OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 429, 11 February 1909, Page 5

OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

ABOLISHING THE THIRD PARTY. (FBOU OUIt , OWN COBUESrONDENT.) V In the arena of Federal'politics, the only noteworthy event of the week is that Mr. Joseph Cook, tho leador of the Opposition, and Mr., Deakiu; ex-Prime Minister, have met :to, talk, over the prospects of an amalgamation of the parties they, represent. ■ This indicates that the. breach' Between"., Mr.' Deakin and the Labour forces is more serious than was supposed—and ' obviously, . also, should.the etforts at"combining, the. fovo, parties now in opposition'result in success, the outlook for' the Fisher Government will not grow brighter.in any violent hurry. 'At present the, proposals" between Messrs. Deakin' and Cook aro of the vaguest character.. They appear to" have merely talked over the. political,-situation in a general way, and suggested to'each, other that the fusion would be highly desirable before putting on their hats and wishing each other "Good morning 1" There are various, difficulties in the way, for there cannot be'an amalgamation without concessions . and compromises.; but, so far the' negotiations have been hampered, by the-fact that Mr. Fisher has yet to announce the policy of:his Cabinet. This will be done in aspeech to'his, constituents in .Queensland,'and■ when his ,'programme is made clear,, the course, to ae followed by the ! ;two'opposition'sections will manifestly bd more readily indicated; '• • It appears probable that ( if the parties ur.ke, Mr. Deakin will' become leader. Some of- the followers of ,Mr v Deakin, it ;is said,,are riot anxious for,union: and there is also the'little group of isolated members known'oi "the Corner," to be .-consulted.; Any negotiations, however, ought ■to be-completed as soon:as possible if .they are to be successful; for the general elections are to take place in about.a year, and already the Labourites, with their fine 'organisation,- are. selecting their candidates. ':■■■ Cutting Things Too Fine. The Marine Court, haying investigated the circumstances.; of the ..collision, between the barque Iverna and.the tug Advance;'off New T castle; oh Christmas night,.:has come to the conclusion} that, the fault rested with the master: of the Advance, .Captain M'Kenzie, who. , went; down with six- of- his. crew when tho;tug sank. The:evidence of. the: only survivor, .the mate,, went .to.'show that it:is.the. practice .'on the "part of tug masters to.run risks in. crossing the bow.s of the vessels/they are-proposing to tow, and •'. this appea'rs ■ to have been done, in -the. present case, the' captain _ unfortunately paying the. penalty: with his life'.'; According to the story told'by those on the Iverna, the tug first crossed from port to-starboard, when.she was,about three.miles away; then, having come on' in. a straight course to -meet, the,barque; she, suddenly attempted, to cross'again.'from starboard to ; port, only- about 200; or 300: yards ahead of the Iverna.■„■ She. could; not .quite get clear, and 'the f barque struck her: near ■ the stern, and> sent her. to the bottom of the seal The only niah'. who -'.'is able to tell what took place, oh the .Advance is the mate,' Captain Wills, who states that the barque altefedher course,:-'bu't this is denied by. the Iverna's officers,. .who : say their vessel's course was never, altered from : the time she passed Norah Head until the collision. -Wills, ; .who' has ibeen a .captain, of ocean-going vessels, says he hasiseeri tug masters in the'.English Channel and the Bristol. Channel, and on the Australian, coast, take the same risk as Captain .M'Kenzie - toQk; on ;,this; occasion,'when, she went ahead of. the .Iverna's bows,,instead of coming up/behind ,her, stern. ; This 'evidence .led ; Judge, Murray (the. president « the' Court). ana .the; two assessors; toirepro"bafo such reckless manoeuvres, while rccog-; nising the ability and success, with which the master of the .-Advance ordinarily carried out his duties as tug master. The danger of. cutting things, fine in' this- way has -been sadly' brought home to the njinds of everyone who observed what took nlace in; this -case, and, if. ; tho'loss of- the Acfyance teaches the masters\. of._ these tugs a -salutary, lesson, poor M'Kenzie (who was one of the most popular men in Newcastle) and the six men who went down with him, will have rendered a service to the travelling; public in the manner of their unfortunate, death. Wills, the'only survivor, .'managed'to secure 5 a''piece of grating after the tug 'went, down;' and on'.this, assisted ;by other pieces of timber; he: floated during'the.'night, and .was, washed .'up..next morning at Dudley. Bea'cli," where the great-; est struggle of all came in the surf. However,, he got'through, almost exhausted though ho was, and made his way to the house of a settler.; -Wills,/.a middle-aged man,..has had .a long seafaring experience, part of his time, as master.-of ocean-going.ships, and, at one. time,-he was : in .charge, .of a swimmingschool—an experience which undoubtedly : stood'.; him in good. stead' on the-,eventful •Christmas night when ho had'.such a great fight for his life in the turbulent sea.on the Australian, coast. . ■■':' Another ;Plot of the Capitalist!. - Australia is laughing. hugely at the plight in which the Broken' Hill Labour:, paper; "Truth," found itself .the'other day." It has • been'-' vehemently denouncing;. the police for comirig;,to Broken Hill to protect the. public ,againsti;any possible'disorder on the part of the .strikers, but its proprietors were them-: 'selves forced to ring up'the police station 1 the :other .'day to. appeal.for protection against a strike.oh,their own premises.' -This is a case of being hoist .with one's: own' petard;'.-'- The >newsboys-w.ent out on strike at the ■ "Truth" office/because.they, could not get higher pay, i and. then l established pickets about ;the office 'style :qf their ciders. 'Indeed, they,.appear to' have been reading .assiduously the leading columns of their own paperjvfor they put, into; practice at; once some of the' doctrines, they" found preached 'there. ;'■" Militancy is the .only: hope of the iworkerGj" .said " Truth ",; on Wednesday. ;" This is very igood 'advice'," the newsboys must', have agreed on Thursday, for, : .they forthwith proceeded unanimously; to.become .militant.' 'They improvised a "Long; Tom," :raounting_ it on', trolly wheels and a crosspiece of timber, and trained it on to the door, of the office, so as to intimidate "Pro Bono ;Publico" and the rest of \ his tribe; and the •,man'who desired to hand in a poem, to tho" editor, and especially the. advertised. ':. Incidentally, thoy bombarded the upper Windows, with stale eggs.:, It. is.yery. seldom that an' editor,; endeavouring' to'' mould public opinion, discovers on the part of those.whom ho seeks,to instruct such prompt recognition of the: value- and, wisdom -of, his principles. •Whenhe doesi he.should certainly be the'first to applaud the success of his crusade.-. Yet the " Truth"'newspaper people' rang iip for ■the ; police ;• and; we read, three constables came .down, iand helped to restore, "'.order.;What : chance has good, honest revolution got in-this country 1 ?;, ■',; •; ': ';' - '~,:'.