The quarterly Journal of the Parliaments of the Empire (Empire
Parliamentary Association, Westminster Hall, S.W., 10s. net) has become indispensable to every serious student of Imperial affairs. We are glad to record the appearance of the fifth number, together with a good index to the four numbers constituting the first yearly volume. In this fifth number will be found a most lucid summary of the last quarter's debates in the Parlia- ment at Westminster and in the Parliaments of the five Dominions. We may draw special attention to the debates in the Common- wealth Parliament on Defence and on the mandate territories in the Pacific, and to the New Zealand debates on Defence and on Samoa. The Labour Oppositions in bothDominions denounced any kind of defensive measures, but at the same time showed themselves resolute to forbid Asiatic immigration, whether from China, India, or Japan. It is not generally realized that in Aus- tralia the note issue is backed by 77 per cent. of its value in gold—a larger percentage even than in America—or that in South Africa gold is still used as currency ; the question of removing the embargo on the export of gold coin was hotly debated last session at Capetown. The industrial legislation of Canada and Australia was of great interest. We notice that Senator Pratten, speaking on the New Guinea BM in the Common- wealth Senate, expressed a doubt whether Australian adminis- tration of the Pacific islands " was ultimately going to be as successful as administration would be through the Colonial Office from London." The Colonial Office seldom receives a compliment, and this is worth noting.
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