Under the eggs of the Labour Government, Queensland has done some queer things, besides piling up debts, increasing taxation, setting up business as retail butchers, starting lotteries and generally playing the part of Jubilee Plunger. It will be remembered that the Government persuaded the Imperial government to appoint a staunch and active political supporter as Lieutenant-Governor, to fill the place of Governor until a new man came out from England. With the help of this locum tenons it packed the Legislative Council with Labour officials, passed a measure repudiating certain conditions in the pastoral leases, passed another varying the terms upon which the Supreme Court judges held office (thereby compelling three to retire) and then a measure abolishing the Council itself. The Council now stands abolished, despite the fact that twice the people were consulted by referendum and_ twice they refused to approve of the abolition. As the Lieutenant-Governor was also made President of the Council at a salary of £1,000 a year the Government has to find some other remunerative job for its faithful henchman. We are now informed that he is to receive an allowance as Lieutenant-Governor to cover his expenses. What these may be, seeing that there is a regular Governor in the State, and how the expenses of doing nothing are to be calculated has not been divulged. The Chairman of Committees in the Council, also a good Labour man, has to be provided for, and it is announced that he has been appointed visiting justice to public institutions" at a salary of £250 a year. All retiring members of the Council are to be given free passes over the Queensland railways for the rest of their lives, a privilege hitherto reserved for those who have served as ministers of the Crown for not less than five years.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.