POLITICAL POINTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXIII, Issue 87, 12 April 1902, Page 4 (Supplement)

POLITICAL POINTS.

At the annual meeting of tho Victorian Women's Franchise! League Mr. S. Muuger, M.H.R., moved :— "That as it is a lorcgone conclusion that women will have a vote at the next Commonwealth election, the sumo power cannot consistently bo held from them by tho Legislative Council for State elections." Ho said bo was confident that tho Federal Government would have no difficulty in securing women's suffrage for the Commonwealth. The motion was carried uniinhnouMly. One effect of tho disclosure of tho revenue producing capabilities of the tariff is (according to the Sydney Telograph) that Federal members aro beginning to question tho necessity for tho Commonwealth to borrow money with which to carry out public works. They think they ought to bo built out of revenue. When Sir Georgo Turner asks for authority to iloat a loan, ho will, it is bclievod, meet with considerable opposition. Tho Commonwealth is entitled to retain for its expenditure up to ono -fourth of the revenue from Customs and exciso, but it is known that it would bo very embarrassing to tho State Troasurors if the Federal Government made^ deductions to that extent. Mr, Lee, leader of tho New South Wales Opposition, speaking at a recent meeting of the Party, stated:— "We aie perfectly satisfied that if tho spendthrift Government policy and the policy of drift and repudiation aro to continue, disaster is inevitable. Personally, I view tho present financial outlook -with a groat deal of trepidation ; tho, policy initiated by this Government and stretched to its utmost limit, is such that they have committed tho country to obligations which will involve tho utmost patriotism and determination on the port of any administration if we are to be eafoly financed through the shoa-ls." The movement for Parliamentary reform and retrenchment continues to grow in Victoria. At a meeting recently hold in Melbourne tho Chairman stated that it Had been arranged to hold a monster conference of country delegates in Melbourne on the ' 17th April. Interest in tho movement was growing rapidly* and tho press of work was becoming so great that ho had been urged to open an ofilco in Melbourne, and obtain the assistance of several secretaries. Tho programme of tho Kyabram Committee (which inaugurated tho movement) proposed a reduction of members of the Legislative Assembly to 46,/ond Ministers to five. It was a question, he said, whether that wa* not too drastio a reduction. (Several voices — No, no !) At any rate, the extent of the reduction was a matter which was open for argument. So far the British Government has remitted to the Federal authorities £150,000 for the equipment and despatch of the 'first two Commonwealth Contingents. Practically the wholo 'of that sum has been expended. Tho Third Contingent of 2000 men ia estimated to cost a further £200,000, which will make a total cost to the Imperial Government for the three contingents of £350,000. It was estimated that the cost of the Easter encampments in the Commonwealth would be £15,000. The Treasurer of South Australia estimates the loss to the State by tho excision of the duty on kerosene at about £1i5,000. With regard to tea he states that the rovenuo under the tariff originally introduced by the Federal Government would have been £50,000. Onethird of the revenue on tea and kerosene will be lost for the present financial year, nnd tho loss next year under th© two heads will be about £65,000. In view of the heavy shrinkage in railway revenue, the additional expenditure of tho IVder.il Government, and other matters, if accounts are to balance recourse must Lv had to additional taxation. A scheme is reported by tho Sydney 'iV.egraph to be on foot for getting a cortaiu sum placed upon tho Commonvieiallh Estimates to compensate Federal members for the extra expense entailed by the exceptional length of the present session. The existing salary is, that journal adds, sufficient to enable the poorest man in the community to sit in PiuTiament if tho electors desire it. It therefore renders the popular franchise thoroughly operative, and so fulfils the whole purpose for which payment of members has over been advocated. The Queensland Minister for Railways states that the question had arisen about tho closing of some lines owing to • loss of traffic from the severe drought. Somo of them, he said, were not paying onethird working expenses let alone interest, and thero was no revenue with which to keep \ip thi? state of affairs. He would not disclose what lines were referred" to, but the Government had the question under consideration. There was a discussion recently in tho Budget Committee of the German Reichstag on tho coat and position of the German occupying forco in China. According to the figures given in the Budgot Ootnmitteo it would appoar that apart from the Legation guards the foreign troops still in Chi-li consist of an English force of 3200 men, a Russian forco of 6UO men, and a Gorman force of 3030 men. At Shanghai England has 800, France 720, Japan 450, and Germany 800 men. The Committee was for withdrawing the German contingent as speedily as possible, and effected a considerable reduction in the vote for its maint'onance. The Russian Exchange Gazette describes it as v "misunderstanding" to imagine that there can bo any connection whatever between the Anglo-Japan-ese agreement and the position of Russia in Manchuria. This latter is a' question which concerns only Russia herself, and will be settled by her in agreement with China. The treaty which has been uigned by Lord Lonsdowne and Baron Htvyashi cannot affect it in the least. The Natal estimates for the curront financial year amount to £5,471,000 as compared with £4,674,967 last year. The inorease is due to the larger cost of maintenance in nearly all departments. Tho loan expenditure shows an increase of £500,000, chiefly for the Cape-Natal railway. Sir Wilfrid Lawrier, tho Canadian Premier, speaking in reference to the recant abrogation, of the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, said he was not an admirer ol British policy on the American Continent. Canada on many occasions had not received her due, but that there was no reason. why she should not preserve friendly relations with the United States eten though her patience might be sorely tried. The Canadian Premier announced recently that Canada is endeavouring to socare better trade relations with Germany. In' opening the Dominion Parliament Lord Minto, the Governor-General of Canada, stated that the Government bad reached the conclusion that the establishment of a direct steamship line with South Africa would enable Canada to secure in that country a profitable- market for her varied products. The Government, it was added, would endeavour to arrange such a service. A proposal is before the United States Congre33 to give preference in the Civil Service of the nation to all Union vet<'f.ins of the Civil' War. Most of the vnterans are well on towards 70 years of age. The scheme, therefore, in so far as it is made effective at all, is one in fasten upon the Civil Service men who have pnsaed the point where their Uibouv can bo of any groat value.