OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 21, 19 October 1907, Page 4

OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

« STATE AND FEDERAL POLITICS. THE SWEATING EVIL. THE TARIFF. (FROM OUR OWN CORKESrONDENT.) Sydney, October 12. Wire-netting is an article which has loomed largely in the . public eyo recently because of the littlo bit of history-making in which Air. Carruthers indulged when ; he seized a quantity of this product from the Customs at Sydney, on the ground that, as it had been' imported by the State.Government, tho'Federal'authorities had no right-to charge duty upon the cargo. This problem' remains to be settled in the: law'courts,- and is not affected one ffay or the other by-the discussion /which took placo in the -Federal House: of Representatives- this week when the. Tariff Bill was in Committee; but'it-is-exceedingly interesting to' note that as; tho result' of tho debate, • tlie wire-netting duty •■. proposed by the Government,, thirty per cent.,; or twentyfive per cent, on imports from Great: Britain, has been., substantially reduced. :::; Mr.Fuller: (New South'Wales)r,moved the abolition of;.tho'duty altogether; ;but this was lost by 1 thirty-four votes to. twenty-four; and finally, after an unsuccessful attempt on the part of -.iuT. Pbynton ■ !(South Australia);:to fix tlie rate at live per cent, all round;;' the House.decided,;on the'motion of Mr.'Knox (Victoria),,that the duty should ,bo five per cent. , against Great Britain and'ten .per cent, against - other countries.- - This amendment was carried by thirty-nine votes to sixteen,- with the-help of, the;. Government party, 'amongst' those supporting it being •Sir. William Lyno, Mr;' Chapman?- (the.Minister for Customs); and other members of the Cabinet.. ■■As-Sir William Lyne stated oa'rly in-the debate, liowovor; : that'howas prepared to. acoept a? duty of ten-' percent/'against .Groat Britain and 'fifteen per cent. l 'against tho rest of the world, it-is obvious that'he must have seen reason,' from tho; later-'tone of tho • discussion','.' to modify; his attitude considerably. ■■■ Tho; House, in rotiii2 " ; for" ii substantial-reduction,- bore;in mind the difficulties under ; which the - farmer is labour l ing in ;rabbit-infested- and drought-stricken districts>.-but;-. as tho; Tariff ■ Dill l has 'not' yet proceeded farrin 'Committee,; consumers in the cities seo in thdincident some' ground for, hopo that other -heavy duties' will also ;be materially cut "down;"'" •■• ---- ; ■■-• -. '' ■ MR. WADE'S POLICY:; ? ; ;„. : Mr.;. Wade, who has .-succeeded Mr. Carruthors .> in the Premiership of ■" New - ■ Soutl: Wales, has made: it clear that he intends to , carry; on-,'; in -certain'directions'''at' al .events, the policy outlined' by his -.'p'refle . cessor.-before ill-health forced him-'to' retin ■fronv office, i Since : Parliament 'has' met- s'< late in tho year, tho session just openei wil be a short one; therefore tho proposal ti ■substitute Wages Boards;.-for-the Arbitra tibn Court is to be...deferred till next year "when the House will; be 1 called'.together/bar lier, ■ ' ; The v Government' proposals, on' tlii subject will'provide' that thcsV Boards .shai consist, of thoso who are expert in tho tradi they are called upon to deal/with; and tha -they shall 1 bo; vested with'compulsory power There -will also be 'a Bill to 'establish .mac hiucryby which it is hoped' to ( stop sweating The new Government intends at oiico to ex tend considerably the operations of close settlement;-'following thb plan-laid down!sqnv years ago' in- New' Zealand." Herb .there wil , bo, not' one;- but. three Land .Purchase Boards . each having,jurisdiction hi' a>' specified dis trict. The duty of, these Boards will, be-.t examine the conditions of land. settlerocn jin'their district's, and supply tlie Govorume'n liovoisiutablo.fpr subdivision.-.^This.-land .wil .includo iwt M pnly thai;;.wjiiclj, s\g l4 o,wu.ers,.ar. . /willing" to sell 'to the "Government-,!; b\it tha also which tho owners do not feel inclinci •to part with;.so,:that, ; ,ovidoi\tly:the Govern 'm'ent' intends ,to . pursue ,the policy, of'. colli pulsory acquisition. It'is proposed'to brin; in'a Bill thia. session £0. provide pensions'- fo tli'p crippled.o.r invadided,.so'tha't-tho prii; ciple of pensions ,fpr ,tlie-aged. mav. bees tended to all who aro physically "helpless As for the abolition of tho Income Tax o : personal earnings, the. Governor's speech o ..Wednesday indicates.: that- this., tax .is.no to bo abolished—iis "promised by Miv Cai ■ a-uthors-r-but.. '.'materially:, reduced,",, a.-dii 'foren.ee, /the '/explanation ."of-,, which.- the publi ' ')viir. await; with.', interest,.iiii view: of/the fac 'that these are -tho ...days \ of; large, surpluses." l ~. ' 'TO-'STOP'SWEATlNG.'''''•''''''' ' : ;Mr./ Wade's.'; proposals: .to. put' a stop 't sweating will include "a Bill fixing a' dolniit minimum wage.. As. ho.declared, in a spcee in the House this week, it is well known tha people'in certain industries! in'this .country forced by competition, have had to take'wor at wages which meant.nothing, less tha white slavery. ../Ihis.-is-a'trouble,which.-, coi fronts, ,in.'..all/ countriesi whei people.are ; congested im big-cities,,and itiwi be interesting-1to: see:how Mr. -Wado'.grai ■ pies'/with the problem. Tho revelations 1 tho shop,,assistants', case-recently before -tli Arbitration-.Court iii;., Sydney- threw a>floo of light upon the conditions lunder wbic certain classes'of workers have be'cn'liviiu: The award in that case has now been mad ii common rule, and employors appear''to li just as anxious. as tho employees to hav the industry improved, aiid rate's of/pay. pi served which"'will guarantee, something, iik a'decent standard of life., ! .;'.///.'■;---'';/'-■ "GENTEEL "' 'OCCUPATIONS 'wANTEL .Unfortunately tho sweating evil is ei couraged by tho workers themselves, i.n th wild desire. which thoy exhibit,to gct.-int what i.ro colloquially known- as''.'igenteel/ occupations...;l do" not know 'whether - tlii singular elemont'.iiV'humanity, exists iri-Ne l Zealand';, but wohad 'an'apt example' of-' j in Sydney the'other day. Mr. William Ai: dorson, the well-known theatrical managei waiited'fifty attendants; for Wonderland Citj his.big.:" Cpiicy'lsland " at Bondi; arid 1 lia 1500 ' applications froin nibro ..6r..'.less!,'.abl( bodied men; but when ho offered three time as high, a.rate.of pay for .men ..to shift, eart in- certain- improvements, at.: the,, city,.; Ii failed to get a single application, for- th work, which, had to be performed in shin sleeves. -.. ■ People .; talk about the; girls ■, wh •ignore domestic service and rush, into.;fai tortus for lower pay; but tho desire for tli "gontccl"—or in tho altcrnativo-tho'di; like for hard work—appears to be ' eve stronger- in tho other' sex. Tlicrb niay-1 somo excuse for a gir,l who goes to a fm tory rather than slave in a kitchen f< limitless, hours and ; bo bullied' by her mi; tress; but it would- be interesting to hoi the,explanation, of tho able-bodied men wl: wanted work, but would/not look at, th shifting of earth. ' ' "MISS HOOK OF HOLLAND." '.' , The now musical comedy. company wit which Messrs. Atoynell and Gunn prbposo t introduce to Australian audiences one c the most rccont London succossl-s, "Mis Hook of Holland "'(now loujc past its. 2(JOt performance at tho • Princu of' Wales' Theatre, and still running strongly),' i almost formed, so far as tho principals ar coiico'rnod, the majority of tlicse'liacing bje engaged by Mr. John ,Gunii,' who rctiirnc; ■to Australia last week .from Lctndon.. Tli leading ,lady will probably' bo, ; Miss,llutl Lincoln, ,whilst. others whose,, o'ngagoinont aro dblinitelv, fixed, includo Miss-Alice. Rus sell, Miss ■ Lily Hamer, Miss Lane, -Messrs C. AI. Weumaii (who is coming out as stag manager' and producer), Vincent Davidson anil Arthur Appleby, arid two comedians Messrs. W. Cromwell and liny. 'Miss'.Alici Russen' was in "The Belle of Mayfair" a the Vaudevillp: at the time of Miss .Edm May's son'snticinal'.exit'from, tlie cast las year, wid others' of .tho .new company .-have had narts in this and : similar nieces rcccntl; produced hy Mr. Seymour Hicks'at tho Aid wych and Hicks' Theatres.■- The chorus/'is t< be' formed in Australia. The' first piece " Miss Hook of Holland," is likely'to be pro duccd about Christmas; and "The Bcllo o ■'Mayfair," and "Tho Girl Behind the Coun tor," will be included in tho repertoire.

:, ;' MAREET.'"' I? Im, the; march 'of events? ml; the city of 'i .Sydney, it has' become necessary to talk of removing the Bolmorc market to anotlier site, not far off, in Engine Street, Rc'ifcrn. One visitor tp--Sydney in a,- thousand, or perhaps a hundred thousand, knows the by its familiar namo of " Paddy's Market. ' Who, visiting this hustling city, has not : made a point of going toVthis place on- Saturday night, to soo human' nature M its most , curious aspects, for it loolcs then like a bit of Petticoat Lane, London, transplanted to the Antipodes. Unhappily, ' tho ' poverty of •London has its replica.on a certain.smaller.... scale in these' young-cities ' of ''■ Au'st-raliaV''* -barely 100 years old. Now \'l Paddy's Market," which has afforded thought for philosophers and economists, aud-humour.for tho.mob,-for., , so many years,, is'gojng. The city'lias become'"' too big for it in its'prescnt'f6rm;;and : it must'- '■' be moved to a larger site,'whero it:may;liavo' "■■-'' a chanc'o to keep' up'with, the increased 'traffic '-'" ■in-the buying and selling' of fruit and vege- ' r ■ tables;' - ; , ■■ • v '-'i.-'| •■'..••■■'.. '■'"■ .■'-'■'■■ -•': ..'.'.. THE' FEDERAL'/LABOUR PARTY."'^^i :. The/more--Radical section'of tho-Laboutf ' ; -P, arty-sometimes oxpresses-'-covertly:perhaps ■' ,—its dissatisfaction-with the moderate'policy "' of■ the leader, Mr/vL 0. Watson;' and,' to the ■-■■'• critics in his own camp, : 'Mf. Wutson had a- ■:■' few words to say in his speech at'the' Eight- -'■:; :Hour dinner- in ' Sydnoy on Saturday night.' His 'remarks are of great- interest, because thoy : explain his policy;of-accepting itho'half loaf iwhen he can't get the'full 21b. Those who styled -.themselves the- '.'.advanced guard.,,.,,,., of "the Labour''movement'," said'he, wer'a ' '■'' showing a disposition to'complainrtliat the party did not go fast enough or far 'enough, ■j, A/Voice: -Hear, hoar. ; ! :Mr.'> Watson had ho' fear of coherent ofiti-i ?' ; cism,ibut lie did'dispute. .tliat-Hhey-Tyererin;'/. * the position indicated'by their critics!., TKey; '■'. ' were accused of lacking ideals,"because' they:•;.'.' -I ■chose to go slowly; . What' e'lso"could they''iioP' v •; Labour had ideals;-'aiid'thoy were slowly buty - ;' 'steadily working towards'them:-They werei'-'--'' paying proper,rogard'.to propaganda;' infusing basic principles into the;minds of- the people, : and they were not .prepared-;.to.sacrifice tha substance for tho shadow. They.-preferred to;,:"- : point the right path and:to try and lift-thosa'.: .-: 'who had fallen by the'wayside'-The Labour-.:. Pa'rty ri had, in fact; bitten-ofj just as 'much; ■' : of its programme as it could ohewfor some ■<' ."•' time to como. ■ When Mr. Ramsay. Macdoiiald, M.P., charged, the Labour Party in 'Australia with concentrating its.'.attention upon; nominal wages instead' of. trying to get -.. l 10 ) c l;°f the means of production,"he.demon-.. -'■'-" '. strated a lack of kiiowlefeo of the conditionsi.. ')'■- " existing hero 'to-day;, and,. further'.. He dp-"'"" prpached the position'in a -wrong; spirit-when he" indicated that under; present conditions were of comparative"- .unimportance.., ,To'.this idea'in-saying ; that' : under the:rW:v '' protective proposals' the. wdrkmanV.was to" got' ; ; |: a.fair wage and no' undue., sacrifice 'was', te I .', ! ,' bo,.'demanded of the, consumer,;'' the "Labour,"; -" Party, had set. out,to,' achieve .something that'-'- '.' ' .was Worth trying 'for,': oy'eiv.if they did fail.'-':' '. .(Cheers.) 'For them:to adopt ah attitude of,'. .'. sitting' sulking, .because:thoy'"cbuld hot*'get'', V. everything would-be"suicidal. ''"It would" mean"' that- many,existing abuses.would feo.unremor'-.- -~ died.:. They at least could'.be minimised, even.' , if they could not' be ' wholly' : abolished. , (Cheers.), ';'-. .MU--'. :.;, ,-!.-i ':. ■'.>.•_: