On Wednesday a great Exhibition of Australian products and manufactures
was opened at Melbourne by the Governor- General. In his speech Lord Northcote congratulated Australia upon her great present prosperity,• and urged the necessity of a scientific development of agriculture in order that hard-working settlers might be given a fair prospect of success. The true policy was Australia for the Australians ; but this meant not a narrow exclusiveness, but the full use of their great natural advantages for the benefit of the younger generation and the immigrants of the future. They must follow the example of Canada and the Argentine and invite population, as well as seek for enlarged markets for Australian products. Only with an increased population could Australia be made strong for self-defence and able to assert her authority in the councils of the Empire. Mr. Deakin, the Federal Premier, followed in the same strain. Australia, he said; was capable of supplying Australian needs both in peace and war, but her resources must be developed if she was to remain permanently white and permanently British. We are glad to see that this liberal polioy is gaining ground in the great Southern continent. As the Times well puts it, the logical correlative of "Australia for the Australians" is "Austra- lians for Australia." Wealth is useless without a growing population. .
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