Melbourne, June 13.
If the present Australian cabinet, under Mr. W. M, Hughes, may be considered shaky, it should at least be predicted that the downfall of the cabinet should; not necessarily alter the general political complexion of Australian policy. The fall would be that really of Mr. Hughes, who made such a remarkable impression England and Paris both during the war and at the peace conferences. Mr. Hughes is a Welshman, and like his fellow count man' Mr. Lloyd George, is remarkable' for brilliancy—whether in doing the right thing or the wrong, For a quarter of a century Mr. Hughes was the brains and the
and, again like Mr. Lloyd George, inspiration of the Labour party, he deserted radicalism for anti-Hunnism, and eventually found himself leader of a more or less conservative following, made up partly of old Liberals and partly of ex-Labour politicians,—This coalition won through in 1917 and again at the end of last year, when the Labour Opposition was reduced to 25 in a House of 75. About a dozen of the- Hughes or National party broke away and formed a country party, leaving the Government' with a definite majority against Country and Labour of one only. The- Country party, however, is not soli against the Government, the majority of its niembers merely being conservative and anxious to get rid of Mr. Hughes from the leadership, even if that resulted in the temporary occupation _o} office by the Labour party. Mr, Hughes' majority of one has just been unseated, and his cabinet has received what looks like a deathblow in the resignation, on political grounds, of its treasurer, Tae Battanat Evecrion.
Lest December a Nationalist Liberal won the Ballarat seat from Labour by one vote, and the High Court has now decided that, after examining all the disputed' ballot papers, the voting was really equal, and the returning officer should have given a casting vote. Over 27,000 votes were cast, and the Court decided that as there had been many official blunders a new election should be held. That contest is now in progress. At present the two old opponents are the only candidates, but there may be others. The action of Parliament in increasing the salaries of members is being made much of, and an effort will be put forth to make that the test question, It is not likely to succeed, but as voting is on the preferential hea system an additional candidate may actually save the seat for the Nationalist. It is expected, however, that the Labour candidate will' win. Then, if the Country party solidly stands to oust the Government it will be able to do so, though it will certainly not be solid enough to keep a Labour Government in office. But again Mr. Hughes is like Mr. Lloyd George and may steer his way through all opposition, despite his very small personal following. He is Without doubt the outstanding figure in Australian politics. With the exception of an interval of twelve months, he has been the Prime Minister or the power behind him since 1910, But worse threatens him than the loss of the Pallarat seat.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.