An administration formed by Alfred Deakin came into office on 24 Sept. 1903. The 1st Parliament was dissolved on 23 November, and the 2d Parliament was convened for business on 2 March 1904. The Deakin Minis try was defeated on 26 April by an amendment to the Conciliation and Arbitration Bill pro posed by the Labor party extending it to state railway servants. J. C. Watson then formed a Labor ministry. On 17 August an adverse amendment to the Constitution and Arbitra tion Bill, limiting the principle of pref erence to unionists, was carried against the Labor ministry and they resigned. G. H. Reid, leader of the Free Trade party, next formed a government in combination with a number of Protectionists. Parlia ment reassembled on 26 July 1905 when the Reid Ministry was defeated. Deakin formed his second ministry, receiving support of Labor party. Among the measures passed were a Commerce Act, Sugar Bonus Extension Act and a Trade Marks Act— the latter legalizing the °Union Label." Acts were also passed modi fying educational tests and the contract labor clauses of the Immigration Act. In November
1908 Deakin was defeated and Fisher, a mem ber of the Labor party, formed a ministry which was defeated by Deakin in June 1909. Deakin was again defeated in April 1910, Fisher becoming Premier. Fisher was defeated 20 June 1913 and the Iron. Joseph Cook became Premier. He was defeated 17 Sept. 1914 and the Rt. Hon. Andrew Fisher again became Premier, a position he held until 27 Oct. 1915, when he resigned to accept the office of High Commissioner for Australia in London. The Hon. W. M. Hughes then became Premier and is still in office (November 1917).
Bibliography.— Brown, 'Australia and the War' (1915) ' • Butterworth, 'Annotated Con stitution of the Australian Commonwealth' (1901) • Coghlan, 'Progress of Australasia in the 19th Century' (1903) ; Cook, 'Australian Federation' (1901) ; Finney, 'History of the Australian Colonies' (1901) ; Gisborne, 'Mon roe Doctrine of Australia' (1907) ; Reeves, 'State Experiments, Australia and New Zea land' (1902) ; Rowland, 'The New Nation' (1903).