OUR VICTORIAN LETTER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12649, 29 April 1903, Page 5

OUR VICTORIAN LETTER.

(Fbou Otm Own Cobrespondent.) MELBOURNE, April 22. The Tasmanian elections, which resulted in such a complete defeat of the Government, wore really indicative of a broader 1 desire for reform than appeared on the surface. They were really the outcome of a feeling which is growing in strength every

day, though without much publio expression of it, that State Parliaments iriusil

practically disappear in face of Federation. We Australians are fast arriving at the conclusion that we are being dreadfully overgov.erned. Fancy Tasmania with -all the paraphernalia of a, Governor and two Houses of Parliament for a population s"t half that of.Melbourne; while all the while it has to bear its share of the .expense of a Governor-general and two Houses of Parliament for the Commonwealth. The Governor has a Government House, which has to bo maintained, and a staff; each House of Parliament has a Speaker and clerks and Sergeant-at-arms and Hansard staff, etc. • The thing is an absolute absurdity, and, as I have said, the result of the elections is undoubtedly attributable to the conviction, that this is so. It is a- kind of instinctive, unexpressed protest against the over-govern-ment. •' The Federation has taken over Customs, Defence, Post and 1 Telegraphs. There is ; no oarthly reason why it should .not also take over railways • and education; and lands and mines could be dealt with, if nob by'the Federation, then by a system of boards for each State. In this case there would be nothing left for the State Parliaments and State Governments to do.- As it is* with oustoms, defence, and post; and telegraphs taken from them, it is highly ridiculous that the Ministries should' bo.continued at-their former strength and former cost in the shape of salaries. As for the State Governors, they are utterly useless; and, whatever is done as regards abolishing State Parliaments, plainly enough the days of State Governors are drawing ito a- close. You must understand that whilst Federation was being discussed the abolition of: State Legislatures was prudently kept in the background. That would have been toeradical a change, and if it had been seriously suggested probably Federation would never have been carried. Now that. Federation is in full working order, however, the multiplicity of Governments and Legislatures, and especially of Governors, is soon to bo ridiculous.

Just at present we in Victoria are actually without a parliamentary session, to our great relief. The State Parliament has just gone, out of session—exhausted with tho task of reforming itself, which it did to only about the necessary extent. But the Commonwealth Parliament will begin to sit again at the end of May, so that the 1 relief is only brief. Sir Edmund Barton and Mr Kingston are at present on tour speechifying, in view of the next general election, which falls at the end of this year. Mr George Bead will not attempt to turn the Ministry out this session, but will awai* (ho outcome of the general election. It is (leginning to be doubtful whether he wilr taceod. All depends upon the Labour party, and the Barton Ministry are bidding high for its support. Mr Kingston is in Queensland declaring that his deepest desire is for "a white Australia"; Sir E. Barton is in Now South Wales- dcelaringi

that nothing on earth gave him greater satisfaction than to prevent the landing of tho six hatters. It is a deplorable thing to" see the country run by the Labour party, for this is what it amounts to; really being controlled 1 by tho politically most illinformed,' most narrow-minded olasa among its population. All educated and intelligent opinion throughout Australia is against a; hard-and-fast "white Australia," and. against . shutting out respeotable British artisans like tho six .hatters. _ But _the_ educated and intelligent opinion is in a. minority. There is a feeling of despair as to tho future of politics in this benighted country. ' Tho State Government lias rather ai big contract on hand with the railway employees. Your readers will remember that about six months ago, when retrenchment ■ in the railway servioe was the order of tho day, fchero was very nearly a strike of the engine-drivers and firemen. It was touch- ■, and-go, as the saying is. Attention was then called to the fact that several of the speioties of railway employees wore in affiliation with tli© Trades Hall—that is to eay, they were joined to the Trades Hall, and were represented on the Trades Fail Council. This meant that in tho event of their striking they could call on the Trades Hall for assistance and support: The Government took' this matter into serious consideration, with the result that it issued) an ultimatum to the railway men to come <•■» out from the Trades Hall. They could continue their societies, but tho societies must no longer be part and parcel of the Trades Hall organisation. The ■ societies—enginedrivers, daily-paid-men, guards, and so forth —took time to consider the question, audi referred it to their members by ballot. The ballot has resulted in a refusal to leave the Trades .Hall. The Government demanded the withdrawal on the ground that the Trades Hall was a political organisation, but the societies contend that it is not. Technically tho societies are right. The Trades HaO is technically not " political," though praotically it most decidedly is. The position, therefore, stands at present that tho Govern- . ment have demanded the withdrawal of the societies and the societies have refused to obey. The Government are considering the noxt step. 'What it will be is a mystery. How are they to enforce the demand? And! if they do, will a strike be t\\e result?

I- mentioned in a recent letter that' an interesting newspaper correspondence had been conducted on "Large Families or Small," suggested by President Roosevelt's 1 remarks on "Race Suicide." Another sustajned correspondence ha? .iitsfc concluded— this time on the question, " Why do Men not go to Church?" It has boon more interesting than the last, and has been contributed to by several elcrgymen—Anglican and Presbyetrian. Archbishop Carr also took a, hand, not by letter, but by an address. The position ho took up was that Catholio men did go to church, and that tho question, there--fore, had no practical interest for Catholics. One noticeable feature in the correspondence was tho- general admission that men clidi not go to churchy Many writers blamed the parsons—that their preaching is too dreary, that they don't act in any way as spiritual guardians, that if the men don't go to' church they don't worry, and so on. The parsons Warned tho men for being too wrapped up in the world. A certain proportion of the correspondents took tho view l that, men stay away bedause they no longer l accept Christianity as true, though this see- 1 tion was not numerous; but a largo section-' seemed to hold the view that orthodox Christianity needs broadening to- suit latter l day requirements. Ever so many clergymen devoted their Sunday evening sermon -to thtf question. Altogether the discussion has beeni very interesting. In connection with this matter, it 5s interesting to notice a decided tendency to b'reak away from tradition as regards tlis holy observance of the Sabbath', particularly 111 tho afternoon and evening. The "pleasant Sunday afternoon" is a standing institution, at which the subjects ar'o not religious, but frequently political mid racial, and the speakers memhers of Parliament and public men. Even in the regular churches the evening services are being rendered more attractive by sincing and a lively sermon subject. The sacred concert (silver coin admission) seems likely to catch on—no service, only a regular concert programme. Political jratbcringoi for working men are also now a Sunday afternoon feature.