i \i.\-i \. 



claims and in development work and machim rv. 

 ause. perha|* through an over-i-M. tin y 

 . tnpliiv the full complement f nu -u 

 u. lease that the law rv.,uirw. 



rvMilt of n Western Australia 



u.i- t ho rvtum u Korn-M t.. n thinl lease 



.Mil. n mnndntc t<> nintiiiiic the work of 



development that he has conducted with success 



responsible government t.. the 



colony in 1880 , |...,,M!.V 



tolooy ha* grown from lew than 50.000 t i HUMMI. 



ml the reranoe, then under 500.(MN i. ha- ,,,. Teased 



no year ending Match :\l. 



ilia. Trade has increased in 



... and tlir gold 

 a larger ratio. ih< total yield sin 



U.tKKMKK). The rail- 



< bare beVi. ; in -i\ \cnrs from a total 



length of 400 n I Han 1.4(M) mile.-, ami 



tdsfraphs from 8.500 miles to 8,(HN miles, n,, 



the puhlir services 

 ha* fully doul.Icd sim-elWM. The legislatix- 



f the colony has itself IM-.-H enlarged io 

 the expanding needs of the population, the 

 mimUrof members in both houses bavini: h.-.-u 

 i<ed. and an elective upper house substituted 

 initiated Legislative < 'oiim-il. The franchise 

 ha* also been remodeled ami expanded in meet the 

 wants of an inflowing adult population. Now the 

 right to vote and tol a- a member of Par- 



liament is possessed by every man of full ap- who 

 has live*! twelve mon'ths iii the colony ami -ix 

 his district. The property qualifications 

 attaching to inemlM-rship in the upper house have 

 lo leen abolished, so that no colony in Australia 

 has so extended a franchise save Sooth Australia. 

 where women are allowed to vote. The bold policy 

 iistinguished the adminis"- 



trati 9 hn Forrest has had the approval of 



the colonists. Just t>. !"! the last general election 

 be applied for authority to borrow to the extent of 

 6.000,000, and the proposal was passed without a 

 division in In.th houses. During the last year he 

 has been able to *>,.,-. -A i 1 .000,000 out of the revenue 

 upon public works, and he holds out the prospect 

 of having for some time to comeasuflicient surplus 

 revenue to construct all necessary public buildings 

 and local public works throughout the colony. II. 

 stated bafoff the election that he has no further 

 'ion of increasing the loan liability of the 

 v. U-lievin^ that the amount already author- 

 ized will suffice for several year-, mile-- th 

 an unexpected influx of population. There was a 

 board created for the protection of the aborigine! 

 under the act conferring responsible government. 

 The Government of Western Au-tralia proposed i,, 

 transfer this duty to one of the departments. lit 

 objections were raised in Finland, where the sys- 

 f indenturing natives was condemned as a 

 . species of slavery, and stories of inhuman treat- 

 ment were rireuUted. The Colonial Office in Lon- 

 don finally sanctioned the creation of a special 

 eminent depart T he interests of 



the natives and to superintend the distribution of 

 funds provided for their relief. 

 Tasmania, The Parliament of Tasmania eon- 

 of an elective Legislative Council, for which 



the larger property holders and professiona 

 vote, with 18 members elected for six years, and a 

 legislative Assembly of 37 members, voted for by 

 all owners or occupier* of real property or possess 

 ors of an income of 60 and serving* three years. 

 Governor is Viscount Gormanston, appointed 

 in August, 1898. The Cabinet in the beginning of 

 1897 was composed following members: 



Premier, > lary, 



\s. N - P. >. F\J, : Attorney- 



General. A. I. Clark: Mini i 



T. Pillinger : minister \\ithout portfulin. 



Th as K. 



In 'I the n-vrinn- ivlnrn- 



ablethat th.- i.. \.-nim.-nt felt jn-tili. .1 in inakm- 

 a reduction of income and oil, Attmtioii 



I with ^ati-factory results to 



mineral development in tin- ooionj 



tern. 

 New Zealand. The legislative ] 



l.\ the aci ii-i-l- 



ativr Coiin-il and a 



. 

 ducrd in l^S? to 71. inclu.lin- i M . 



' Irrli'd for th) 



adult man or \\<>man having a vote \sh<> h. 

 sidi-d a \<-ar in the colony ami llm-i- months in the 

 ral district or possesses freehold proprrt\ 



worth i .'". Memben of fchc LegisUtive c,,nm-ii 



who were appointed prior t.. hold 



their seats for life; oilier- are appoint.. 



years. Tl <1 \\ lute 



in 1S'.:{. of whom ! re men and K!M<i] 



women. In the Maori community 1 ! 



ered. Of the whole population .j:A |MT cent, 

 were qualified voters. Tin- (iovernor at the 1 

 ninu' : tiled 



in .1 une, 1892. He was succeeded hythe Karl .f 

 Kanfiirly. The mini-try at the lie-inni! 

 was eompo-ed a< follow- : Premier. < 'oli>nial 'I 

 urer. Post mast- . ;,ii<l Kleeirie Teli-^raph 



Commissioner, Commissioner of Trade and Cu-tom-. 



and Minister of Lal.or. \i. .1. - 



lonial Secretary ami Commissioner of Stamp Ihi- 



l. Carroll Minister of .Justice, Industries and 

 Commerce, and l>efeii-e. T. Thompson : Mini-i. 

 Lands. Minister of Agriculture, and Commi iom-r 

 of Fore-i-. . I. Maeken/.ie: Minister of PuUie Works 

 and Minister of Marine. \V. Hall-. lone- ; Minister of 

 Railways and Mines, A. .1. Cadman : Minister of 

 Education am! Immigration ami Mini-ter in Charge 

 (.f Hospital- and Charital.le Ai-l. \V. C. Wall. 



A Xealand continues to advance in \\ealth and 

 prosperity. The revenue for 1897 was 7- 

 more than in the preci-diu: year. This e,,loi; 

 in the past few years en the 'most 



original and advanced laws in the world in regard 

 to land, liilior, ami taxation, legislation tha 1 



'lenoiinecd as democrat ie ami -emi^oejalisl ic. 

 lut which ha- IM-.-H. on the whole, successful in 

 operation and met with the popular approval of 

 the colony. I'.y the new land law- humlp 

 worthy industrious men have heen made into hon- 



urdy farmers for om- who through im-x- 



iice <'r indolence has met with failure. Im- 

 men-e e-tati - have leen liroken up. and every man 

 in the colony ha-s lieen afforded an opportunity of 

 obtaining a piece of hind <>n which to huild him- 

 self a home. The lal'or 1< iri-latioii has been less 

 entirely successful, and s,, m ,. ,,f it .1 l, v 



many "(.f the well-to-do eoloui-ts as vexation-. 

 Against their opinion may he placed the fact of 



ised prostM-rity in e'v.-ry l.ram-li of trade. 



Prices are goal, the interest rate has fallen \ \ r 



5 ner cent., and the waste lands ,,f the colony are 



/ rapidly taken up. With the introduction of 



nan one vote and the extension of the fran- 

 to women, the power of corporate wealth in 

 New Zealand s. em- to have been irrevocably de- 

 stroyed. The Cnited Statesconsul at Auckland, in 

 reporting on these condition*, says that the more 

 reasonable <,f the labor associations are 



now disposed to let well alone for the pr 

 and < that the leveling pn.ce--. which 



began about seven years ago, has reached a point 

 where prudence, good taste, and a due regard for 



