Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878 - 1954), Tuesday 20 September 1927, page 7


' INDUSTRIAL PROBLEMS

MR. BRUCE'S ADDRESS.

Queensland Trouble. "

DEVELOPMENT OF AUSTRALIA.

MELBOURNE, September 10.

' On Hie evo of his departure for Can«

berra the Prime Minister (Mr. Bruce) gave an address at Wesley Church,

j Discussing industrial problems. Mr. Ilii/ico said that encouragement might I bo drawn from thc lesson of thc Queens

j land strike, which supported his view jtbat the overwhelming majority of

'Australian workers were sane, honest 'folk, who wauled to "get on with the job," without interruption or friction, Tliero was a stronger and better public opinion in Australia to-day than tliero

had ever been.

Dealing with thc development of Aus-tralia as a nation, Mr. Bruce said that nationhood could not be conferred by an Act of Parliament. Thc war had made Australia a nation and a united people. The policies of national de-fence and White Australia had inspired the far-sighted pioneers of Federation in their relations with the Imperial Government. Australia now spoke at a number of States, but with one voice, and that voice was always heeded.

At the Imperial Conference some people said there were problems that had a relationship between the selfgoverning Dominions which were insol-uble, but they were solved by the per-sonal touch of the representatives of the Dominions coming together and un-derstanding one another. In the same way could the States of the Common-wealth solve the problems they had to face. The relations between the Com-monwealth and the States were to-day better than they had ever been.

Continuing, Mr. Bruce said: "Increas-ingly our problems are becoming na-tional in character. I have returned from a tour of the other States, Queens-land, West Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania. Queensland is experi-encing a severe drought in her great western plains, and as a result bas lost probably 10,000,000 sheep, including lambs. A prosperous citizen of Vic-toria can no longer say 'What does that matter to me!' A great disaster to the Queensland pastoral industry means a loss of financial strength to the whole nation. Our financial re-sources are curtailed and there is an immediate rcpercustevi throughout the Commonwealth. All our problems ar» common problems. None can be pros-perous unless all are prospering. I am more convinced that we have to look at all our problems with the eyes of [a nation and not as individuals. Where a great problem confronts a State it may be solved by the co-operation of th* j Commonwealth for the benefit of tbs

Slates, and the benefit and advancement of the whole of Australia. I believe that all these things are progressively cominir to pass. I believe we are get-ting these better relations in the sphere

of our national life."