The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-27

Queer and give to a producer, always,
however, with adequate compensation.
The railroad and telegraph lines as well
as the postal service, are under govern
ment control. In short the tendency is
to place all public utilities under govern
mental control for the benefit of the com
munity.
In the confederation constituting the
commonwealth of Australia, New Zea-
land did not enter The six states con-
shutting the commonwealth are New
South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South
Australia, West Australia and las
mania. The new government went into
effect Jan. /. 1901. The first parliament
which was convened March 1, 1901, has
been busy dealing with the many ques-
lions of national concern. While the
commonwealth of Australia may not at
tempt all the social reforms in practice
now in New Zealand, we would be sur
prised if the people who gave US the
Torrans system of land titles and the
Australian ballot, did not enact into
their code of federal laws some interest
ing propositions of governmental poIity.
OF absorbing interest to the commercial
nations of the world is--the new bill
creating the interstate commission for
the commonwealth. This commission IS
to consist Of three members appointed
by the governor general Sitting as
court. they have power on complaint
of any one aggreved, to lower or raise
charges for transportation of either per-
sons or freight. AS the railroads of the
commonwealth are already owned by the
state, no serious difficulty can be ex-
perienced in putting this innovation in
practice, as to interstate transportation
within the commonwealth. But the
powers of the commission reach out and
grasp jurisdiction of the foreign COM
| merce of the new nation. The rates
of freight and fare on all vessels coming
to or clearing from Australian ports is
under the control of this commission.
To compel a ready compliance with a
demand for information as to rates, cost
of transportation and profits the COM.
mission has power to impose a fine of
500 per day on any vessel the master of
| which refuses to give UP the required in
| formation. The statement required en-
braces according to the bill:
| The earnings and receipts from each
! branch of business and from all sources
! the working and other expenses, the
balances of profit and loss and the finan-
| clal operations of the carrier each year;
Rates or regulations concerning fares
! or freightS or agreements, arrangements
| or contracts with other common car
| rierS or With any person;
The amount of capital invested in the
business, the dividends paid the surplus
fund, if any, the funded or other debts,
| and the interest paid thereon, the cost
and value of the carriers property, fran
! ch1se and equipment, the number and
] salaries of employees and any other mat
| ter pertaining to the business.
Those seeking to do business in Austria
liam ports must place on exhibition a
printed schedule of rates. rebates and
| without a ten days notice of an advance
or three days notice of a reduction.
and then these changes must meet with
the approval of the commission
AS the proposed law gives the commits
sion power to dissolve any contract re-
garding Australian business. the scheme
will not have tendency to encourage
foreign trade with Australia. The law
will affect British trade more than any
other, and a vigorous protest is likely to
be registered against the proposition by
| interested parties. This may result in
modification or total defeat of the
measure.