Even the compulsory arbitration act which bears anything but heavily on employers in general, is not applied to agriculture.

After two years of consideration it was decided in 1908 that the law should not apply on the ground that "it was impracticable to find any definite hours for the daily work of general farm hands," and that "the alleged grievances of the farm laborers were insufficient to justify interference with the whole farming industry of Canterbury" (the district included 7000 farms).

Whatever we may think of the first justification, the second certainly is a curious piece of reasoning for a compulsory arbitration court, and must be taken simply to mean that the employing farmers are sufficiently powerful politically to escape the law.

The working people very naturally protested against this "despotic proceeding," which denied such protection as the law gave to the largest section of workers in the Dominion.
What is the meaning, then, of the victory of a "Labour Party" in Australia?
Chiefly that every citizen of Australia who has sufficient savings is to be given a chance to own a farm.

A large and prosperous community of farmers is to be built up by government aid.