Australia’s High Commissioner.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 August 1920, Page 4

Australia’s High Commissioner.

OFFICE TO BE REORGANISED SYDNEY, July 28

It is announced that the Prime Minister is about to take steps to reorganise the office of the Australian High Commissioner in London. ‘Tt is about time,” remarks the “Age,” “that something was done to put this supernatural department upon a business like basis.” The position of the office is certainly an extraordinary one. It cost the Commonwealth considerably over a million sterling to build Australia House conspicuously in the centre of London, and, during the year ended Juno 30th. no less than £124,000 was spent in maintaining the pmco, Tliis sum included £04,000 spent on the building itself. There is a large stud there with Mr Andrew Fisher at its head, but no one appears to know what the staff does. The States themselves, through their own Agents-General—some of whom are in Australia House, and some are not—look after all the States business, including immigration. A good deal of extra work was caused by the war—but now that all the soldiers are home again, the neod for this has ceased. The Commonwealth shipping line has its own offices in London. Idle High Commissioner’s office looks after the various Commonwealth poolswheat, meat, dairy produce, etc.—at tho London end; but otherwise it seems to have a sinecure. Whenever jhe Government wants anything special done im London, it sends a Minister there. Mr Huglies was there during the latter part of "the war, Senator Pearce left for the Empire capital as soon as a tangle was reported in demobilisation, and Mr Watt was hurried off the other day to straighten out various matters in relation to finance and the wool pool. He resigned, ns a result of a quarrel over the cable with Mr Hughes, hut that does not affect the argument. Therefore, asks th© Commonwealth, what is the use in London of Mr Fisher ex-Prime Minister? It is an open secret—and it has been stated publicly several times in Australia—that Mr Fisher is of no use at all. He has 11 liberately effaced himself, and is a mere figurehead inside Australia House, and takes little or no part in affairs outside. Tt is said that this is the result of his being constantly over-ruled and ignored in London by the Prime Minister. He does not possess a striking persona li y and is the type that would he soon effaced by a dominating statesman like Hughes. But, for ali that, he rose from rouseabout to he Prime Minister, and it is hardly likely that lie would be so completely effaced as he is now unless he himself wished it. Mr Fisher’s term is nearly at an end, and it is believed that Mr Hughes intends to revise the whole system. He argues that so many matters of importance and urgency arise, requiring expert handling in London, that a member of the Cabinet is wanted constantly in London. It is likely that lie w.l. make th e High Commissioner’s office a regular Government Department, and it will be administered in London by a. regular member of the Cabinet. Some say that Mr Hughes covets this office for himself; others believe that Sir Joseph Cook is earmarked for it.