Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1911-03-02
New Labor Steam
Roller N Australia

Just as the laboring people IN
America are won't to cuss what has be
come known as the system which
means capftalistic control on a large
scale, SO the Australian better
the Landlords, manufactur-
ers. editors and other professionals
are now busily damning ..the labor
system u hin and down dale in that
interesting country.
The labor party is in absolute con-
troll of every branch Of the Australian
federal government, and it appears
that the laborites are applying the
steam roller in about the same ruth
les sfashion as the dominant class has
been accustomed to do in the past.
IN parliament the labor party decid
ed that sessions should be held three
days each week. On the other days
the labor party caucuses and decides
what it wants to put through the legis.
lative hopper.
Having agreed among themselves.
the bills are introduced in the house
and senate and the conservatives and
liberasl are allowed to talk their
heads of" forsthey are in the minority
and don't count. The laborites make q
speech or two, just to be sociable, and
then vote the measures into laws.
Actually that is fact, even if it
does sound like page from the history
of Cannonism OF course the Austral-
ian ..fat men all the rich in that coun
try are called fat men'-raye and
threaten all sorts of dire disaster, but
the legislative grind goes on.
Thus the laBorites have clapped a
tax on land that will make those old
earls and dukes and lords in Great
britain and the monopolists at home
squirm as they pay into the federal
treasury for the privilege of collecting
rents or engaging in land speculation.
And it is only the beginning of land
reform.
When the labor party took control OF
the national government last summer
the treasury was practically bankrupt,
and the six old party state govern
ments had the federal machinery
pretty well clogged with their Estates
rights constitutions.
The laborites had promised an old
age pension fund that would prove
something better than joke.
Where will you get the money Cor
your Socialistic experiments 2" asked
the standpatters. 'sOh, wen get the
money all right," replied the laborites.
and, bingl down they came with their
land tax that compels the fat men,
to pay over an additional $5,000.000 a
year to help the pension fund.
You Bet Trey Get the WhereWithaI.
Then the laborites said they would
introduce penny postage, subsidize a
decent cable service. enforce factory
inspection, establish minimum wage
of $3.50 for employees in the government
service, give preference to all trade
Unions and recognize their wage scales
in employing men, and inaugurate
other reforms.
s1Where is the money coming from?"
shrieked the great dailies. politicians.
business men and other eminently re
spectacle citizens in chorus.
ooh, it's coming was the cheerful
reply of the miners, carpenters, print
ers and Others of the common herd
who had taken control of the pariia
ment building in Melbourne. and
smiled from the windows.
Then the legislative machinery was
[set in motion. the notes bill'' was in
troduced, and presto! $20,00O.OO0 OF
paper money, with a 20 per cent gold
basis provided. came flying out of the
hopper.
Credit money!" yelled the bankers.
Eyes, you're right. said the labor
Legislators, same as your credit
money, onyl better. as it is based upon
the credit of the nation. And if you
don't keep quiet, Mr.. Fat they
warned. I'VE win prohibit you from
issuing your notes at all. by leving a
eax, and then we win nationalize the
banking system and put you complete
lly out Of business.
"See,p the labor government added,
there is a nice little bill that win be
adopted, giving parliament the right to
define what monopoly" is, and to
nationalize said monopoly.
Also, we are going to set aside 81
100000 to begin the establishing Of an
army land a navy Of nlIh1ie defense