A POLITICAL BURLESQUE.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 11916, 10 June 1904, Page 5

A POLITICAL BURLESQUE.

(SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.") ' WELLINGTON, June 9. Mr A. W. Hogg, M.H.8., who has just returned from Auttralia., writing in, the "New Zealand Hmee," says:—"The great trouble of the Commonwealth and its States at present is over Government. Imagine a circtte with eenen side showe, each almost an exact, copy of the other, and you have an idea of the expensive faro© for which the free, independent, enlightened and heavily taxed and indebted electors of Australia liave to pay." "Don't you think it ft piece of folly to hare eeven Hounee of Common* and seven Houses of Lords, manufacturing and cobbling the laws for two millions of people, when one Houeo of Oommojie nmd one House of Lords manage to 60 the work for forty millions in'the. Old Country?" was the question put to "a political savant. " Yes," he replied. " I know it is a great absurdity, and the worst of it k that we were told the cost of GovernI ment would be greatly reduced as roon !ae the Commonwealth was set up." But tho burlesque continues. It is doubtful if at any time in any grcroly mismanaged country such a hydra-beaded political monster has ever been developed as is at j present running tho chow for our Aus- ! tralian cousins. Here ycu have a central Parliament located temporarily in Melbourne, the members and Ministers of •which complain that although they have been wrangling for months, they have done absolutely no work. Tlwn there are six Legislaturee tumbling over one another, and vainly trying to soothe the people, white in order .to retain place and pay they invent new methods of picking tho people's pocbets. No doubt the tnek of self-destruction ia disagreeable, and one cannot help sympathising with the Oabhwte which, a* the mandate of their oonetitoente, axe amputating their limbe, and presently may be compelled, like defaulting Celestials, to disembowel themselves or ait off their Iteads. But the duty of reduction and retrenchment appears imperative, and must bo undertaken. 2fo cc'Untry can so many cooks spoiling the broth. Six Governors and a Governor all with their retinmw of ajdeediHUunp, lord?-in-waiting, flunkeya and eervants, »?rcn Chief Jusrtioes, and a large company of puisne Judges, seven Cabinete with Premiers and Ministers of the Crown, looking forward to the capture of Imperial titles or distinctions, fourteen Chambers, with twtfirtv-eight Speiforo and Chairmen of Committeee to keep them in order, and tn*n above them all, the centra] Legislature on wheels, e» peripatetic a* a Punch and Judy show, loudly declaring tha* it can't do anytting becauf© it is not located amd cannot &c on a site. Could anything be imagined more easaziaglT ludicrous?"

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