crap. vir] CABINET SYSTEM IN DOMINIONS 319 
fixed by law of 1908 at not more than six, and a sum of 
£5,000 is provided for their salaries. In 1901 the numper 
was reduced to four, but that proved inconvenient. 
In Western Australia the Executive Council includes as 
ministers, one of whose members must be in the Upper House, 
the Premier, who is also Colonial Treasurer, the Minister for 
Works, the Minister for Mines and Railways, the Minister 
for Lands, Agriculture, and Industries, the Colonial Secretary, 
the Attorney-General and Minister for Education, and a 
minister or ministers without portfolio. The Premier receives 
£1,200 a year, and the other ministers £1,000 a year. In 
1911 there were two, one honorary, in the Upper House. 
In Tasmania the Executive Council includes the Premier, 
who “is also Treasurer, the Chief Secretary, the Attorney- 
General and Minister of Education, and the Minister for 
Lands and Works, Mines, and Minister for Agriculture ; they 
all receive salaries of £750 a year, which were until 1910 
voted annually. The Executive Council includes all the ex- 
ministers. There is usually one minister in the Upper House. 
It is recognized to be desirable that in both Houses of 
Parliament there should be an adequate number of ministers, 
but in practice the Upper House is repeatedly allowed to 
be without its fair share of ministers. In 1910 there were 
three ministers in the Upper House in the Commonwealth, 
seven in the Lower; two (one in Mr. McGowen’s Ministry) 
in the New South Wales Upper House, eight (nine) in the 
Lower; four in the Victoria Upper House! eight in 
the Lower ; two in the Queensland Upper House, six in the 
Lower : two in the South Australia Upper House? four in 
! There was formerly only one member, but in the discussions of 1877 
the inconvenience of only one became very clear ; see Parl. Pap., C. 2217, 
pp- 4, 40, 56. See also Act No. 1864, s. 5, which provides for not more 
than two members in the Council and six in the Lower House out of eight 
who can be members (and four must be members) of Parliament. 
* The Legislative Council on July 31, 1877, decided to take the conduct 
of business out of the hands of the Chief Secretary and to entrust the 
conduct to a private member, and there is still constant dissatisfaction 
with the treatment of the Council by the Lower House. See also South 
Australia Legislative Council Debates, 1908, pp. 166, 205,