OUR MELBOURNE LETTER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14686, 20 November 1909, Page 5

OUR MELBOURNE LETTER.

(FitOM Our Own- Correspondent.)

MELIIOUKNE, November 10.

This week will bring to a close ono of tho most successful sooial seasons siiico the dn.j'B of tho boom. Tho dancing season usually culminates in Cup Week, and when, as this year, tho summer comes in suddenly after the raoing carnival, tho dancing soon ends. There was air enormous crowd in town for this year's cup, and nothing but unfavourable weather could have marred tho festivities. Fortunately this did not happen. Never were the four days of tho mooting so favoured in that respect. Oup Day was as perfect a day as the early spring could possibly afford; of tho Derby and Storplechaso days tho same could, bo said; and it was only Oaks Day. ..that leaned to the side of heat and north wind. Tho Slato Governor gave a garde?"' party oir the eve of tho Derby, at which, it is estimated 5000 people wero present. On tho ova of the Cup the Governorgeircral and Lady Dudley gave a State ball on a ma-gnince-nfc scale. Tho dressing is described as superb, and I am informed that. Lady Dudley's "creation" , only arrived from Worth's that very day by tho wail stoamer. Numberless private panties filled in the rest of tho week until Friday, when tho great private, dance of tho: year —the Australian Chili ball—look place. The last word in floral and elcotric light effects is always said when tho wool magnates of the State throw opeti to' tho ladies on tho one -night of the year thoir pulD't'iiil halls and noble staircase. Yesterday the Governor-general and Lady Dudley gave a garden party at the Federal Govermnnrt House, and limb night the Lord Mayor gavo his annual dinner. It'signalises Cr Burston's second election to tho ■high dignity of Lord Mayor, and though it was not, like the corresponding Loudon function, niado the occasion of important grolitical speeches, it was graced by the presence of the Governor-gonoral and two Governors, ar.'d a number of high naval, military, and judicial personages.

STATES AND COMMONWEALTH.

A rather critical stage, has been reached in connection with tho financial agreement. ontcrcd into between the Prime Minister,' as representing the Commonwealth, and the different. State I'iemiors. That agreement! provided that in substitution for tho Braddon clause there should bo inserted' ' -it" the Constitution a. clause providing that the Commonwealth should from tho Customs and Excise pay to the States the sum of 25s per head. A small but influential section of tho Ministerial following, including Mr W. H. Irvine, Mr Bruce Smith, end Mr Robert Harper, object to the going into the Constitution unless the time is limited to 25 years or eomc other fixed term. I said in my last letter that the. Government was not displaying niucli lirmness in leadership on, the mntter. Since then Mr Deakin .has made a very. notable speech, in which he said (hut if the House did not, carry tJio provision the Government would lake it to.tho country over thoir heads. Mr.Eoid (to-day Sir George Kcid) also has made one of his best ftpecehes on the subject,. a.lid has done- something to stiffen up Hie pany.

However, last Week Mr Hairper tabled an. amendment in favour of liiititiirg the term. This amendment had Clio radical advantage that it. united the little, party which is itself divided as to details. Mr Irvino made an admirable speech in' support of tho amendment, and when the division - was taken in committee it was found that there wcro 33 on cacli side. In accordance with practice, the chairman gave his casting 1 voto for tfio amendment, "iir order to leave, the subject open for further consideration," The Government was not. .able to secure a pair for Colonel Foxtdn, who was on. bis way back from England, so for tho time it, was left in a minoritv.

Mr Deakiu at oneo announced that tho House would be given an opportunity of reconsidqrii.'g tho question, and a further test <«bate was opened in tho House.'yesterday. It originated again with Mr Harper, who moved that tho payment of 25s per head should ■ continue until the total paylA'cnt to tlio States readies £7,500,000 per annum, " and thereafter until •the. Parliament othonviso provides." Colonel Foxton will bo present at this division, and tho .(jovcrnment, it is n r ported, irilj just win. It will again, how.ovcr, provido the interest-ins spectacle ot Mr Harper and Mr Irvine fighting tho Labour .party's battle and ■voting' with it.

THE QUESTION OF DEFENCE. Colonel Foxton, who represented- Australia at th'o Imperial Defence Conference,' has ten interviewed on his return to Australia. On tho subject of naval defence it soon becamo evident in tho conference, Colonel Foxton said, that the Admiralty would have to deal Separately with Canada and Australia. Colonel Foxton says that ho made it clear to the members of tho Admiralty Board that, whib Australia liad no desire to abrogile theexisting.naval agreements, and while the offer of a Dreadnought was unconditional, «still tlu Commonwoalth was determined to have a naval forco of its own for the protection of it* coasts and its trade routes. This navy, whilo being under tl» control of tho Australian Government, would contribute to the naval strength of the Empire. Tho suggestions made by Mr M'Kenna, the First Lord of tho Admiralty, at the fust interview involved a complete' reversal of Australian aspirations, as, instead of Australia giving a subsidy for an Australian squadron, ho proposed that the Imperial Government shoi-ld, unti' Australia was able to boar the whole burden, subsidise a purely Australian (lect unit, which, under certain limitations, would bo an integral part of tho Imperial navy. After consulting the Austialian Government by cable, Colonel Foxton was ablo to submit the proposals embodied in the arrangement provisionally arrivod at, The armoured cruiser of the Indomitable type which in to form the principal vessel of the Australian ileet unit, will bo a ship that " can catch anything or sink anything," according to the naval view. She will bo capablo of affording all branches of naval training. In time the llect will bo manned, as far as possible, by Australians, but Iho greater proportion at first will to from tho Royal navy, and the lirft admiral will havo to bo a British officer.