Bevietc of Revieics, $0/S/06. 



History of the Month. 



22$ 



Harvie & Sutcliffc, Photo.} 



The Bhip "Spoke," wrecked at Westernpopt last mo 



exhibition was open four weeks, and was so 

 well organised by the A.N. A. that a net profit of 

 ;^3ooo has been made. It is estimated that the total 

 attendances numbered 400,000. A very commend- 

 able decision on the part of the Directors was that 

 ^1500 of the profit should be refunded to the ex- 

 hibitors. This meant that the money which was 

 paid by them for space will lie returned, and that 

 they got their show-space free. The balance of the 

 profit is to be used in carrying through future ex- 

 hibitions and various displays aimed at the overthrow 

 of the local and foolish prejudice against Australian 

 goods. This example may well be followed by the 

 other States. 



A very pleasing fact to note during 



Open lYie last month has been the ten- 



Commissions of j,^„, *^ u u r 



Enauirv dency to hold commissions of en- 



quiry, in which the public are in- 

 terested, in public. There has been too great a ten- 

 dency to hold enquiries of certain kinds in private, 

 so that the public were never rightly informed as 

 to the rights and wrongs of a case. Specially was 

 this the case with regard to departmental matters. 

 But during the month the Gembrook Railway Acci- 

 dent and the Insane Asylum Scandal in Victoria, 



KiiKily knt by the " Weekly Times.' 

 nth ; 25 of the crew were saved and one drownedt 



and the Hawker case in connection with the De- 

 fence Department, all of which formerly would 

 have been conducted in the privacy of departmental 

 offices, are being conducted in the light of day. This 

 is just another instance of the way in which the 

 rights of the people are coming to be observed, and 

 is another proof of the growing consciousness that 

 the people constitute the State, and that nc/ part of 

 its government and administration is to be restricted 

 to a select few. It is one of the signs of the times, 

 and is not to be ignored. 



The Japanese 

 Famine. 



It is encouraging to have to com- 

 ment u]ion the fact that at last, al- 

 though late, some steps are being 

 taken to provide a Relief Fund for 

 the Japanese famine. The matter has been taken 

 up by the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce, and 

 as a result a large quantity of produce will be ship- 

 ped off to Japan. It ought to be so. The feeling 

 which a good many people have against the Japanese 

 has for a consideralile time prevented the move- 

 ment making a start, but now that it is commenced, 

 it is to be hoped that it will assume large propor- 

 tions. > 



.. scout ine u 



