THE COMMONWEALTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14004, 9 March 1909, Page 5

THE COMMONWEALTH.

'i ■ ■: ,--' 4 £*:>:itV;--:!- ; .'!:f--v. f^TTT' CONFERENCE OF PREMIERS. >-, . ■ •-. '. ■"• -- ■- s - i -'•;. .-"■, '■*-■^■'".'J'^fiM Bv Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright. , (Received March '9, 1 a.m.) / Hobaht, March 8. '.. '• ' - , v <*:> '. ".' Mb. Fisher (Federal Prime Minister), Mr. Hugh Mahon (Minister for Home Affaire), • . and Mr. W. M. Hughes (Attorney-Gene- , ral) attended the Premiers' Conference to- : , day. . • ..." . ..." '. . V-": Mr. Fisher, in a general statement, outlined the growing requirements and expanding obligations of the Commonwealth, and intimated that he would disclose the financial policy of the Government - in a speech to be delivered at Gympie (Queens-, ' land) at the 'end of the month. He had no scheme to submit to the conference as, regarded the settlement of. the Braddon clause difficulty, but would be glad-to're-ceive any representations the conference had to make. ' ' Mr. Mahon dealt with the lavish' expenditure of some of the States. C Although > - \'f„ the federation, had in 1900 relieved them rJy of departments costing four millions annually, the expenditure ■of the States had grown . from 41 to 7£, millions. At the same time the population from the date of the establishment of the federation to 1906 had remained practically stationary. It would be idle to contend that any de- v velopment in Australia during the past , eight years had warranted such a huge

increase in the cost of government.