Cockatoo Jobs

After 25 months in power the Commonwealth Labor Government of Premier James Henry Scullin suddenly fell last week. In Parliament Irate John Albert Beasley M. P. charged that Commonwealth Treasurer Edward Granville Theodore was showing political favoritism in the distribution of jobs to Australia's unemployed. Jobs at the Cockatoo Naval Dockyard which lies in the Beasley constituency were being given to unemployed men from Treasurer Theodore's constituency, before Beasley constituents had a chance to apply for them. Treasurer Theodore denied the charge. Mr. Beasley demanded an investigation. Radical Left Laborites deserted the Labor Premier, joined the Opposition to defeat the Labor Government by five votes. 37-32.

Premier Scullin immediately proffered his resignation. Shouted he: "You can have your election now, and it's a mighty poor issue to fight on!"

Eleven thousand miles from Australia in London last week Laborite Scullin's foe & predecessor, former Nationalist Premier Stanley Melbourne Bruce, seemed flabbergasted by the suddenness of the Government's fall. Unable to get back to Australia in time for the General Election (which Mr. Scullin promptly announced to take place Dec. 19), Mr. Bruce frantically kept in touch with friends in Australia who organized a "Committee of 100" to try to win him a seat in Flinders, Victoria.

Stocks rose sharply on Australian exchanges at news of the election. In London the orthodox thing to say became, "Thank goodness, they've come to their senses down under. Now the Aussies will pitch Labor out just as we did, and a jolly good job, too!"

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