country on a proposal to reduce it. Taken in con- 



Australiaa 

 Fight. 



The Meaning 



of the 



Election. 



credit that is 



ilclba ] iPlioto 



The Hon. S. Mauger, M H.R , 



Newly Appointed Federal Minister (without portfolio). 



junction with the Lower House elections, it seems to 

 point to the fact that the present Upper House 

 electors consider there is need for refonn, although 

 the other side affirm that it proves that the franchise 

 is now low enough to return Radicals, and the wis- 

 dom of leaving it where it is. 



This fight must not be looked upon 

 as a great victory for Labour, al- 

 though we would be the last in the 

 world to depri\-e a victor of all the 

 due to him. But even their best 

 friends, I am sure, will not insist that it was a fight 

 for the partv as such ; it was a fight for a principle, 

 not purelv a Labour one. It was a fight between 

 the Houses. The Government had taken a very 

 serious step, and the people have emphatically sup- 

 ported them, and the result would probably have 

 been the same, no maiter what the general predilec- 

 tions of the Government might have been. The 

 Government that tackled the problem would have 

 been returned. But in considering the general ques- 

 tion of the advance or retreat of the question of So- 

 cialism, this election ought not to enter. The Go- 

 vernment probablv got thousands of reform votes 

 that othenvise might not have gone to them. The 



