The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-10-09
Propose Central Parliament To
 Rule All States
BY PETER EDISON
 Editor, NEA Service


 Cafiberra, Australia, Oct. 9-'Most exclusive club in the world" is the label that has been hung on the U. S. Senate for years, but it loses most of its significance when con- parison is made with the govern Inent of Australia.
 Here, a constitution modelled on that of the United States provides for an upper house of 6 members and lower house of 75.
 This gives Australia parliament (congress) of III members, not much larger than the U. s. Senate alone. Out of this III the Australians, fol- lowing the British pattern ill this respect, must pick cabinet of l6 members, including the prime min- ister. This government sits in the new inland capital at Canberra.
 Remembering all the criticism that has been heaped on the S. Congress, because of its size and un- wieldiness and consequent inability to get things done in hurry, you would think that this neat little Australian government would be able to whiz through its business and be just about the most efficient governing body in the world. It should be just happy little fam ily, every member knowing every other member, functioning as a cormittee with the cabinet mem berS bossing the job, talking it all over with the boys on the floor. de- ciding waht should be done and then doing it.
 PROPOSE CENTRALIZED
 GOVERNMENT
 AS far as the happy family idea is concerned, the members admit they fight like kangaroos.
 Moreover, from many sources bankers, industrialists and mem bers of the government itself-you hear complaints that the govern ment IS too small, and the Austral- ians would like to do something about it. There is one proposal to amend their constitution and ln- crease the size of Parliament.
 Far more interesting is proposal backed by many of the most influ- ential men in the commonwealth to abolish entirely the governments of six states which make up the com- monwealth, throwing the govern ments of these six states in with the federal government. This would make one big parliament to run Australia, big as continental nlted States, as one centralized unit. STATE LAWS
 BRING CLASHES
 Behind this somewhat sensational proposal to make the government bigger, rather than smaller, are sev- eral new theories. Australia, like the United States, has suffered from all the evils of state government. The lines separating the six states were arbitrarily laid out when the continent was first settled and the map consisted of shoreline 11,O00 miles long surrounding the great un- known deserts, bush country and back blocks.
 There was no geographical basis for these original state lines, and consequently most of the six states had a bit of coast line, a few fertll miles of plain, vast areas of semi arid lands for grazing, and a vaster hunk of hot, dry interior which was good for little or nothing. Every state, therefore, had all the prob lens of the others.
 State laws naturally clashed. Trade barriers between the states were prohibited by law, but the states found ways to egt around them. By quarantines and other devices, the fruits o fone state were barred by it's neighbors.
 Queensland set up a one-house legislature, and Tasmania provided that some of its legislators be chos- en for life. All these mixups are very annoying to Australians who want to see the country get on na- tionally, and cut out the local poli- tics, please.
 There's another, more compelling reason for this movement to in- crease the size of the central gov ernment. Australia needs leaders, and with a war on. she feels the shortage tremendously.
 Having a parliament of only III men, and being forced to choose the cabinet from these III, all inde- pendently elected. prime minister sometimes finds the picking pretty thin. As one banker states it, this is too much economy in government, Consequently. when an army plane crashed near the capital recently Killing three key defense men in the cabinet, it was Q 3 per cent loss m the effective leadership Of the eoun- try. and the problem of replacing these men was acute.