The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-06-29

Special Correspondence.
MELBOURNE, Australia, June
29.-The mine boy who could
keep sweet tempered; the miner
who could be an "agitator" with
out Tuning and ranting; the Ia
Dor leader who could smile as he
worked-that is Andrew Fisher,
child slave in the coal pits of Ayr
shire, Scotland, and now prime
minister of Australia.
It's-well, much like the bot
tom side of the hereafter-to drag
your burden, firing, through the
coal-dark" underground, when
you have not reached your teens,
and would rather be romping on
the heath or fishing, or hunting.
But Andy didn't cuss the world,
bad as it was. He smiled and
whistled. and at twenty made his
way to the gold fields of Australia.
Here his CHEEKY ways made him a
leader of men. He has helped weld
together the Labor party through
which he hopes to make Australia
a place where boys won't have to
give up their boyhood to greedy
capital, as Andy did.
For the miners liked this very
likable Fisher, and his advance
ment in his trade union, where he
became Immediately active, and in
the Labor party, was very rapid.
He represented the party in the
state parliament of Queensland in
1898, and has been in politics
since. He was prime minister in
1908, but as the Labor party did
not control the law making body,
he had no support. Now his par
ty controls the government en-
tirely.
He is NOT brilliant orator, but
speaks clearly, forcibly and brief
ly.
Never before in the history of
the world has great nation of
people been absolutely governed
by the laboring men. But this is
the condition in Australia in the
year 1910. Labor, politically or
ganized, completely controls the
government.
The cabinet is not filled with
lawyers. There's just one men,
Der of the bar in the ministry, w.
M. Hughes, attorney general, but
he is a lawyer for working people
and not for capitalists. Andrew
Fisher, the prime minister, is a
mine worker. e. L. Bachelor,
minister of foreign affairs, is a
metal worker. Josiah Thomas,
postmaster general, is a miner.
Senator Pearce, minister for de-
Tense, is carpenter. r. @. Tud-
or, a hatmaker, is minister of
trade and customs. King O'Mal-
ley, a newspaper reporter, is min
lister of home affairs. Senator
McGregor, vice chairman of the
national council, a day laborer.
The official figures show that
the election by which the labor
party got full control of the gov
eminent was landslide. In the
last senate. the fused Conserva-
tive and Liberal parties had 81
representatives; Labor Is. In the
new senate, Labor has 90 repre-
sentatiyes; while the Fusionists
have but 13. The old house con-
tanned as Fusionists. 20 Labor
ties. In the new house there are
30 Laborites. and but 81 Fusion
lists. The anti-labor majority of
23 has just been reversed into a
Labor majority Of %. The Labor
party elected every one of the 18
senators In the six states (there
are 1S others who held over from
the last parliament), and won Is
seats in the house. Former Prime
Minister Alfred Deakin's combine
Of free traders and protectionists
is SO badly defeated that 1t will
probably break up.
Among the causes Of the politi-
cal revolution are the action OF
the state government In New
South Wales in playing into the
hands of the coal trust during the
great strike. when II enacted E
law outlawing strikes and boy
colts: the reckless extrayaeance