AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 511, 19 May 1909, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

OUR WEEKLY BUMMARY. QUEENSLAND'S JUBILEE. 'At tho Queensland jubiloo carnival to bo bold by the National Agricultural and Industrial Association in August, no fewer than fifty-five towns in that State will bo represented in tho district exhibits, .and therefore the thousands of visitors expected will bo able to seo at a glance tho various prqduots of this,progressive State, its possibilities and attainments. From tho inquiriel with which the authorities have boon besieged, it is anticipated (says tho "Age") that thousands of visitors will travel thenco from evory part of tho Commonwealth and Now Zealand, and for that'reason a perfect canvass of the city and suburbs for a radius of five, miles is being i carried on, with the object of compiling a complete list of hotels, boarding and private houses which will accommodate visitors during t tho two carnival weeks. Tho Admiral has notified that two warships of the Imperial squadron will be off tho gardens in tho centre of tho city, to take an active part in the oelobrations, whilst others will anchor at Moreten Bay. Commonwealth Notes. Writing of the proposed Commonwealth note issue, tho "Ago" says: —"From inquiries made in well-informed quarters, it appears that Mr. Fisher's proposals with regard to the papor currency nave been carefully matured down to very minute details, and provido for an adaptation of the Queensland note system, with additional safeguards against panic. The system adopted would not bo compulsory, but a short Stamp Duty Bill, which would impose a tax of 10 per cent, on tho notes issued by private banks, would, if passed,. so 1 operate as really to ob,lig'e_ the banks to taKo tho national Australian notes rather than cling to their own. It iB not proposed to makel the system sudden in its operation. During a transitional period tho notes of private banks already in ■ circulation would be so treated as to secure their 'position as legal tender. It is not contemplated thai the whole machinery of note issuo, gold reserves and investment of a portion of tho gold rccoived for the notes should be left, solely in the hands of the Fedoral Treasury. The Government is under- ' stood to" be willing .that trustees should be appointed' to control all operations. By statute these trustees would be debarred from investing money in any but sound

..revenue-producingiw'prksl"•..The money;could Vnpt.v!be'' lent ; to/the; Government /,tp/;pay : .Old ..-age'''-pensions /or' to finance; : defence'.• under-I -takings.'.'lt.vwojald/'.howeveri.; be compotent ';'/ for /the trustees to .invest the /money in tele- ■ ;, graph ...arid '-telephone"', works '.yielding,--after ;.'•'due -allowance 'had; been'■■: made .'for/'mainteh-J •ahco; and sinking fund, at; least; 3J; iper : '-''oent.i'-.uterest.S\ : the. ; consolidated rcveriueiwouldberelievedof the ■to finance: all postal works' ,in- ;' ;■' discriminatory put .of each year's general Tev- '. -enue.'.-.: If- the estimate.?.'of/the /Government!? V advisers'.be'correct,'-the.- Commonwealth'' na-' ■ ;tiorial:.note:.issue;wilKtotai;:£4,ooo,PPo:.. The / banks/will,; by,':the'.'necessities of -trade;; pub;;lip;oonvenieh<»,ete.)\be;praotically compelled ■/to/purchase -the ? notes' and; circulate .theni; ;.The:Gbverhment.;will'hbld as;a reserve to pay ,/fco those.who.may seek : to convert their notes' ; /.into ;cash, ; '£l,ooo,ooo 'in 4 / .: ; Extraordiharyi/: -b./V'C ?.;• ■■ A.■';■ ,'yiolentv...", /.occurred >■;at■>■ the :: Gippslarid- S-Hotel, 'corner of; : . /Chapel , Wand ivStree'tsj : ? St/- ''■ .Kilda, •<. recently,'/ says./the;'/"Age." /..Whilst.: the licensee,' Mr.'R.iL.'' Barron, 'was .away.at, a; ■' football:match' the hotel .was; practically taken f'ppssessipn:'of ;byl a Notorious gang of.Balac;;lava larnkin's,whom;'6h;his return; the land--lord attempted to .ejept.'j Whilst, essaying, this- . task; Mr;V Barron / ;was i savagely assaulted. '■i Plain IClpthes/Constable; White appeared on ' -the sceneand:assisted in/the .ejectment./.He .was attacked- by one/John:Ohve,,whom he conquered: arid entrusted to civilians whilst ;: he dealt,with the .brother of his captive./ The ; latter:thre,w.;himself;;into'a,fighting attitude, v..'a'nd; sought/.^ ■.ceived;some.;hard,'knocks, and delivered hard. :' knbbks in .two men/ fighting des-;: /perately,emerged; on';to,'the''.strebt,.arid the.l ;; strugglo ;drew ,a-:browd,:;whici['blocked the -tram; traffic; ;FinaUy,;Oiiye for the fifth time ■ i .TOnt'-.doTOV ; ... fell. ; over '.■;;.'.') him. .;/ Regaining ■■'~ ■■: his;-, feet. 1 ; : first, ;.Ohve ; made .; off; : and '; escaped. .-/Meantime -./his'.-:.■.'brother;,;John.:■;had;, en-' '■'-. gaged the -pribhrariMn I :: combat.J/vCoristable ■..White then -went to.Air; Barron's'assistance, ...and .succeeded,in handcuffing John-Olive'and //takingjhim/to;a cab Prisbner- -; was. charged ;with'.having;assaulted'Mr..':Bar- ; ron-;and /resisting- Police Constable White. ; During -the;;enc'ouriter Constable/White had - the thunib of.vhis right hand wrenched out of ;/jpmt;- f :'.*;..vy:..s,v ! ;;.' ; /!;''' :; :v ■;:'■'' '-•':?■'./ ■-V ,Js± M'Gbwen^:.Leader of-the New. South ./Wales Labour .party,;,is jubilant'at' the re- : ••: suit of the Tasmanian elections; in which ho /■took, an aotive'.part: :V Hedeclared that the :,;-onward .march'■ of./ Labou- in/Australia ■' cannot :,He;is,:.hbwever, greatly dissatis:/;fied/with,the'ricw.:Hare'.system of. voting.:.. In ; ,a; statement'publishe'd ;by the '.'Sydney' Morn- : is- one -parti:cular: phase'oftheelection.that I. would like ;:to/:refer;te..-'/Although/I/aittigratified with -.: the .achieved,, yet T'cannot/but -'em-' ; phatically/stato - that 'the - Hare system -of "■:;v6ting-;;is .an ■: absolute l 'negation: of. the prin/.ciples of manhood, suffrage. ./It only-stands .for the representation -of minorities and vari//ous; sectional ideals./:-!-have .nothing /but .:-.condemnation/for. it,./Mder. the. sclieme, : the - electorates are grouped; together in sixes. ;;./Now,/I;liave/ proved absolutelystnat- the sys//tem;;is.useless;;.because;it: results inthere- / presentatioriof minorities,:with no considera- . twn_of majprities./.Here is an -instance.'ln /the Darwin :electorate,'-5000 votes were polled : fe r n „ L . ab ? llr '': wh , i ! a the; Opposition nettedbnly //3000 : votes.- That/'ori':the';:face, of it.?shows /;a-majontyof.2oooy : ybt : fourLabbur men were ./.returned,-and .two//Government'-candidates -/As. a, matter; of : facti-; in : New South {Wales, six men: would;have been elected, because : onn^. Wa3;ama]orit y voteofsooo )' as against -. -dUUO. . ■ :■:. -■. .':/ :/-:/'-:.-:■/■' 7 ■' - % : >;.v : :;pw;.Not/TaikfwHtfe rather .amusmg.incident ■connected with / the effortsi/toVriish'-/a■/Liberal-Conservative .'fusion-occurred./recently../,lt'•' was solemnly announced in .the .freetrade/ press "that as , Mr., Deakin and Mr. Cook were both travelling from Sydney to Melbourne in the same / train, it _was "hoped" that ,the question of fusion, might, be discussed on the-journey, /and ■ that. the. "negotiations" would afterwards /be.continued in Melbourne, with ex- . /cellent. prospects'' of success.' '.Alas for the hopes: of■ '..desperate:>;political.'conspirators 1 ;.; J n ?;two 'leaders;' certainly; did• : .converse in ;,:the; train./but.for-barely./five minutes,' and 'the fconversation;. did-not touch: on politics ,at ..all; ■;: it/ was, ;exclnsively... about' books I /■There were? no-discussions' on: politics, and /nonegotiatioris ;of any kind. ■ /.Learnt lri;New Zealand, ; /: ."The Victorian Minister 'for -Lands (Mr. M'Kenzie),- who lately.visited; New Zealand, .has drafted: an outline of his views and : ob- /' Bervations;v.;As/to/the land-tax, he.is of opinion .that -an .alteration must be made / in /the,present/Victorian system,- and.that it should-be in the: direction 'of a moderate /general tax on all nnimproved-land values, /:Eubject to a'small exemption;:biit that what. ;/'he. has : learned; of -the, experience 1 in New - Zealand, has,not -induced'hini to recommend :.,-. anything like .the 'high rates:. of taxation : which is now levied on the land ; there. It .is;. understood>.that Mr;:M'Kenzie is not in -/.considoration'of tho.New Zealand system of vcharging', a.'land/tax on mortgages.' After consideration of: Zealand system of compulsory, resumption, Mr. M'Kenzie 'pre-' ."z'/fors;.to stand /by: the /fpolicy, ;that, 'where agreement cannot; be arrived at between the / Government .and "the, owner,.tho /purchase price shall '/be 'decided by a judge of the •:; Supremo' Court sitting without a jury.- The New; Zealand; "system of self-assessment is ', not favoured as 'the result of; the investiga- . tioris /made'. .While, in? Now -Zealand- Mr. •M'Kenzie/lpoked; into a/number-of matters apart from the land question, and among ./other Tecbmmendations.is -.one that 1 the sys- ,; tern, of appointing'; a: public.' trustee should he /.tdopted. ' Mr.'- Jl'Kerizie' also recommends; ; the reorganisation of ...the '■ labour' bureau on' -New Zoalarid'/lines,'/ putting'/'. the . central ; -.branch ; : under the Control of another- De- ;: partment,. apd tho /conduct .'of:/ tho branches .in .'tho hands of oierks .of court' or the'police /«rjother officials.- //:;,;::. ;> : ::": /-/>.< ■■ --.;■• ,