AUSTRALIA TO-DAY.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14986, 5 June 1914, Page 10

AUSTRALIA TO-DAY.

(rnou ocE ow>- co'rhesponbent.) SYDNEY, Mar 30.

REVELATIONS

Soon after making a start with the hearing of evidence concerning tariff matters the Interstate Commission has passed from things prosaic to things surprising, if not sensational. The duties on pianos have been ureter discussion during this week, and in listening to the diverse contentions of local, manufacturers and importers, the Commission has heard admissions and allegations I which are of great -übiic interest. To becrin with the public was informed that pianos bought in Germany for from £1S to £2-5 are sold here at from £10 io £00. Plainly there are big profits to be made in the niano-sellirg business. Then a Sydr.ey manufacturer of pianos, ia pleading for a prohibitive duty oil imported instruments, naively told the Commission that in order to disnose of his locally-made pianos he, at the request of dealers, put German tame plates on them. Further than that, he had in this way used the name of an actual German firm of manufacturers. He readily agreed that it wa« a shabby deceit, but pleaded that he was obliged to resort, to it in order to "ct around Australian prejudice against Australian-made piai os. Nest .Mr. O. C. Beale, the head of perhaps the bestknown firm of piano makers in Australia, told' the Commission that a -. cry welJ-kr.own firm of music sellers had bought one of his pianos, removed his name from it and substituted the name of that firm. Messrs. 'tt*. H. Paling and Co., and resold the instrument at a much higher figure, while denouncing Baale and Co. as rogues and swindlers. Directly afterwards a representative of Palirg and Co. informed the Commission that the. name-ohanging transaction had been carried through entirely on his own account and for his own profit only by an ox-emnloyeo of Beale and Co. and Paling and Co., while the man was employed at a country brarcli. ! Palius and Co. had had rothing to do with the matter. Ho added that in any ] case the piano from which the name of Beale was removed had not been mado by Beale and Co. in Australia but bysome people at Dresden, Germany. In addition tho Commission, and the public, have been told that it is a trade practice for music sellers to put some Go: fan-looking name on "rotten, second-hand" pianos which have been overhauled for re-eale. Ore cf the biggest firms has registered such a name for his own exclusive xise. It is not easy to understand what our manufacturers and dealers expert to gain out of what looks like a competition in admissions and allegations of fraudulent daaliiiE. but thousands of owners ard buyers of -ianos in Australia aro being led to suspoTt or fear that they have been "got at."

FEDERATION OF UNIONS

After two days' consultation a pothering (at Sydney) of representatives of the big unions which managed the Australian side of the big waterside strike in New Zealand, has launched what is designed to bo a permanent federation of unions and group federations of industr\ni organisations. It is claimed that the unions represented at the conference embraced close upon 150 000 unionists, and it ie expected that in the ! near future it will embrace a total memIberehip of over 170 000 urio-ists throughout, the Commonwealth. It remains for the unions which are regarded as prospective entrants into tnis federation to formally accept the constitution which has been drawn up. It is provided in the conetitution that, the component organisations will hold themselves ready to accept, as units and collectively." the directions given by the central council of the Federation p times of industrial trouble; "wjll, ls * effect, behave like a big army obedient to a small bedy of selected officials at headquarters. The policy of the federation hae not yet beon drawn up. ard in this connexion it is remarked, by leading men in industrial unionism as well as others, that while the professed underlying purpose is irdustnal peace the unions corcerrH in this Australian Union Federation have, with only three exceptions, been opposed for years to legislative or compulsory arbitration. It is said that thereis.no ill - feeling between the Labour Councils of the different States and the unions united under the new Federation, but that the Labour Council authorities are. if anything, pleased that a number of bi<* unions which have hitherto objected to central controlling body We now decided to fall into line with, the majority of trades unions. As to the all-embracing ambitions of the promoters of the new Federation it s pointed out that while they spsak optimistically about a total mem bership for Australia of } 7O fi°Y{ v ™* Trades Council of Sew Soa h .Wales alone covers some 170,000 withm, the boundaries of the State. The general attitude of the unions associated witn the orthodox Trades Councils towards the newly-launched Federation appears to be one of curiosity, with an admixture of hesitating sympathy. ALL FOR NOTHING.

If there is matter upon which, there is extreme diveisity 01 opinion lfc is that of the taking over of the INortaern Territory by the Ooinananweaitn from the State of South Australia, wuich found tnis white elepuant too expensive for her means, it they dared, Federal Ministers would very likely be prepared to cc.l the Territory to tno higueat bidder. Apparently nobody wanes to go there to carry into effect the almost abandoned idea of bo settling the place with whites, as to estatnisn -effective European occupation of Australia's nearest door to Asia. An illustration of the expense and difficulties connected with the administration of the Territory (at the expense of the people in the south) has just been given by the case of an aboriginal who was supposed to have committed the murder of another native, five hun dred miles in the interior. The accused aboriginal and all the witnesses had to be taken to Darwin. The trial by jury resulted in the acquittal of the scarcely comprehending native, it was a very expensive business, and cost more than the total revenue derived from the Territory during the same period. "What shall we do with the Territory?" Satisfactory suggestions will be received with pleasure.

CHURCH COMBINATION. What has'to be described as tho most representative gathering ai churches yet known of flere has been held during tne week in Sydney, ju was convened under tne auspices of the Presbyterians, and had for its purposes the establishment ol a Oouneii or imimanent Conference body whereby ail the churches would act unitedly in the interests of the moral mc and condition of tne community. The Anglican ajid Roman Churches -were represented by their Archbishops. It was made clear by those who spoke as promoters that it" was not intended to lay down any "kill joy" policy. "They had not the slightest intention of being superior critics of public life, nor would they pose as a seLf-constitnted tribunal before whom tho moral life of the community would be arraigned." At the same time, no specification was made of the evils which it was proposed to attack. The general purpose of combating evil and of aiding the authorities in the suppression of vice was unanimously endorsed by speech and resolution, but it was made apparent in the brief speeches that there would probably hare to be a great deal of discussion to arnvo at an understanding as to mutually acceptable courses of action concerning details. The Conference and its intentions as indefinitely indicated are roferred to in the Tress

in terms-of ail-round appiobation, but there is much speculation as to what will bo actually attempted within v-j restrictions mentioned. CLERKS. It is the avowed intention of the New South Wales Ministry to in. taie coming session force tttrough Parliament an amendment of the Industrial Arbitration Act. so as to include clerks in the schedule of trades and occupations to which the Act applies. The Legislative Council has repea.tedly resisted endeavours to thus include clerks. It continues to be a matter for general comment that clerks still show a disposition to consider it unworthy, of them ,to go in for organisation on trades union lines, while tlTey are being left altogether behind as regards increased pay. Largely because of aggressive unionism on the part of others wages and the cost of living are being steadily forced up. Employers are not so well able as formerly to voluntarily give "rises" to clerks. Now, according to statements made by union organisers, who have interviewed the Premier, the position has boconie exceedingly critical as far a« clerks aro concerned. In a report presented to the Premier by the Clerks' , Union it is stated that the average wage for clerks in Sydney runs from 25s ,6d to 35s a week. In the better class of houses there is said to be lese cause for complaint, '"but on the whole the recipient of £2 a week is fortunate:" There is in this very little encouragement for anyone who thinks of going to Australia from, say, New Zealand, in the hope of doing well there as a clerk. If tho figures quoted are correct, it is very ensy to that portion of the report which f*k: "The vast proportion of clerks do not receive a wage snflHent to maintain themselves in independence even in a single condition. One pound a week is the standard at which an amazing mi-mber of clerks seem to remain at middle age."