664 



REVIEW OF REVIEWS. 



September l, 191S. 



Members of Scott's Antarctic Expedition leavine Bnckini?hnm Palace after receivintr nietlaU from 



the Kinc. [Topical. 



cull it is for even tlie best and most im- 

 partial of men, born and bred in the 

 country, to dissociate himself from local 

 influences. Only those who have the 

 actual carrying out of the government 

 of the State can know how much part 

 the British Governors have taken in af- 

 fairs here, or how valuable has been 

 their advice and action. Mr. Watt no 

 doubt knew pretty well what Sir John 

 Fuller would do in the event of the 

 Government being defeated before ever 

 he made the fighting sjjeech which 

 crushed the insurrection in the House. 

 Urgent private business demanded the 

 Governor's presence at home, but before 

 he went he knew that no crisis was likely 

 to develop till he was once more at the 

 head of the State. Not only does a 

 British Governor bring wide experience 

 and outside knowledge to help him in 

 his high position, he is also a very real 

 link between the State and the home 

 Government^ — -and such links are truly 

 valuable. The only change that might 

 be made is that instead of the home 

 Government appointing party men to 

 the position, an impartial council should 

 have charge of the matter. We have, 

 however, been fortunate in having had 



excellent Governors, party system not- 

 withstanding. 



State Finances. 



New South Wales is in a bad position 

 financial 1)'. The Labour Government, 

 which won power on a policy of " Re- 

 trenchment and Reform," have suc- 

 ceeded, after three years, in loading the 

 .State with a deficiency of i^i.6oS,i.Si. 

 As much a record as is the amount they 

 have borrowed during their term of 

 office. The railways are clamouring for 

 renewals and duj^lication- of track, but 

 will obviousl)' have to wait until actual 

 danger threatens. Tasmania, thanks to 

 the Commonwealth grant of ;{^95,ooo, 

 was able to entirely wipe off the deficit 

 from last year, and show a surplus of 

 iJ^32,ooo. Queensland has a surplus of 

 i^6ii6, but would have shown a sad de- 

 ficit had the railway receipts not been 

 ;£"98,752 more than estimated ! 



The Norton-CrifFiths Agreement. 



At first sight the jiroposed agreement 

 between the New South Wales Govern- 

 ment and Norton, Griffiths and Co., re- 

 garding the expenditure of ;{^3,ooo,ooo 

 on railways, seems decidedly attractive. 

 The Government wishes to build the 



