Politically speaking, interest in Melbourne has of late centred round the State rather than the Federal House. 'A full attendance of members rolled to hear Treasurer Shiels deliver his _preliminary Budget statement. The Treasurer* calculated on a deficit of at least £450,000 in the year's finances, even supposing the revenue maintained its present healthy rate.
Various schemes of a retrenching nature were put before the House in order to provide for the deficit. The Treasurer made a spirited appeal to the civil service to submit to a scheme of percentage reductions ranging from three per cent to 15% rather than that some hundreds of their number should receive notice of dismissal. By various other economies the deficit was to be reduced to £80,000, and if by October next the revenue showed no signs of expansion, the Government would propose a reduction on the present limit of £200 exemption from the income tax.
Meanwhile the Reform Bill has been keenly debated, and has now passed its second reading' in the Assembly. It includes the reduction of Lower House membership from 90 to 66, and of the Upper House from 48 to 26. The property qualification for membership in that august assembly has also been shorn to a considerable extent, and the franchise extended, so that should the bill become law, its name as the House of the 48 rich landlords will become a cognomen of the past.
Viceregal.
Both Federal Houses of Parliament have come to an agreement regarding the establishment appertaining to viceregal estate in Australia. Resolutions approving the annual expenditure of £5,500 upon Government Houses during the term of office of the next Governor-General, have been agreed to. This still Teaves open the vexed question as to whether the Viceroy is to maintain two establishments, ab Melbourne and Sydney respectively, or whether one, at Federal headquarters (Melbourne), is to be sufficient.
Australians have in the past expected too much from their official head, and will do wisely in future to moderate their ideas as to the entertainments provided by His Excellency.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.