realized. It is a snare, because it represents some of the bird-lime which, as the Premier of Western Australia has said, has been used by the Labour Party in order to catch supporters, and to further their cause. The theory of the Arbitration Bill is splendid, and if a measure could be framed upon sound and impartial lines, it would no doubt accomplish a great deal of good. The experience gained in New South Wales and New Zealand is not, however, at all conclusive that such a measure as that which has been recently before us would operate in the best interests of the community. The New Zealand Act has been criticised by impartial persons, including Dr. Clarke, who was sent out specially from America to inquire into its working, and who wrote an adverse report upon it. In New Zealand extreme doubt is entertained whether the measure will prove beneficial. The Melbourne Age recently published an article, in which the following passage occurred :

New Zealand, for the next few years, will be an object-lesson to political economists. She is making experiments for the whole world, but, in the main, I am convinced she is doing it in a blind way. The enormous increase of the export trade, which has nothing to do with arbitration awards, has given her prosperity, and, therefore, the ability to bear the burden of social experiments. Industrial arbitration has affected every class, every phase of life. An award in one trade increases the cost of living in all the others. There is a perpetual enhancement of values. A dragon has been let loose in the land, because it was thought to be harmless, but he is gaining strength, and will devour the people unless they manage to chain him. Who is going to chain him? Not Mr. Seddon, who thinks it is right that he should roam at large and for ever. It was not foreseen that an artificial value placed on labour would result in artificial values being placed on everything else.

In a further article the following statement was made:

Amend the Act, as the Government may, however, industrial arbitration is being more boldly criticised. Carried to its logical issue as it has been, it has bred trusts in all directions. But for the fact that these trusts are the direct outcome of the fixing of payment for labour by law, the trade unionists would to-day be carrying on vehement agitation against them. They dare not raise an outcry, because they know that investigation might suggest remedies of which they could not approve.

a

The artificially enhanced prices for food are paid by nearly 800,000 people. The artificially enhanced wages are received by 27,640 male and female trades unionists. The last census gave a total of 234,346 male and female wage earners. The 27,000 unionists claim preference under the awards, and, at the same time, their awards result in the whole population paying higher prices.

We hear a good deal about protection and the new protection. No doubt both are very good, but, like all good things, they can be carried to extremes. In all likeli hood, a third kind of protection will spring into existence. This will contemplate, first of all, protection to the manufacturing interests; secondly, protection to the employés; and, thirdly, protection to the consumers. The regulation of all these matters upon a fair and equitable basis wil tax the very best energies and the genius of those who have to deal with economic and fiscal questions. They will have to see that the great bulk of the people who do not share in the direct benefits of the protective system are not oppressed too harshly. It was stated that the Labour Government did not desire office. I have never been able to accept that statement without reservation. Mr. HUTCHISON.-That does not alter the fact.

Mr. MCCOLL.-The whole circumstances show that the party deliberately pursued a course which could have no other result than the ejectment of the then Government; and for them to say that they did not want office is much the same as a highwayman, who holds a pistol to your head, saying that he does not want your purse. If it were not correct that the Labour Party wanted office, why were there those pæans of exultation throughout Australia, and in other. parts of the world? Why was there that miserable whining and crying when they were defeated-such whining and crying as I have never seen in this Chamber during my twenty years of parliamentary life? If the Labour Party were so keen about the success of the Arbitration Bill-if the measure was so immediately necessary-why did they not take action when last year the Government laid the Bill aside rather than accept the clause proposed? It was because the foundations were not completed ; there was important work yet to be done. and they waited, cuckoo-like, until the nest was ready. I do not blame the Labour Party for taking office. I have nothing to say against them as a party, and if the people desire Labour rule, I shall cheerfully acquiesce and help such a Government all I can. But I detest the hypocritical affectation of indifference which they assume when they declare that they did not want office. It has been repeated over and over again by men who know better, that the Labour Government did not receive fair

play. The honorable and learned member for Indi said that that Government did not receive fair play, either during their term of office or when they were defeated. In what does unfair play consist? Unfair play consists in misrepresentation of the party, in delaying business, in stone-walling measures, in not making a House in order that measures may be considered, in refusing to give pairs, and in generally blocking business. What were the facts? The whole of the time the Labour Government were in office not one attempt was made to deal with them unfairly. There was scarcely a day during which the Labour Party were in office, when, if the Opposition had desired, they could not have walked out of the Chamber and caused a count-out. It is notorious that nearly the whole of the time that Government were in office the Government benches were almost empty, five or six being the largest attendance, except at the opening of the sitting. During the whole of their term a House had to be kept by the Opposition; and yet we are told that the Government did not receive fair play. It is utterly absurd to make such a charge.

Mr. HUTCHISON.-The House has been counted out since the present Government came into power.

or

Mr. McCOLL.-And that, I believe, was caused by the action of the Labour Party. On the day the House was counted out I was present, and I saw that there were only twenty-three honorable members within the Chamber. We had to wait two three minutes for one or two honorable members to come in, and immediately it was known there had been a House, some ten or a dozen labour members appeared. I observed at the time that it looked as though the Labour Party desired to have a

count-out.

Mr. HUTCHISON.-We hurried from the Labour Party's room in order to try to make a quorum.

Mr. McDONALD.-I did not; I stayed there. But any one who says that a dozen labour members remained in the room is saying what is not correct.

Mr. THOMAS.-There was not the slightest intention to count the House out, and the Prime Minister knows it.

Mr. McCOLL.-On the part of the Protectionist Party there was never any other desire than to give the Labour Government fair play. On the advent of that Ministry, the Protectionist Party held a meeting, and it was decided, after considerable discussion, that there should be no

attempt to unseat them. The first business at the first meeting of the Protectionist Party was the election of the honorable and learned member for Ballarat as leader; and that fact requires to be borne in mind during the remarks I intend to make. The party not only selected the honorable and learned member as leader, but commissioned him to endeavour to make arrangements to bring about majority rule in the House. At a meeting held subsequently the honorable and learned member reported that the Labour Party would enter into no coalition or alliance.

Mr. HUME COOK.--What does the hon

orable member mean by "commissioned him "?

Mr. McCOLL.-At that meeting a vote of thanks was accorded to the honorable and learned member for Ballarat and the present Treasurer for their efforts during the past few weeks to bring about a better What they had been political situation.

endeavouring to arrange was an alliance

either with the Labour Party or the Freetrade Party. The honorable and learned member for Ballarat failed absolutely as to the first, and it was for his further attempts with the Free-trade Party that he was accorded a vote of thanks.

Mr. GROOM.-After having refused to enter into a coalition the party gave the honorable and learned member their thanks.

Mr. McCOLL.-The vote of thanks was passed before there was any refusal. I should not refer to these matters but for the fact that they have been reported in the public press. The resolution passed

was

That this party is not prepared to consider the proposal for coalition, except on the condition that the Prime Ministership of any coalition be accorded to the present leader of the party.

That resolution was moved by the honorable member for Barker, and seconded by the honorable and learned member for Bendigo. I desire to be perfectly fair. In connexion with that resolution, it has always been supposed that the present Prime Minister showed an eager grasping for office. But it was known by the party that the Prime Minister was prepared to stand aside and support the honorable and learned member for Ballarat as leader; and that offer was repeated by some supporters of the present Prime Minister ar Ballarat the other night. So that it is incorrect to say that the Prime Minister is an eager, greedy, grasping office-seeker, who

Mr. MAUGER. That was not a question of preference, but a question of want of confidence in the Government.

Mr. McCOLL.-During the last seven months what evidence was shown by the then Government of a desire to push on with business? Was not the reproach hurled against them night after night by the honorable member for Kennedy, that they were not pushing on with the business, and were adjourning the House too early? Did he not say that he for one was tired of coming from a far distant State, and hanging about here doing next to nothing? That was his charge against the late Ministry, and it was a true one. Their whole object was to allow things to drift until the Budget was delivered, and then to go into recess. It has been said that they received no fair play. As regards the Conciliation and Arbitration Bill, there were only four points of difference between the two sides. The first was in regard to the inclusion of the State servants. That proposal was carried with certain modifications. The second was in reference to the proposal that an industrial organization should not be permitted to apply its funds to political purposes, or require its members to do anything of a political character, which the Government accepted on the motion of the honorable and learned member for Darling Downs. The third was in regard to the inclusion of farm servants, and the fourth related to the question of preference, on which, finally, the break-up occurred. I believe that if the then Prime Minister had been allowed to have his own way, he would have accepted the Bill, with preference as it was, because it was a liberal measure. But the unions which he said last Sunday night dominated the party, would not accept that position.

Mr. ISAACS. It is only fair to the honorable member, who is not in the Chamber, to say that he contradicted that this after

noon.

Mr. McCOLL.-I am stating my own impression, and it has not been changed. by that contradiction.

Mr. McCOLL.-What I believe is that the question of political power was a much greater one with the unions than the question of preference. Yet we found the Watson Government, after losing nearly twelve months in discussing its provisions, refusing to accept the measure, or to assist in passing it on to the Senate, simply on the ground that it did not provide for preference to unionists. Were they really in earnest? Did they really desire to have the great principle for which they have fought so long enacted? My opinion is that, now the facts as to the working of the law in New South Wales and New Zealand are known, they will wait a very long time before they get a better or more liberal Bill than the one before the Senate. We now have a Government under the leadership of the right honorable member for East Sydney. Of course, we should have preferred to have a Government led by a member of

our party. Our first duty, however, is not to ourselves, but to the country. It is said that the free-traders have used harsh terms towards some of us in the past. That statement is quite correct. Life is too short for one to remember the harsh things which are said in the heat of political struggles, and they are unworthy men who, because a politician had said hard things about them at one time, would refuse to support him when he was doing that which was right, no matter what position he held. The honorable members who chose to break away from the Protectionist Party called a meeting in some mysterious and extraordinary way by the aid of "spooks," or something else, because no one was told to attend, and no circular was sent out. Those honorable members, who just happened to be there, I suppose, called a meeting, but they carefully refrained from notifying the other members of the party, although it had been agreed that all should stand together under their leader.

Mr. HUME COOK.-I suppose the honorable member could not come, because he was one of the signatories to the "round robin."

Mr. McCOLL. I never heard anything about a round robin.

Mr. HUME COOK.-The honorable member will hear more about the round robin before this debate is over.

Mr. McCOLL.-I never signed, or heard of a round robin being signed. I do not

know what the honorable member is alluding to. He will have quite enough difficulty to explain his own position, which I think is a very humiliating one. Why was no notice of that meeting sent out? If there had been a full meeting of the party there would have been a majority of fourteen against a minority of nine, and the latter would not have been able to carry the resolutions which have been quoted today. They were very careful not to consult the leader and other members of the party, because they knew that the little game which they were trying to work would not come off if they did.

and

covery. The cry was raised when the Labour Government was thought to be in danger, it was first raised at the Trades Hall. From private conversations with honorable members on the other side, I know that they deprecated the cry when it was first raised. They said that they did not see any chance of getting better duties for their industries than they then had. If the cry was a real one, it was laughable, but if it was only a stalking-horse it was contemptible, and that is what I think it was. They have held up the Prime Minister as a great bogy-man, who was going to destroy all the industries

Mr. HUTCHISON.-Does this mean that the honorable member is sorry he is over there?

Mr. McCOLL.-No; I am very thankful to be here to-night, because I am where I believe my duty tells me I ought to be, in conformity with my pledges to my constituents and with the best interests of the country.

Mr. HUME COOK.-Yet the honorable member wanted to move a motion against a coalition.

Mr. MCCOLL.-I did not move a motion against a coalition; I moved a motion which meant that we should give fair play to the Watson Government. When a question was raised as to whether a motion of no-confidence should be tabled I was amongst those who voted against the tabling of such a motion, and to give the Government fair play.

Mr. HUME COOK.-The motion of the honorable member was against any coali

tion.

Mr. McCOLL.-I do not blame honorable members for what they did, because they were simply following the first law of nature, which is self-preservation. I quite recognised how very difficult was the position of honorable members who resided in crowded cities, and I did not blame them for seeking to make their own positions secure. I do blame them, however, for running to the press at once, and charging honorable members in this House with being traitors and seceders with having gone back on their principles.

Mr. GROOM.-Who did that?

Mr. McCOLL.-I shall tell the honor able member directly. These honorable members raised the cry, "Protection is in danger." It was, as the honorable member for Gippsland has said, a sudden dis

what do we do with him? We couple him in with a horse upon which we can depend. When we have the Prime Minister coupled in between the honorable member for Gippsland and the right honorable member for Balaclava, there is not much fear of protection being in danger. As a matter of fact, the advantage of this coalition is all with the protectionists, because they are absolutely certain that any advantages which they have obtained will not be interfered with, at any rate for

some years to come.

Mr. HUME COOK.-In the meantime we are losing people by the thousand.

Mr. REID. That has been going on for eleven years, since the honorable member was a baby.

Mr. McCOLL.-It is an extraordinary fact that, since the Labour Party have come into prominence, Victoria has lost more people than ever it did before. That is a fact which perhaps honorable members on the other side can account for.

Mr. FRAZER.That is why they are going to Western Australia, where a Labour Ministry is in power.

Mr. HUME COOK.-And to New Zealand, where they have more Socialism, which the honorable member says is no good.

Mr. KING O'MALLEY.-Nine thousand settled in New Zealand last year.

Mr. McCOLL.-In this discussion, and in this demand for higher duties, we seem to forget that Victoria is only one of six States, and that we cannot move faster than they will allow us to do.

The pace

of a team is regulated by the pace of the slowest horse in it. If the other States do not desire an alteration of the Tariff-and so far there has been no such desire expressed by any other State-it will be very difficult for us to move by ourselves. Some