AUSTRALIAN STATE GOVERNORS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17690, 30 July 1919, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN STATE GOVERNORS.

MINISTER STARTS A STORM. (Fbom Oon Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, July 14. Tho cabled report that the Victorian State Treasurer (Mr M'Phorson) had told the Secretary of State for the Colonies that Victoria was prepared to end tho State Governor system, and to replace him by a Lieutenant-governor, after tho manner of the Canadian States, and that Lord Milner was sympathetic, lias caused quite a stir in political circles iiere. Tho Victorian Cabinet seems inclined to repudiate Mr M'Pherson in connection with the matter, arid is making the cables sizzle; so the report, no doubt, will bj followed by a diplomatic official denial. The average man in Australia is quite sure that the system of State Governors is obsolete, expensive, and .useless. Thero are six of them in this country of five million people, each costing, with salary, staff, residences, and privilege's, from £20,000 to £30,000 per annum. Their functions are almost purely ornamental —all their actual governing work could be performed easily and inexpensively by a Lieutenantgovernor. Hie men who fill these positions aro in no single instance unpopular; on tho contrary, they have been selected with care, and aro very fine examples of tho English gentleman. It is the system that is objected to, Worfchv neoole in the State capitals aro arousing themselves, to say that they aro opposed to a change in the system—that no jink with England must be severed at thia tijrie. The Australian regards this as absurd. He is not asking for tho severance of any links with Britain. It is 'expected that the office of the Governorgeneral will continue—it has never been suggested that it should bo abolished. All that is asked is that, in the interests of efficiency, economy, and commonsense, the State Govornor system, rendered unnecessary by the Act of Federation, should be wiped out.