FEDERAL POLITICS.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12483, 9 March 1909, Page 3

FEDERAL POLITICS.

THE PREMIERS' CONFERENCE. EXTRAVAGANCE OF THE STATES [Press Association.— Copyright.] (Received March 9, 0.5 a.m.) ..-':' Hobart, March 8. Messrs Fisher, Mahon and Hughes attended the Premiers' Conference today. 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 at the end" of the month. He had no scheme to submit to the Conference as regards a settlement of the Braddon clause difficulty, but he would be glad to receive any representations the Conference had to make. > -. - • Mr Mahon dealt with the lavish expenditure of some States. Although the Federation in 1900 relieved them of departments costing four millions annually, the expenditure of "the States had grown from 4J to 7i millions. . At the same time the population from the date of the Federation to 1906, had remained practically stationary. It would be idle to contend that any development/of Australia in the past eight years warranted such a huge increase in the cost of government.