Melbourne, Nov. 9.
The defeat of the Nationalist Party at the polls has left the new Labour Government in absolute control of the House of Representatives, but in a minority in the Senate. s realized now that Mr.' Bruce made a big mistake in appealing to the electors of Australia at a moment when entrenchment was being carried out. No Government can hope to retain its popularity when it is continually handing out discharge notices to its temporary employees. The Labour outburst that the Bruce-Page Ministry was /seeking to lower the standard wage throughout Australia is stated to be the reason for the sudden reversal of public opinion. In some quarters it is recognized that it was the lack of organization upon the part Jof the Nationalist Party which brought about the defeat. In any ease, Labour has won, but it is only temporary victory and twelve months of office may reverse the opinion of the people to a marked extent, At the moment, Labour members love to threaten that, if the Senate hampers the desire of the Labour Ministry, they will seck a double dissolution and allow the people of Australia to decide the issue, But the people of Australia may prove Just as fickle to the Labour party as they did to the Nationalists. It has never been a very popular proceeding to force elections upon the Australian public. They like to have a run for their money and, as the time given is three years, the Labour Party will probably find that a election will be to their detriment. To-day, entrenchment being the vogue, the new Mi meagre fashion.
They have suspended military with the intenteeducing the old system of Volunteer training. Whether it be Nationalist or Labour, the government of the day alwa: locks towards the military system that. ensuing twelve months. during the Two crimes of an outstanding nature have occurred within the last fortnight. In New South Wales, Thomas Ivory, of Waterlo Street, Surrey Hills, was set upon by four men and beaten into a state of partial unconsciousness. The unfortunate man was then smothered in methylated spirits and set on fire. 'At 2.30 on a Saturday morning, Mrs, Ivory heard a heavy knocking at her! door and, upon opening it, found two young men with her husband upon' the doorstep. The men sai that Ivory had asked them to knock because his hands were too badly burnt to enable him to do so. The police were called in and Ivory was taken to hospital, but he would not sive any information as to who had attacked him. Ivory was a member of the Sydney underworld, and, whatever is the power the various gangs have over each other, it is a arent that, no matter in what de-Sperate mariner the various members go to their death, they will not, or Jare not game. to give the opposing, faction away to their joint enemies, the police. Ivory was in such a serious condition that efforts were made to take his dying depositions, but he resolutely' refused to name his assailants and died with his secret untold.
The other crime was committed in the Victorian Mallee by a bey of only 15 years. This lad, named Pike, was spoken to and spanked by farmer named Smith, owing to Pike having shot at one of Smith's dogs. Smith, who was an Imperial soldier and had seen service in the Great War and Afghan-stan, turned from the lad with t intention of proceeding with hi farming, when the youth shot him with a" Winchester repeating 22 calibre rifle. Smith ran towards his horse, but the lad continued firing until the man fell. Pike then went to the farm where he worked, but, coming back later, he harnessed Smith's sulky and, tying the body behind, drove off into the bush with When found, Smith's body was idly bruised and broken from the drive and at first it was thompht that he had had an accident, but
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.