560 



REV I Em OF REVIEWS. 



Commonvvealtii point of view — it con- 

 tains sensible recommendations. It 

 has been violently attacked in Victoria 

 because it suggests the surrender of 

 the control of the Goulburn, the Ovens 

 and the Mitta. Rather than concur in 

 this Victoria is urged to go to law in 

 the matter. The example of a fight 

 in the Courts, instead of an agreement 

 by consent, given by States in America 

 is hardy a cheerful one to follow. The 

 expense is enormous, and even yet, al- 

 though Kansas and Colorado have been 

 indulging in litigation for years, no 

 satisfactory decision has been arrived 

 at. " Agree with thine adversary 

 quickh" whiles thou art in the way with 

 liim," is good sound advice which may 

 be commended to the ultra State- 

 righters. The chief difficulty is with 

 regard to South Australia's claim that 

 permanent navigation should be pro- 

 vided between the mouth of the Murray 

 and Wentworth. It would be interest- 

 ing to know the actual value of the 

 trade on the river. Is it worth the 

 expenditure on the locks, which would 

 be required to provide permanent navi- 

 gation? Would a railway be able to 

 effectively carr}' everything which 

 now goes by water? The cost of a rail- 

 way' would not be too much to pay to 

 secure amicable settlement of the 

 Murray problem. The question at issue 

 is really whether this river and its tri- 

 butaries are more valuable as suppliers 

 of water to a thirsty land or as com- 

 merce highways. The amount of water 

 flowing in tliem during most of the year 

 does not make it possible for them to 

 fulfil both functions. 



The Victorian Crisis 



Mr. Watt returned from his visit to 

 England, in fine form, and with a 

 considerably broadened outlook on 

 things Imperial. He met our greatest 

 statesmen at home, and what he 



learned from them will not be 

 wasted. They, too, were considerably 

 impressed with this young Australian 

 leader, who, by his unaided qualities, 

 has won his way to the first place in 

 Victoria. Mr. Watt had his hands full 

 the moment he landed. Mr. McLeod, 

 the Chairman of the Country Party, 

 brought in a motion of censure on the 

 Governm-ent, apparently without first 

 consulting his colleagues, x^s the de- 

 bate went on,* it became clear that he 

 had an understanding with the Labour 

 Part}-. Mr. McLeod desired reconstruc- 

 tion, and this was his way of forcing 

 Mr. Watt's hand. An alliance between 

 the Conservative wing of the Minis- 

 teriahsts and the Labour Party in order 

 to smash Mr. Watt's Ministry, was not 

 a wise effort, as Mr. McLeod speedily 

 found. In a fighting speech, Mr. Watt 

 pulverised the arguments the revolting 

 members had set up. He was not afraid 

 of a dissolution, seemed even to wel- 

 come it, and refused absolutely to be 

 coerced into any promise of reconstruc- 

 tion. His strong line was justified by 

 the collapse of the censure motion, so 

 far as the Country Party was concerned, 

 although Mr. Elmslie insisted on the 

 motion going to the vote. All the 

 Liberal m.embers, except those in the 

 Ministry, privately adopted a resolution 

 urging that the Premier should recon- 

 struct the Government. This looks very 

 like a vote of censure on present Minis- 

 ters, and it is improbable that Mr. Watt 

 can ignore it. Some alteration in the 

 personnel of his Ministry is therefore 

 likely to take place. 



Congress on Union of Churches. 



There is a remarkable movement for 

 closer working arrangements between 

 the churches throughout the world. 

 This has been especially noticeable in 

 Canada and the L'nited States, where 

 actual Union for certain purposes has 



