AUSTRALIA, COMMONWEALTH OF. 



51 



Under the new Constitution of South Australia 

 the members of the Legislature were reduced 

 nearly one-third. The general election, which oc- 

 curred in May, showed no change in the relative 

 strength of parties except a slight loss in the 

 Labor party. The Cabinet, reduced to 4 mem- 

 bers by the change in the Constitution, was re- 

 constituted at the end of March as follows: Pre- 

 mier and Chief Secretary, J. G. Jenkins; Attor- 

 ney-General and Minister of Education, J. H. 

 Gordon; Treasurer and Minister of Lands and 

 Agriculture, R. Butler; Commissioner of Public 

 Works, R. W. Foster. The revenue of South Aus- 

 tralia was affected more severely than that of 

 the other colonies by the causes that operated 

 unfavorably in all, the drought and the fall in 

 the prices of metals. The wheat yield was small 

 and railroad receipts declined. The budget 

 showed a deficit of 239,000, which had to be 

 met by the issue of treasury bills. In order to 

 balance the budget for the coming year the Gov- 

 ernment proposed additional taxation of incomes 

 and new stamp-duties in conjunction with econo- 

 mies in railroad administration and the public 

 service. 



Western Australia. The Legislative Coun- 

 cil has 30 members, elected for six years by free- 

 holders possessing property of the value of 100, 

 householders occupying premises worth 25 a 

 year, ratepayers assessed for 25 a year, or hold- 

 ers of leased land or licenses on which they pay 

 the Government 10 a year. The Legislative As- 

 sembly contains 50 members, elected by persons 

 of either sex who are twenty-one years of age 

 and residents or owners of property or leasehold- 

 ers in the district. The Governor is Sir Arthur 

 Lawley. The ministry in office at the beginning 

 of 1902 was composed as follows: Premier and 

 Attorney-General, G. Leake; Colonial Treasurer 

 and Colonial Secretary, F. Illingworth; Minister 

 for Works, Cornthwaite H. Rason; Minister for 

 Lands, Adam Jameson; Commissioner of Rail- 

 ways, W. Kingsmill; Minister of Mines, H. 

 Gregory. 



The revenue for 1900 was 3,010,005, and the 

 expenditure 2,898,654. Of the revenue customs 

 produced 987,185. The remainder comes mainly 

 from railroads, the post-office, mining licenses, 

 and leases of public lands. The debt on June 30, 

 1901, amounted to 12,709,430, requiring the pay- 

 ment of 486,800 for interest and 429,227 for 

 the sinking-fund. The general election took 

 place in January after the assumption of the 

 premiership by Mr. Leake, whose electoral prom- 

 ises included the reduction of the number of mem- 

 bers in both houses of the Legislature, electoral 

 reform, a board of management for the gold- 

 fields, a water scheme, the establishment of a 

 harbor trust, a factories act, and new railroad 

 construction. After the death of Mr. Leake a 

 new ministry was formed on June 30 as follows: 

 Premier and Attorney-General, Mr. James; Com- 

 missioner of Railways, Mr. Kingsmill; Minister 

 of Mines, Mr. Gregory; Commissioner of Crown 

 Lands, Mr. Jameson; Director of Public Works, 

 Mr. Rason; Colonial Secretary and Treasurer, 

 Mr. Gardener. Western Australia was exempt 

 from the drought which affected the other states. 

 The gold product for 1902 increased notably. 

 The state revenue in 1902 was 3,688,048. Immi- 

 gration increases, and agriculture, as well as min- 

 ing, advances steadily. The water-works to sup- 

 ply Coolgardie were completed before the end of 

 1902. 



Tasmania. The Legislative Council numbers 

 19 members, elected for six years by possessors of 

 freehold or leasehold property worth 10 or 30 



a year respectively and by professional practi- 

 tioners and holders of academic diplomas. The 

 House of Assembly consists of 38 members, elect- 

 ed for three years by British subjects resident in 

 the state for twelve months. There were 9,430 

 electors for the Council in 1901 and 41,286 elect- 

 ors for the House of Assembly. The Governor 

 is Sir A. E. Havelock. The Cabinet consisted in 

 the beginning of 1902 of the following members: 

 Premier and Attorney-General, Sir N. E. Lewis; 

 Chief Secretary, G. T. Collins; Treasurer, B. 8. 

 Bird; Minister of Lands and Works, E. Mul- 

 cahy. 



The revenue for 1900 was 1,054,980, and ex- 

 penditure 923,731. Of the revenue 466,218 

 came from customs. The revenue for 1901, in- 

 cluding the sum retained by the Federal Govern- 

 ment, was estimated at 865,071, and expendi- 

 ture at 855,000. The public debt on Jan. 1, 

 1901, amounted to 8,511,005, of which 3,527,- 

 632 pays 3^ per cent, and the rest 4 per cent., the 

 whole having been raised to construct railroads 

 and other public works. 



The transfer of the customs to the Common- 

 wealth reduced the revenue of Tasmania, while 

 it cheapened many commodities for the people. 

 New taxes on incomes and inheritances, a grad- 

 uated land tax on estates worth over 10,000, 

 and additional stamp-duties were not sufficient 

 to equalize revenue and expenditure, in spite of 

 drastic economies. The Government proposed 

 not only to reduce the number of members in 

 the Legislature, but to amalgamate the two 

 chambers, 10 members to be elected on the Coun- 

 cil franchise and 20 on the Assembly franchise. 



British New Guinea. The governments of 

 Queensland, Victoria, and New South W 7 ales, 

 which jointly guarantee the cost of administer- 

 ing British New Guinea within the limit of 15,- 

 000 a year, have had a voice in the affairs of this 

 territory, which was proclaimed a British pro- 

 tectorate in 1887 at the solicitation of the 

 Queensland Government. It embraces the south- 

 eastern end of the island of New Guinea, and has 

 an area of 90,540 square miles, containing a 

 native population of about 350,000. The Euro- 

 peans number 1,000, including gold-diggers, pearl- 

 shellers, sandalwood collectors, storekeepers, offi- 

 cials, and missionaries. The Commonwealth 

 Government has proposed to provide 20,000 

 per annum for the next five years toward the 

 expense of administering the territory, and on 

 this condition the Imperial Government is pre- 

 pared to resign the control of the administration. 

 The present head of the local administration, who 

 has the title of Lieutenant-Governor, is George 

 Ruthven Le Hunte. Congregationalist, Roman 

 Catholic, Wesleyan, and Anglican missionaries 

 in different sections have done something to in- 

 struct and elevate the natives. Coconut groves 

 have been preserved and extended, and trade 

 with Europeans is increasing. Still savagery and 

 cannibalism render the island unsafe for whites. 

 Tobacco and coffee have been planted by Euro- 

 peans. It is unlawful to acquire land from 

 natives or to supply them with liquor or fire- 

 arms, but land can be purchased from the Crown 

 for 2s. 6d. an acre. The revenue in 1900 was 

 13,831, and expenditure 19,315. Alluvial gold 

 is mined with machinery. There are about 200 

 diggers in the fields. Articles of food, clothing, 

 tobacco, and hard ware are imported from 

 , Queensland and New South Wales. Trepang, 

 copra, gold, pearls, pearl shells, and sandalwood 

 are exported. The value of imports for the fiscal 

 your 1900 was 72,286. and of exports 56,167. 

 Pearl and trepang collecting are the principal 



