Political Pellets July 13, 1895.

*THE WORKER*

BRISBANE, JULY 13, 1895.

Political Pellets.

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WANTED – (to prepare the way for Socialism in our Time):

One! Adult One Vote.

Land Tax.

Income Tax.

State Bank.

Shops and Factories Act.

Eight hours day where practicable.

Referendum and Initiative.

Taxation of every person according to ability to pay.

The State to find work for unemployed.

The State to fix a minimum wage.

Free Railways.

Free administration of Justice.

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THE Q.N. Bank still holds £2,005,318 9s. 2d. belonging to the Queensland Government, or rather people.

THE N.S.W. Parliament is dissolved and the general election of members of the Legislative Assembly takes place on the 24^th inst.

A MOTION for the abolition of capital punishment has been submitted to the South Australian Parliament.

INANGAHUA O'Regan is on the job again over in the N.Z. House of Representatives with his Referendum Bill.

We have got one man one vote. It is the central principle of our constitution. - Premier Reid. Of New South Wales.

THE cabled resignation of Sir George Grey as representative in the New Zealand House of Representatives has been accepted.

DR. Newman, the old member for Petone in the N.Z. Parliament, wants facilities granted for women to enter parliament. If not, why not?

In Maoriland the Government has a State Farm not far from Wellington. It is their intention shortly to establish one in the South Island.

WHAT is the betting that Hugh Muir Nelson won't shortly jump himself into the Presidency of the Legislative Council and £1000 a year for life.

No man is more determined than I am to save New South Wales from coloured labour. - Premier Reid, in the New South Wales Parliament, July 2, 1895.

THERE is a request in the N.Z. House that railway tickets be sold as conveniently as postage stamps; which is a jolly good Yankee notion worthy adoption all over this continent.

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IN the coming N.S.W. elections, Arthur Rae, president of the A.W.U. in New South Wales, will stand for the Murrumbidgee. Arthur ought to about win back the seat this trip.

S.H., a correspondent, writes that the squatters in the Swan Hill district, New South Wales, have introduced the cut-throat contract system. He hopes men in Queensland will fight against the system.

WHILST the Address in Reply was being debated in the Queensland Legislative Council the Hon. J. C. Heussler had the honesty to admit “We are going in a Socialist direction, and no power in the world will be able to prevail against it.”

NORTH Brisbane is being wooed in the interest of Coercionist Tommy Byrnes. The Attorney-General will live to regret that Coercion Bill. He finds the Cairns too warm; tries the Valley-too cold. Now he tries to burrow into North Brisbane!

THE Clermont Workers' Political Association has resolved to petition the Government for a better water supply for M'Donald's Flat. Though only formed in February last the C.W.P.A. has succeeded in inducing 200 old residents to have their names placed on the electoral roll.

WHEN Daniels was interrupted during a recent debate the eagle eye of the Labour member for Cambooya glanced round the Assembly until it rested on Majah Foxton, the member for Carnarvon, upon which Daniels fervently “thanked God there were no lawyers in his family.”

INVERCARGILL Kelly, a Labour member in the N.Z. House of Reps., is a cutter off of all frills (although a tailor by profession). He is moving in the House for the abolishing of that quite unnecessary function., the blowing off of gunpowder and the dragging up of the guns to do it with at the opening of Parliament.

FOR saying that “there were many rogues in the House and that Parliament generally was a refuge for the destitute,” an attempt was made in the South Australian Assembly Advertiser, summoned to the bar of the Assembly on a charge of contempt. The motion was lost by 24 votes to 21.

LABOUR Member Rawlings, when speaking in the Assembly the other night on the Coercion Act, said; “I do not know about crossing swords with the Attorney-General, but I will exchange bullets with him.” Some hon. Members seemed to fancy they smelt powder, and heaved a sigh of relief when the Woothakata man laughingly explained it was billets he meant, and not bullets.

THE junior member for North Brisbane is very much troubled to know whether Mayor Fraser is going to have a flutter next election. Should there be a triangular fight between Tommy Byrnes, Bob Fraser and J.J. Kingsbury, when the numbers are up the silver tongued orator will very likely not be in it. But Sir Charles Lilley, if he stands, will probably upset the calculations of some of the Government politicians.

PHILLIPS, the member for Carpentaria, thus solemnly spoke in Parliament when seconding the Address in Reply, “The first money I earned here was 5s. 6d. a Day as common labourer on the roads of the colony. I have earned very much larger pay since, but I can say that I never saved so much as I did when earning 5s. 6d. a day on the roads as a common labourer.” Next!

By rejecting the Electoral Reform Bill, the Legislative Council have deliberately disfranchised thousands of the youth of the colony who have reached the age at which they could record their votes since the last rolls were revised. This is, without doubt, the worst thing they have done. However, “Whom the gods wish to destroy they first deprive of reason.”- Premier Reid (N.S.W.) to “Daily Telegraph” interviewer.

PREMIER Reid, of N.S.W., addressing a large meeting in the school of Arts Sydney, paid the following compliment to the Labour Party; “there are some very prudent men who might whisper in your ear. 'Oh, don't say anything about Labour candidates, because the people might get frightened.' But when men act fairly and squarely by you, as they did by me-(cheers)-not making a whisper of a bargain, or coming to me with a whisper for terms, or standing by us-(cheers)- I would not be worthy of my position as the head of the Freetrade Party if I did them an ill turn. (Prolonged cheers) Let us always fight fair.” What a difference between the N.S.W. and Queensland Premiers. The former is at present attacking class privileges and has the full support of Labour whereas Hugh Muir Nelson is the defender of class privileges and the enemy of Labour.

HER majesty's Constitutional Opposition in the Queensland Parliament has once more been re-organised, and Charlie Powers again elected its leader.

A NEW bill introduced by labour Minister Reeves of Moaland is called the Wages Attachment Bill, which says no order can be made to get at a workman's pay.

INANCAHUA O'Regan asked the N.Z. Government the other day to change the name of the colony to “Maoriland.” Premier Seddon was agin it, so it's off. N.Z. won't change her name to the Bulletin's fancy, thank you!

MR. Lawry, of the N.Z. Parliament, believes match factories, and such things employing cheap boy and girl labour, will bring down wages here as they have done elsewhere. He says such industries should not be fostered.

IT seems that New Zealand railway officers receiving over 9s. 6d. per day are granted first class passes over the railways on on their holidays, while those receiving less pay only get second class tickets. Mr. Steward and Mr. M'Lachlan brought the question up in the New Zealand Parliament, and the Minister for railways said he would probably make all free passes second class to railway employe's and those who desired first could pay the difference. He had already abolished another regulation, which limited these free passes to the employe', his wife, and five children, making him pay for any children over that number. He would not limit the children.

IN N.S.W. last week several of the Legislative Councillors visited the Assembly, evidently for the purpose of hearing the manner in which Premier Reid would refer to their unwarranted conduct in rejecting the Government taxation proposals. Reid spoke very severely against their action, and whilst he was speaking one of the M.L.C.'s shouted out “Pander.” Several MM. L.A. At once called the Speaker's attention to the disorder, but the later professed not to hear it and threatened to remove one of the M's.L.A. who called his attention to it. But, as the Speaker in this instance did not have a brutal majority behind his ruling, things were beginning to get a bit lively when he ordered the sergeant to clear the galleries. The members of the Legislative Council were inclined at first to refuse to obey the sergeant when he told them to get, on which Premier Reid, amidst the cheers of the galleries, shouted out “Clear out the fossils,” and the champions of class interests and privileges at once took their departure from the people's Chamber.

“WILL any man looking on the Governments of the world say that Love is the ideal according to which Governments are organised? Will any man looking upon the continent of Europe say that men are attempting to carry on Government upon that basis? In Italy where the peasant farms are being sold under the taxes, is government organised to help the poor and needy? In Germany where, as Evarts has said, every peasant carries a soldier on his back, is Government organised to help the poor and needy? Is it in France or in Russia? Come across the sea to our own land; will you say that judgement and justice are the habitation of the State House at Albany or the Capitol at Washington? There are men in America, thank God! who are endeavouring to bring their nation into conformity to the law of God; but will any man say that the law of God is the law of any Government on the face of the globe. There is not a Government which is not in some measure a lawless Government if it be measured by the law of God.” - Dr. LYMAN ABBOTT.