TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7804, 6 March 1891, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Now that Western Australia has received the proud boon of responsible Government, the Parliament are pretty muoh in the position of an amateur workman with a new implement. They don't know exactly how to use it. The Perth correspondent of the Melbourne Argus puts the matter as follows :—

"The fact of the matter is (he says) that our politicians have not yet learned what party Government means. The greater number of them seem indisposed to give any regular allegiance to either the Ministers in office, or those who are supposed to be in Opposition, and placing thenaselves upon the cross benches, await events, determined to be perfectly impartial. In time, however, no doubt they will shape together, or divide into other eets, as they may find it desirable to do bo. At present the Government have a somewhat precarious existence, owing the chief strength they possess to the difficulty which the Opposition would find in securing the formation of a Ministry of their own.".

,As to the politicians sitting on the crossbenches awaiting events, we are not sure that.that is a sign of either ignorance or inexperience. At any rate, this is a course which has frequently been pursued in New Zealand by politicians who certainly could not be accused of want of knowledge of Parliamentary life. It is easy to understand, however, that with nearly a whole Parliament "sitting on a rail," Ministers must find it unusually difficult to carry on the government of the country.

An incident which took place daring the debate on., the Estimates serves to give an illustration of what the youngest Government ia Australasia has to contend with. The-Ministry proposed that his' Excellency the Governor, in lieu of forage allowance, which he waa ready to give up, should be permitted a slightly increased amount for gas and fire. Thereupon what ia described as " a scene of some warmth * ensued. Mr T. H. Parker, the leader of the Opposition, mentioned that the £1000 set down as the Governdr'B salary was. intended to cover all:allowances. Afc the end of a heated debate, the Government found themselves with only three supporters. In spite of this, it was stated that they intended, at Lord Kuutsford's suggestion, to ask for .£6OO to reimburse hia Excellency such expenses E3 he incurred by remaining in London to aid in the passage of the Enabling Bill. Inasmuch as his Excellency had to wait nearly a year for his new Government, without salary, remaining in London far longer than he need otherwise hare done, in order to give such advice as might from time to time become necessary, and to arrive in Western Australia at the exact ep9ch when it seemed most desirable that he should take up the reins of government, the proposal does nob seem unreasonable. It was deemed almost certain, however, that it would not be carried. It Iβ, perhaps, hardly necessary to add that th» Government have a borrowing policy. They propose large expenditure upon railways, first npon one between Perth and Eusaelton, to develop the tinfields of the south and the comparatively rich country lying between the mineral districts and the capital. Next they propose a railway to the Yilgarn goldfields, so soon as ever, at any rate, they are assured that those fields have been clearly established, and that they are likely to be of a durable character. They also give their adhesion to the policy of increasing the harbor accommodation of Fremantle. The country, however, is not so much carried away by the • glamour of these proposals as one might imagine. According to the Argus correspondent, there is great division of opinion on this subject, and although Government claim a majority in the Lower House, it is very doubtful what will be the fate of the Bill. Our Western Australian cousins will do well to act with caution. They are asked to embark on a course which is alluring in appearance, but which in the case of other colonies has sometimes ended in disaster. The people of Western Australia should profit by the experience of others, and be wise in time.

Hαvino secured a supply of Dr. Koch's "tuberculine," the medical profession of ■ Victoria seem to be ia somewhat of ■ a difficulty as to, what to do ; with. it. A. long discussion took < place On the subject at a recent meeting ( of the Victorian branch of the British Medical Association. Most' of the speakers 1 expressed the opinion that there was j danger in its administration. They, there- r fore,, suggested that it should only be J administered by two medical men in con* 1 cert. This is the understanding which j prevails in regard to chloroform, because j as one speaker put it, if ibis drug were J

adminiateredby only one doetarvSdS thing went wrong, "the Coroner *«£ make xt unpleasant." Another pr Z*f was that the Pharmacy Board buouS asked to take the necesaary Btepstohk? the lymph included iv the soheduk ! poisona. A further funereal air waTfc? parted to tho proceedings by the of the District Coroner, Mr Candler *jT was invited to expresa hie opinion oa tT subject. That official, however, wiflj and discreetly declined to commit himJi grimly observing that " aa perhapaceS questions might later on be raised atto! quests which might arise from the adouW tration of the lymph,he thought had better not say anything on the sak. ject at present." Resolutions embodji»« the two proposals already referred to w carried. The air of caution with why» Dr. Koch's supposed remedy ia now eYftm where received contrasts strongly w jr the almost reckless enthusiasm i»i»k which it was hailed in the first inataeet

Considerable interest has been excited J» Melbourne by the arrival in Hobsoa'e Ba of o steamer bolongiug to the J aDe ! Mail Steamship Company, and intended to inaugurate a regular steam g«. vice between -Japan and AuataU, The new uudoi'takiujj i 3 » be the outcome of the vieifc paid to the Australian colonies some timo ago bf i Special Commissioner from J rtp aa L a came to "spy out the land," and its capabilities for trade. The report which he furnished to the Government,)! the Mikado was of a very character. What is of eepoeial U3 is that he pointed out that the Japan** were likely to become large nuaufte. turers of woollen gooda. aad by inference large customers for raw wool :—

"At present," wrote the Commiwioa* "we-,import; from European markets.bn! we are goin? in largely for manufioSehl woollens, and the Government haveai work already a model mill. For oal soldiers alone there is a great demand fc» warm clothing. Iα peace we have about 100,000 men, and on a war footing aboni 500,000. Then we have cheap lalor 3 could compete with European maZ! facturere if we had a good supply of wool close at hand." -

With regular steam communication then seem 3 a likelihood of a flourishing trade beneficial to both parties being developed, It would also connect us with aaothei great artery of touriat traffic. It is to o< hoped therefore that the new venture vflj turn out a Buccess.