perity.

This is an old bogey, unfailingly revived at elections. The
Ministerialists invariably roar how they have improved the public
finances, while the Opposition as blatantly tries to drown them by
bellowing that the retiring government has damned the country, and
that the Opposition has the only recipe of satisfactory
reconstruction, but in spite of this threadbare election scare the
Commonwealth remained the freest and one of the wealthiest
abiding-places in the world.

Just then its business affairs were undoubtedly badly managed, and
mismanagement, if continued, inevitably leads to bankruptcy. Undeniably
there was an unwholesome percentage of unemployed--inexcusable when there
abounded vast areas of fertile territory quite unpeopled, mines as rich as
any known to history all untouched; the sugar, grape, timber, and other
industries crying aloud for further development, and countless resources on
every hand requiring nothing but that these and men should meet on healthy
and enterprising business terms. The population, instead of gaining in
numbers, was foolishly leaving the country, like over-indulged, spoiled
children, imagining themselves ill-treated, while others hesitated to come
in because the Australian trumpet was not blown loudly enough nor in the
right key.

The administration, like a young housewife tossed into an overflowing
storehouse, had spent lavishly, but the bank of a multi-millionaire
will come to an end in time, and so with the play-days of Australia.

The hour had arrived for her to be up and doing, to marshal her
forces, advertise her wares, and take her place as a worker among the
nations.

There are always old bush lawyers and city know-alls beside whom
Chamberlain and Roberts are but small tomahawks as empire-builders,
and these now were predicting that to make a nation of her Australia
needed war and many other disasters to harden her people from the
amusement-loving, sunny-eyed folk they were; but this was an
extremist's outlook. She was in greater need of a land law that would
sensibly and practically put the right people on the soil, and entice
population of desirable class--independent producers--so that the
development of the industries would follow in natural sequence. In
short, Australia was languishing for a few patriotic sons with strong,
clear, business heads to apply the science of statecraft, as
distinguished from the self-seeking artifices of the mere job
politician at