PREMIERS' CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1717, 25 January 1905, Page 46

PREMIERS' CONFERENCE.

MELBOURNE, January 23. Commenting on the Premiers’ Conference, AA'hich is to be held next month at Hobart, the “Age” says it will do no harm if it should result in some plain speaking of the State Premiers to the Federal Premier and his Treasurer. Federation, the paper adds, has proved an oxpensrte failure. Except in. sweeping aAvay the border duties, it is difficult to see in what way it lias given any benefit to the people of Australia. The "Argus” gives the folloAving as tlio list of subjects which the Premiers Conference will deal Avitli: — High Commissioner, with a vieiv to effecting arrangements that will prevent the clashing or overlapping of State and Federal. Quarantine. Old age pensions. Bonus on agricultural productions, more particularly cotton apd coffee. Payment for State properties taken CA’er. Transfer of State debts. Meteorology, in vieAV of establishing a Aveather bureau. Federal capital. Control of ports and harbours, and uniform pilotage rates. The Murray Avaters. The English mail service. Statistical bureau. Matters in connection Avith electoral laws, so as to prevent, as far as possible, duplication. Income tax. Control of buildings in joint occupation by the States and the Commonwealth. Proposed vote of 4225,000 to the Queen Victoria Memorial in London. Consolidation of the company and banking laAvs, Payment for services rendered by the Federation to the States, and by the States to the Federation. Adjustments of contributions to the na\ T y. Encouragement of immigration. The States haA'e also separate lists of matters specially interesting to themselves. On© of the above questions, that of utilising the Murray Avaters, was discussed at Narrandera recently. Mr Samuel McCaughey, M.L.C., mentioned that he had visited America, India, Egypt, Italy, and .other countries where irrigation was largely used for augmenting the production of the land. In having the Yanko creek cutting made he had spent more than the whole Murrumbidgee scheme had cost. Yet he considered liis efforts Avorth the experiment. Since he first started at North Yanko, five years ago, every attempt at irrigation had surpassed expectations in results. The greatest expense Avas in lifting the Avater. With a gravitation scheme they ought to be able to settle thousands of people on the land, and they could do better on 50 acres with water than on 1000 acres Avithout it. One thing that had been mentioned Avas that closer settlement might folloAA' on the CroAvn lands available. A conference Avas recently held at Sydney to formulate irrigation proposals for submission to the Premiers’ Conference.