AUSTRALASIA. 



Drake: Set-rotary for Lands. W. B. II. O'Connell: 

 Secretarv for Railways and Public Works, John 

 .Mu ITU v : without portfolios, 1). II. Dalryinple and 

 George Wilkie Gray. On -Ian. ^ Mr. Murray suc- 

 ceeded Mr. Drake as Postmaster-Genera and Nu- 

 retarv for Public Instruction, while Mr. l^; in . v 

 took 'his place as Seeretary for Railways and 1 ub- 

 lii- Woiks, Sir .1. R. Diekson retired, having been 

 called into the 1-Vdcral Cabinet as Postmaster- 

 General, and Mr. IMiilp sueeeeded the latter as 

 Chief Seeretary. transferring the otliee of Treas- 

 urer to T. H. Cribb. While the opponents of col- 

 ored labor won the victory in the Federal elec- 

 tions. Mr. Chamberlain disallowed a bill passed by 

 the Queen-land Legislature in 1000 which con- 

 tained a ehuise prohibiting the employment of 

 Asiatics and other colored laborers in sugar-mills 

 rifi-iving financial assistance from the Govern- 

 ment. The Labor party was not satisfied with 

 the proposal of the Colonial Secretary that an 

 educational test be applied, as in Natal, and was 

 determined to pass the bill again and again until 

 it should receive the royal assent. Queensland 

 suffered in 1901 from a drought of unprecedented 

 duration that affected the whole of the western 

 country, causing great mortality among sheep. 

 This caused a decrease in railroad and customs re- 

 ceipts, which, with increased payments of interest 

 on the public debt and added outlay on railroads, 

 left the treasury at the end of the year with a 

 deficit of 528.000, which could be met by the 

 issue of treasury bills, as similar deficits had 

 been met before. * This expedient could not be re- 

 peated with safety, however, to tide over the ex- 

 pected deficit of 1902, nor were retrenchments 

 possible on the effective scale that had rescued 

 the treasury in 1803. The Government would 

 have to give assistance to the pastoral industry, 

 the oldest and most important one in the state. 

 I'nless the immense recuperative powers of the 

 country asserted themselves, the only resort would 

 be direct taxation, which was generally unpopu- 

 lar in Queensland, although the Labor party 

 would welcome such a solution. An income tax 

 was dreaded chiefly on account of its inquisitorial 

 character, and a land tax no minister would have 

 the courage to propose in Queensland, although 

 both of these taxes produce a large revenue in 

 New South Wales. Aside from the sheep-growing 

 industry, the development of the country was pro- 

 ceeding favorably. Agriculture was flourishing. 

 New markets h'ad been opened to Queensland 

 products, and fresh capital was flowing in. Min- 

 ing continued to be developed, the yield of gold 

 in l!MM having been the largest in the history of 

 the colony. Railroads had been extended to the 

 mineral fields, and further extensions with private 

 capital to remote parts of the state were under 

 consideration. Parliament met on July 16. Spe- 

 cial sales of land were authorized to provide means 

 for meeting the treasury bills. The state Treas- 

 urer, who was a new man in public life, an- 

 nounced that he would propose an income tax 

 should it !>e found necessary when the Federal 

 tariff came into force. 



South Australia. The Legislative Council has 

 24 niemlM-rs, elected from 4 districts for nine years 

 by householders,; the Legislative Assembly has 

 54 members, elected for three years by all adult 

 ritizeni resident for six months' in their respective 

 The franchise was extended to women 

 in 1H94. The Governor at the beginning of 1901 

 was Lord Tennyson, appointed in 1S99. The Cabi- 

 net was composed as follows: Premier and Treas- 

 urer, F. W. Holder; Chief Seeretary, .T. G. Jenkins; 

 Attorney-General, J. H. Gordon; Commissioner of 

 Crown Lands, L. O'Loughlin; Commissioner of 



Public Works, R. W. Foster; Minister of Educa- 

 tion and Agriculture, E. L. Batchelor. The min- 

 istry was reconstituted on May 14, as follows: 

 Premier, Chief Secretary, and Minister controlling 

 the Northern Territory, J. G. Jenkins; Attorney- 

 General, Mr. Butler; Commissioner of Crown 

 Lands, L. O'Loughlin; Commissioner of Public 

 Works, R. W. Foster; Minister of Education and 

 Industry, Mr. Brooker. Parliament was opened 

 on July 13. A new Constitution was laid before 

 the Legislature reducing the number of members 

 of Parliament by one-third, and limiting to 5 the 

 number of ministers. The establishment of a Fed- 

 eral Parliament rendered the reduction of state 

 expenditure imperative. A provision almost iden- 

 tical \vith the one contained in the commonwealth 

 act averts deadlocks between the Legislative 

 Council and the Assembly. Members of the coun- 

 cil are elected on the basis of household suffrage 

 by the whole body of electors voting as one con- 

 stituency, the method formerly practised. Mem- 

 bers of the Assembly are elected by single con- 

 stituencies. Revenue returns were satisfactory,, 

 and new gold-fields found at Tarcoola, w r est of 

 Port Augusta, and in other sections, promised to 

 increase the resources of the state. The early- 

 closing act passed in 1900 was considered too 

 stringent, and the Government proposed therefore 

 to modify some of its regulations. An agent was 

 appointed in London w r hose special duty is to pro- 

 mote the expansion of South Australian trade. 

 An outer harbor was to be made at Largs Bay, 

 and railroads from Gawlor to Angaston and from 

 Laura to Booleroo, running through rich produ- 

 cing areas. A measure was introduced to facili- 

 tate closer settlement on land fit for agricul- 

 ture and more intense cultivation. Commercial 

 business was buoyant. A loan for public works 

 was raised locally. Receipts from railroads and 

 customs were increasing. 



Western Australia. The Constitution of 

 Western Australia was granted in 1890. The Leg- 

 islative Council, at first nominated by the Gov- 

 ernor, has been elective since 1893, when the 

 colony passed the stipulated limit of 60,000 popu- 

 lation. There are 30 members, elected for six 

 years in 10 districts by property holders. The 

 Legislative Assembly is composed of 50 members, 

 elected in separate districts by universal suf- 

 frage. The Governor in the beginning of 1901 was 

 Sir Arthur Lumley, in whose absence Sir Alex- 

 ander Campbell Onslow acted as Administrator. 

 The Cabinet was composed as follows: Premier 

 and Colonial Treasurer, George Throssell; Com- 

 missioner for Railways and Director of Public 

 Works, Barrington Clarke Wood; Attorney-Gen- 

 eral, Richard William Pennefather; Colonial 

 Secretary, George Randell. A general election was 

 held at the end of April, resulting in the return of 

 17 Ministerialists, 21 members of the Opposition 

 party, 6 Labor candidates, and 6 Independents. 

 Mr. Throssell and his colleagues resigned on May 

 21. F. Illingworth, the leader of the Opposition, ^ 

 relinquished the premiership to Mr. Leak.e, who 

 on May 24 formed a ministry as follows:* Prime 

 Minister and Attorney-General, George Leake; 

 Colonial Treasurer and Colonial Secretary, F. 

 Illingworth; Commissioner of Railroads, J. J. 

 Holmes; Director of Public Works, W. Kingsmill; 

 Minister of Mines, H. Gregory ; Minister of Lands, 

 C. Sommers. The new: Premier promised to in- 

 vestigate thoroughly the finances, to push for- 

 ward public works, and to institute an inquiry 

 into the working and equipment of railroads. In 

 addition to a deficit of 50,000 an excess of ex- 

 penditure of 500,000 was to be provided for. 

 The state was committed to an expenditure on 



