Every Labour goverment, which has survived the first few months office and is assured of a term of al east three years in which to guide the destinies of their State, indulges in experiments. The Federal Labour Government under Mr. Andrew Fisher commenced numerous schemes—many of which have never been completed, and one notably [the Baby Bonus which the Nationalist governments who have held office since 1916 have not gathered sufficient courage to rescind. Now, {from the Labour government Queensland comes the latest of all freforms—child endowment. The scheme allows for a payment of 5s. per week for each child excepting the first. It is expected to cost no less than £2,250,000 yearly though this sum must naturally increase with any addition to the existing rate of natural increase of population. It is probably supposed that the endowment will cause an increase in the birth-rate for that State, but, if the Maternity Bonus inaugurated by the Fisher government, is a guide to schemes for the-increase of population, there is not likely to be any additional i crease from the endowment. It is not intended that the government itself will raise the entire money required. The proposal is to levy 5 per cent. of the total wages paid by. the employers, including "the As no reduction is to. be in consequence of lowment the employers are the main victims to this new outburst of Labour generosity. Motherhood endowment is one of the Planks of the Australian Labour party, and the Premier of Queens. land, Mr. Gillies, evidently pictures the other four States in the Com. monwealth at the moment govern.
by a Labour government coming into line with Queensland. Should this occur—at "the moment Mr_ Long the newly-elected Premier of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.