Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-07
PASS SWEEPING BILL
First Measure to Amend Aus
traIian Constitution.
EFFECT WILL BE GREAT
Interest in Matter, However, Is Com
paratively Slight.
PREMIER CLOSELY WATCHED
Militant Unions Seem Anxious to
Capture Railways of All
the States.
EFFECT WILL BE GREAT
PREMIER CLOSELY WATCHED
Foreign Correspondence OF The Star.

The first and more important of the two
bills for amending the constitution of the
commonwealth has passed the house of
representatives. If both become law. with
the consent of the electors expressed by
referendum, the federal constitution and
the constitutions of the states will be as
absolutely transformed as the govern
ment OF Great Britain would be by the
concession OF home rule.
Yet such is the paralysis of public opin-
ion. that. beyond a few feeble news
paper articles and few phrases of angry
disgust from two or three state polti-
clans. this revolution by act of parlia-
ment has proceeded so far as if 1t were
some normal and necessary alteration on
the statute book. The aggressive. OPP
pressive and unreasonable land tax evok-
ed more antagonism because there was a
minority directly pinched. but these vio-
lent invasions Of the states prerogatives
and independence, because they affect
everybody. provoke nobody to special ac-
tivity.
Here people seem more exercised in
their minds in watching Mr.. McGowans
clumsy but shrewd attempts to adapt
himself to the premiership. Elsewhere
local political incidents seem equally alb
sorbing. Melbourne itself witnesses the
serenely as those Of its local legislature
For nearly all kinds of alterations of an
ordinary character relief can be antici-
pated from the next federal parliament.
Most of the plumbers In the land tax,
severely as they fall both on producers
and others, can be repaired before long
but should the constitution become trans
formed. as 1t must if these bills be in
dorsed at the referendum next March,
there will be no retracting OF footsteps
Opposition Gives Warning.
The opposition has explicitly given
warning that it practically will be i'm
possible to restore the great creation of
the national convention of 1SN-9S or to
breathe the federal breath of life into
its shattered frame.
One amendment, and only one, was
made in the house, and that could not
have been accepted if it had not been
proposed by Mr.. Hughes. acting under in
structions from the labor caucus. The
conference Of that body, held. of course,
behind closed doors. was unusually pro-
tracted. occupying. indeed, much more
time than it took to pass the whole
measure through the house
A majority of the cabinet seem to have
resisted the alteration proposed with all
them and can unmake them having
spoken was not to be denied. The
trades unions in most of the states con-
troll the government employees on the rail-
ways from without. In New South Wales
the men have their own special organiza-
tons and boards within the service. But
both are naturally under state control.
The fierce strike of the raiiw2y..;en in
Victoria few years back and the more
recent strike of those who serve under
the railway commission on the electric
tramways of this city were due more to
the ungovernable intrigues of dissatisfied
unionists than to any substantial griev-
ances that had been refused redress.
Want to Control Railways.
unions was and is to capture the rail-
ways Of all the states. This would en-
able the labor leaders to dominate the
transport services Of the whole common
wealth so as to be able to stop them
whenever that may be necessary to eff
feet their socialistic purposes. They in
tend to accomplish this by transferring
them to federal control. Naturally, this
project. fatal to the authority of the
states and to federal principles, has been
denounced by the leader OF the opposition.
Mr.. Deakin, and his principal colleagues
in the strongest terms. But not many
of his supporters took an active part in
the debate. while almost all the labor
were few and ineffective. possibly be-
cause exhausted by the contest in caucus.
In less than q fortnight the bill has
passed the house placing state railway
employees under the authority of the COM
monwealth. Not a finger will the senate
desire, or dare. to lay upon It, Soon the
whole measure will be attached to the
statute book. awaiting the sanction Of
a majority Of the electors. including ma
jorities In at least four OF the states. If
that he given 1901 will mark the birth
Of a new Australian constitution. super
seding that of 1900 in most essentials.
It's fundamental federal principle will
have been vitiated once and for all.