of the Assembly with great tact, and shows favour to no man and no party. He is a master of parliamentary procedure, and therefore pilots the Assembly through every difficulty.
Of the historic Federation Convention, held in Sydney in 1891, Sir James Lee-Steere was one of the delegates from Western Australia. Among the other positions which he has held is that of governor of the High School. He is chairman of Trustees of the Public Library and Museum, and is a member of the Diocesan Council. He was for some years chairman of the Roads Boards at Nelson, and interested himself in all local affairs. In 1889 Sir James and Lady Lee-Steere took up their residence in Perth.
We have sought to show how, gradually, Sir James Lee-Steere rose in the political world of Western Australia. He thoroughly studied his environments, was observant and contemplative, and thus drifted into the political arena where he felt he might be of some service to the country. That his career has been a successful one every reader will allow, and he may be reckoned among the leading men of Australia. A man of vigorous personality and determination, Sir James Lee-Steere has proved efficient in every walk of life he has entered. In 1897 Sir James was re-elected for Nelson. He attended the Adelaide Federation Convention.
THE HON. H. W. VENN, J.P., M.L.A.
FIRST COMMISSIONER OF RAILWAYS AND PUBLIC WORKS.
THE hurly-burly of politics shows its followers in many lights. The analysis which may be made of the characters of men in other professions is impossible in this. Politics demand that a man must turn to lines of sentiment which appear inconsistent with previous actions. To retain power he must resort to means which tend rather to hide his real sentiments. The astute politician conceals his innermost thoughts, and not even his best friends recognise what he really believes. He is a sphinx, whose riddle none shall read. Hence to definitely gauge the man is very difficult, nay, almost impossible. This must be applied in its broad sense.
 |
Photo by THE HON. H.W. VENN, M.L.A. Greenham & Evans. |
Australian politics in particular exhibit many sudden changes. There are no distinct parties; except, perhaps, that newly-formed body—the Labour party—in the eastern colonies, and even individual Labour members after the lapse of a few years are often not distinguishable from others, so quickly do their political educations mould them. So rapid are the changes in public sentiment, and so many are the new forces which have to be grappled with, that in a forming community, with no definite type, one politician alternately heads several factions. It is the spasmodic growth of colonial political institutions which occasions this. Take the late Sir Henry Parkes. At one period he was the enthusiastic leader of democratic sentiment, with equally energetic and earnest opponents. A few years later he fought for measures with his erstwhile opponents, and formed new Cabinets—with them as colleagues. Sir Thomas McIlwraith in Queensland, Sir Graham Berry and the Hon. James Service in Victoria, the Hon. Thos. Playford and Sir John Downer in South Australia—and other notable Australian public men could be cited—have taken similar parts. The factions are but of a day's duration—then they die, to give place to new ones. Therefore, colleagues with but one thought to-day, five years hence are strong opponents. The history of Australian politics brings nothing in more lurid light than this. Western Australian political institutions are yet young, but already the seeds of the same growth are generating, and the future will place men at present of similar politics in sincere opposition to each other. Our colony has enjoyed Responsible Government for some seven years, and public men of one faction at the beginning of that period are now taking their proper places in different parties. In the absence of defined parties it is well that this is so, for vitality is given to political life, and questions of public moment are more likely to be thoroughly threshed out, leaving enactments suited to the general requirements. No fitter example could be found than the opposition of the Hon. H. W. Venn and Sir John Forrest. For five years these gentlemen bore the brunt and burden of inaugurating stable public departments, and did work peaceably together, which will be remembered in Western Australian history. Then some unfortunate disagreement with regard to inner administrative matters took place. They were no longer able to work together in the same Government, and they separated.
Harry Whittall Venn was born in South Australia on the 27th October, 1844 and in the second son of the late Mr. R. O. Venn, an old pioneer of the sister colony. The young Australian was educated in South Australia, and was subsequently engaged in commercial pursuits, under Ormond and Co., at
