THE SPEECH FROM THE THRONE. Some Random Comments Thereon.

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 105, 5 July 1902, Page 8

THE SPEECH FROM THE THRONE. Some Random Comments Thereon.

HIS Excellency the Governor, following well-worn precedent, opened Parliament on Tuesday last with a speech, exceedingly well prepared, nicely constructed, and dehverel with fine effect. Not that the speech really matters. The Governor has to make it, of course It xs a part of his particular duties, and he probably does not tell anybody whether it bores him or no. For the most part, it was an epitome of the news that we have been reading m the papers for the past year It is customary, however, to assume that Ms.H R have not seen a daily paper for a twelvemonth, and that the public are likewise ignorant of the penny press. • * One of the very few items of fresh news contained in the speech was that "labour legislation had worked with reasonable smoothness during the past year." If a plethora of disputes constitutes smoothness, then, of a truth, the path of labour has been along electric highways That Australia has been brought to see the error of its postal ways is refreshing, and that a penny letter will be duly received by the Commonwealth hereafter without being branded "double deficient" is worth repetition • • • The outlining of the work of the incoming session was not a consequence to the recapitulation of past events, being, perhaps, of less importance. The State Fire Insmance Bill is promised another run, and the private insurance companies quail thereat, or ought to, anyway If the Bill becomes law, quite a lot of people will wish they had not risked their savings m insurance office shares, and a few big "burns" will test the quality of the legislation. • • • Perhaps— who knows ?— the arm or leg of a private soldier may be deemed, after the session, to be of equal money value to the limb of an officer. The Governor spoke of an amending measure to the Military Pensions Act. Mr. Pirani have some pages of "Hansard" to say about that, we trow The dear old Referendum Bill will show its smiling face again Really, it seems likely that the country may be ultimately governed by the people • • * His Excellency remarked that something might be done m the way of roadmg impassible back-country Anyone who has steered a buggy through the "flood poles" indicating a submerged "road" up North believes that it is almost time The Governor says, to ensui'e permanency of timber supplies, it is necessary to plant trees It is also necessary to post a sentry, with a loaded pom-pom, in the bushes to prevent the nomadic gum-digger and the fence posl>hunting settler from burning and chopping saplings

We believe the Governor was in earnest when he said he found, m his wanderings, the evidence of prospenty everywhere. Mr. Seddon, too, at Home, said that there is no poverty in the country. This is as it should be, and is distinctly encouraging The little list of duties before Parlament do not seem very formidable. There are those m the Legislature who have formerly made veiy large mountains out of smaller mole-hills. With the general elections looming up on the political horizon, the mole-hills are not likely to be volcanic. Eruptions should be short and sharp, for explosions at this juncture may devastate many rosy chances.