Western Australia's Protest It was expected that Western Australia, at
last Satur- day's referendum, would vote for secession from the Commonwealth, and she did so by a large majority. At the General Election on the same day the Ministry that had advocated secession was heavily defeated. It is safe to infer that the referendum vote was meant as a protest against alleged neglect of Western Australia in the far- away Federal capital of Canberra, and against the high prices that the farmers pay for clothing and utensils under a tariff framed in the interests of Sydney and Melbourne manufacturers. Secession for this little popu- lation of 420,000 in its immense and largely unexplored territory is practically impossible. But Saturday's vote may cause the Federal Parliament to give some attention to Western Australia's grievances. * '
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