The Review of Reviews. 



June, 191. 



[Melhouiiic ■' I'uncli." 

 "DROPPING THE pn.OT "— NEW VERSION. 

 Political L/abouritea. discovering lliat the strilie policy haa 

 dine them much misoliief of late, are dropping it. 



The Cbew: "Over with him. Andy! He's another Jonah; 

 und if he doesn't go overboard, we will." 



Victorian 

 Cabinet 

 Changes, 



>'Ir. John Nriirray, Premier of Vic- 

 lijrla, has resigned his office in 

 favour of Mr. W. A. Watt, the 

 Treasurtn-. It cannot by any means 

 be said that this was a surprise. It was commonly 

 ■expected that when Mr. Murray returned from his 

 trip to Jingland, he would resign in favour of Mr. 

 Watt, but he did not fulfd common exjiectations. 

 There has been in some quarters a demand for the 

 ■change, mostlv a newspaj^er demand, but the only 

 ground of complaint against him was the vague 

 charge that he was lethargic. Mr. Murray, huge 

 of bodv and slow of moxement, has had in contrast 

 to him Mr. Watt, active and brisk in movement, 

 alert and quick mentally anil phy.sically. During 

 Mr. Murrav's absence in England, he fdled the 

 po.sition of Premier with marked ability, and took 

 the foremo.st place in debate at the Premier's Con- 

 ference. There can be no douV)t that bv sheer 

 force of character. Air. Walt has marlc possible. 

 and indeed inevitabli\ the change that has come 

 to pass. There will lie no alteration in the personnel 

 of the Ministrv. Mr. \\'att has been Treasurer. 

 and will retain the oversight of that department in 



Mr. J. K. 

 Cann. 



addition to the Premiership, w'hile Mr.- Murray will 

 continue in charge of the Labour and Chief Secre- 

 tary's departments. There is no case on record 

 of where a chief was willing to step- out of 

 his high office and take second place in the team, 

 an<l it says a great deal for Mr. Murray that he is 

 willing to do so. He has acted in a most graceful 

 wav. He might have turned things upside down, 

 and created dissensions in his party ; but he has 

 made it stronger bv the manner of his retirement. 



The vacancy in the New South 

 Wales Ministry, caused by the 

 death of Mr. J. R. Dacey has been 

 filled by the appointment of Mr. 

 J. H. Cann. Mr. Cann takes charge of the 

 Treasury. I am glad to congratulate him and the 

 Party to which he lx;longs, for electing him. 

 Mr. Cann and three oither Lal:our men out of the 

 whole Party, supported the present Licensing 

 Act when it had its troubled passage through 

 the House in 1905. He has also spoken 

 vigorously agaiinst the proposal to estaljlish 

 a State lottery in New South Wales, and 

 it is rea.sonable to suppose that he will be a vigorous 

 (i|iponent of anv proposal that mav be made to 

 introduce the totalisator to New Soutli Wales. The' 

 Labour Party in New South Wales could do with a 

 few more of his way of thinking on .social subjects. 



C»niing 

 Parliaments. 



All the State Parliaments are pre- 

 [)aring to meet, and thei'e ought to 

 lie some surprise packets. New 

 South Wales? Well, no one can 

 tell what is likely to happen there. With Mr. 

 Willis still in the Speaker's chair, anything is likely 

 to happen, and if the last .session is any prophecy 

 of the future, .some fantastic things may be looked 

 for. Tasmania's Government, with its reduced 

 majoritv, may look for trouble, for it is likely to 

 get it. New Zealand will face a condition of things 

 new to her, and it is impossible to forecast what 

 mav ha])])en with such .-i narrow majority as the 

 Co\'ernment ha\e. One is temptetl io prophesy that 

 things will Sfwn be in the melting [lOt, and an early 

 election is even within the range of possibilities. 

 Australian Parliaments have a habit of muddling 

 .dong on the narrow'e?;t of majorities, but things will 

 he different in New Zealand. The good folk there 

 have shaken themselves together, and, seeing that 

 the numbers on each side are about equal, mav not 

 rest conteiit till a Government is in power with tlie 

 undoubted confidence of the electors. 



The Federal Gox'crnment is to be 



JK'.irlily congratulated upon the in- 



i-lnsion in the new regulations to 



govern adult military training 



undrr the Defenc<> Acts, which have just been 



aiiproved bv the l'"e<leral Executive, clauses which 



deal drastically with the question of liquor and 



Wise 

 Provisions. 



