The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-03-19
OUR NEW COUSINS.
BY WALTER j. BALLARD

-HE recent federation Of the Australian
| provinces, except New Zealand. into the
! L commonwealth OF Australia is step
which Americans, viewing their own past
| experiences, cannot but approve. Any step which
goes to make a people more united more self.
| reliant and more independent must find endorse.
| ment ut the hands of the United States, whose
| history and present position shows what peo.
pie, relying on God, themselves and their natural
! resources can accomplish. The continent Of
Australia is nearly large as the United states,
| exclusive OF Alaska, having an area Of 2,94G,G9l
square miles against our 3,025,6O0. New Zealand,
being 100 miles southeast Of the Australian con.
tnent, was not included in the federationloo
far away for younger beginner in national eS.
istece-but Tasmania, only 120 miles away, was
taken into the new family
The commonwealth inauguIated January
l, 1901. The parliament consists Of governor
general, appointed by and acting for the king;
a senate and louae Of representatives. The
senate consists of six members each from the
states of Victoria, New South Wales, Queens.
land, South Australia, Western Australia and the
Island Of Tasmania, elected for six years. The
house OF representatives has twice as many mem.
bers rs the senate, and the representation is in
proportion to the population, but not less than
five from each state. The house is elected for
three years from the first meeting, but it may
be dissolved at any time by the governor general
Here we note that the best features OF our
American constitution have been adopted, plus
the arbitrary power of the crown to dissolve the
parliament. Leave that out, SUBSTITUTE p'esf
dent chosen by the people for the king and his
appointed governor general ana the FORM m'sht
DC ours.
Inc general powers OF 'he parliament are
thirty.nine in number and very similar to
the articles OF our constitution, written and i'm
piled, except that the supreme power OF the
K'ng Is fecosh'zeo.
me so'efhols VI the s'S'es are aPpoi''sa py
lhe ctowh' anu tnev correspond uiieetN Win
lle secretary oi STATE LOT 'he eoioh'es, 'ilo"s"
the governor general 's hept i"'o'''en VI 'l'e
correspondence Ihat cumbersome. me en-
tfe system lollo"s tha' ot t''e 'h''c" H'a'eS
l'thef than OF oahada'
.Nggresated' the SIX states nave al area Vi
z'Vz' i'o square mics poPula.iol vi s,,ooooi'
revenue III i"oo i'seai year ot Hifi'"oo,o"' "sns'
All expenditure OF SiSo'V"'oVoi "eot Vi so'"''
"uVVo NH'r 700 i'e"'! io' ~ Spa'ae Popoi'tioh''
imports OF H'i'ooo'ooo, against exports " $'of,
woooo lah apparent favorable balance Oh ''aue
oil so''oVV,uo); registered Nessei lo""'Sc vi
2pi,'lv ana i3'laa hiies OF runway
we must Dear III lhihu that Tue hsures oi M
porbAa exports were fof the year before 'eaer'
alioh WheA each coo'S tfeatea 'ne otheis "s
tofeen colonies iof tafih anu sIatisticut Pu''
poses. only o''o OF the lmtorts actuaily came
from abroad and only 0l.si OF the exports were
actually sent abroad sun Inc balance OF trade
was 6l4, tie right way, or SSS'VooW". mus
our new cousin started fight' SO idr as her
Trade Is concerned.
The population is chiehy OF English oilsn. Inc |
aboiie!hes 30 not NUMBER over .oo,ooo Oh Inc =
o72, ,ls5 total population
The continent was discovered by the Dutch !
and Spanish in 1901 and 1000, respectively, but |
in l7I0 Captain Cook took possession OF the !
government.
English settlement was in l1ss, when colony |
Of loSo persons landed at New South Wales. |
Later penal colony was started at Botany Bay |
and continued till 1882
The increase in population has not been rapid, |
averaging only l,1G yearly for the last ten years,
The increase from 1851 TO 1861 was much higher |
-ll.S--owing to the gold discoveries. For the |
past ,htry years the annual rate Of increase
averages 37s. The density OF population low
averages about IL personc per square mile.
ABOUT t"o'hHlis OF tue Australian continent
ne "lthih me tropics ana apont threehths III
the south temperate zone ohe'half ranges irom
t"rty degrees 10 s'xty'iou' degrees ana inc "tNer
nan nom a'Nty'iour degrees 10 eighty degrees
Agriculture ana stock raising are the most I'M
porlahI industries OF Australia though ITS gold
ana copper MINES are sun OF Importance wheat
Is Inc priheipal gram CROP thoNgh corn thrNes
ana VIII become az important crop The United
States heads the list OF wheat producing nations,
followed by Russia, France, india, etc, ami
Australia stands twelfth on The worlds list of
"".a' I',,,i',',, p'"''''ans uoan''s, @ A.. .,,
nuH''a''a vs. "ss'eS''e 'rops a'e " tue a.u"l
o'is' y, FDo,yu"ooo' ",e'as'"s a'o'is Pio''' 10,
vaen "e. u"u'' t"''t"''oN' it l'oo 'ht iphu
~ u''o's ' u'.r.'on Wv !" NV "eseh' 'o','"o'"s''th
vas was ',u"oo.' "e'es. e"t''e' s"eep unu "oo' are
'e'' ''Voi,' ,so s,Sa w we ,ss"o''es 20 VI '"'
", on i III ,'oT II n'u .to'"Vo s'epp'
iv'oVou'' e"s,ls anu S,lppeu toa'uOVV" O pounas
VI WOOL III ioov '''e ri,p wa was o'ooo'on poa'nas'
ssains, ', nse''ins ma "mVooo' huS''a Soi1oo'oo,
.nt.eu ,'' s'"'Ss -os'uo'o"' nlaNi"s hus''aIa '"s
lcauibg wool producing country OF the world