208 THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNMENT [PART II
the adverse vote against the Government would be
reversed by a new Parliament.
(4) In the condition of parties there is no reasonable
prospect of any Government obtaining sufficient support
to enable them to conduct the public business in a satis-
factory manner.
{5) The attempt to unite in a common party a number
of members who were elected to represent varying policies
is in effect a misrepresentation of the electors. And the
records of Parliament show that the attempt had failed.
(6) The Lewis Administration was defeated in connexion
with their financial proposals. Considerable dissatisfaction
with existing methods of taxation was shown to exist
during the elections, and Sir Elliott Lewis simply proposed
to increase the present rates of taxation by 25 per cent.
The policy of Mr. Earle’s party is to remodel the system
of taxation, including the repeal of the Taxation Act under
which the Ability Tax is levied, and the Land Tax Act,
1905. Important proposals of finance have therefore
arisen, which the House has shown a marked disability to
deal with. The new proposals have never been before the
electors, and it is highly desirable that whatever Govern-
ment is to hold office should receive from the electors clear
authority to deal with the question of finance on well-
defined lines.
For these reasons Ministers think that a dissolution of
Parliament at the present juncture would be in the general
interests of the people of this State.
(Sed. J. EArLE, Premier.
The reply of the Governor to the above was as follows ;—
To the Hon. the Premier of Tasmania :—
{1) The Governor, in coming to a conclusion on the request
for a dissolution submitted to him by the Premier, fully
realizes that the present House of Assembly was not elected
ander the auspices of his Ministry.
(2) It is equally true that the vote of want of confidence
is against a Government which has not as such appealed
to the country, but at the recent general election Mr. Earle’s
party was, it is presumed, a united one, and it apparently
had every opportunity of declaring its policy to the electors,
who, it must be assumed, voted to a considerable extent
for or against that policy.
(3) In the opinion of the Governor nothing has occurred
