The St. Louis Republic., 1901-05-05

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC
Melbourne, Australia. April 5.-Almost as
soon as this letter is published the Tarlia-
ment of the new commonwealth of Austria
LA will have held It's first meeting in Mel
bourne. The members of the Senate and
House have already been elected aud many
of them are now travelling toward this city
on their free railroad passes. Within n
few weeks they will he discussing the tariff.
the site Of the new Federal capital. the re-
organization of the railroad system and a
dozen other measures which are proposed
to make Australia the greatest country
south of the equator.
The New Australia.
Heretofore this continent has been divided
up into half dozen colonies. some as vice
ly separated as any parts of the United
States, and all warning with each other as
10 commerce and trade. From now on they.
are TO work together. They are to have
Interstate commerce and are to join hands
against the earth as far as their own in
terests are concerned.
The new Parliament ;s to start the ball
rolling 1t consists of n Senate and House,
organized much like our American Con-
sress The Senators are elected for six
years and the Representatives for three, but
the latter may be dissolved by the Governor
General under certain conditions. The SEN
ators and members get the same salaries,
each receiving 5000 year II is provided
that no member or Senator can hold Office
IL he has been bankrupt and failed to pay
his debts. and II he takes benefit. whether
by assignment or otherwise. of any bank
rupt law during his term Of office his seat
lI,.
any interest in any company dealing with
the Government. nor can he take pay for
other services rendered to the Government.
WorkinGman's Parliament.
The new Australia will be a workingmans
country. According 20 the Constitution,
Parliament has the right to legislate as 10
invalid and old-age pensions. 1t can con-
troll the railroads. and arrange for their
purchase. 1t can pass conciliation and ar
bitration laws to labor disputes. and deal
with banking. insurance and such things
The new Government is to have control ot
the telegraph. telephones and postal service.
These have already become international
and the railroads and other things may fol-
low. Bills for all scrts of innovations are
ready for introduction. Every State of the
new federation has been making its own
experiments along labor and social lines
ard their combined experiences may grind
out new social organization of the Bel
lamy kind away down here below the equa-
tor.
The Giant of the South Seas.
First let me give you some idea of this
little giant Of the South seas. The Aus
traiians call their country the biggest thing
below the equator. / have Travelled thou
sands Of miles through its various colonies
and am inclined to think they are right.
Australia is indeed continent. 1t Is as
big as the United States without Alaska 1t
Is twenty-six times as big as Great Brit
ain and Ireland, fifteen times the size of
France and only one-fifth smaller than all
Europe with New Zealand and the other
English islands, 1t occupies two-fifths Of the
British domn:ons.
1t is country OF magnificent distances
1t is SO far away from everywhere else
that you have to make special trip to get
to It. The shortest distance to England Is
IL 90 miles. 1t is 400 miles from Africa,
$500 miles from South America and l.600
miles away from the Continent Of Asia.
Even New Zealand. which looks so close
on the map is about as far from 1t as from
New York to Omaha. and it takes from
four to five days to make the voyage from
one to the other.
The Continent itself is longer from east
to west than from New York to Salt Lake,
and wider from north to south than from
New York to Chicago. The Gulf Of Car
pentaria at the north is about 500 miles
long and 500 miles wide, and the great AUS
tfadan Blight at the south is much wider.
Some Aastfalia Peculiarities.
The country has at one side a great coral
reef a thousand miles long, walling Off an
ocean waterway between It and the coast