AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 517, 26 May 1909, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

. FEDERAL POLITICS. ' . Sydney, May 19. Tho Federal political' situation is becoming ■more and more involved as tho timo draws near for the opening of Parliament. , When Sir John Forrest and Sir' llobort' : Best, as a/ibossadors from Mr. Dealsin, left Melbourne to confer with Mr; Cook, the hearts of all opposed to labour rulo were filled with" hope. It was thought that somo compact might bo fixed up by means | of which tho three-party system would be wiped out. When it became known, however, that Mr. Deakiti had informed Sir John Forrest-that ho would not take any responsible position in any party formed, the spirit o£. hopefulness was damped somewhat. The goneral feeling was that Mr. Deakin, by his.determination not to tnko a leading part in the coalition, would wreck nny chance "there ever .had been ' of successful fusion being brought about; and so it has happened. On Saturday, May .15,, the two ambassadors, Sir John Forrest and Sir Robert Best, returned to.Melbourne with.a report, it is Understood, 'that there was little chance of any arrangements being come .to between the,different parties. It is expected that the report will be of the most disappointing character to those interested in the formation of a strpng party to oppose tho Labour caucus. While in Syduej tfio ambassadors from Jlr. Deakin had two conferences of considerable length with Mr..Cook. On .the first day they were seven hours to.gather, iwhile on, Friday".they spent tho best part o£ four hours talking over the situation, they, reviewed the whole of tho .programme;, of the various parties, arid had, as evangelists.say, a'"heart-to-heart.talk" on all. matters which would be affected by the probable fusion. Their'conference,was'productive of little good. To begin with, they found that they could not come, to any definite understanding with respeel to tho all-important questions of finance, protection, new.protection, and compulsory training. On minor matters.there was practically, no disagreement.. '. . .'•■ '.'"..' " After two conferences, practically no progress was. made in the direction . of ithe icompleto >! understanding between, tho representatives of tho. different'parties, , ', and no arrangement was made for, another meeting. It can bo-taken from this that nothing further will bo done regarding, a fusion' until'. Parliament meets. Then things will have' 1 to come , to a headnatu-, rally. As soon as the opportunity offers Mr. Cook will table a motion of no-confidence in •the Government. This will, necessitate'members showing which side they desire to be associated with;.the Caucus party or their opponents. Unless-the .situation assumes a-dif-forent. aspect .there- is' no doubt that the- Government will be defeated..' In that event it is interesting to consider what must happen next. In accordance : with custom the GovernorGeneral would send for the Xeader of tho Op-; position. Unless matters alter considerably in a few days Mr. Cookwill havo.to report to his'! Excellency that he is unable to obtain sufficient guarantee of support to carry on the business of •the. country. The leaders of the other parties will then, perhaps, be given α-chahco of forming -a'Government,-but in their case they, too win be unable .to obtain, tho necessary support, and .nothing remains then but'a dissolution. The' result, of [the new election must be left to fate. ■'.•'■:'.'.' Aeroplanes for Sydney, , ■'.-■ '."It'.would .seem' as. if the' Aerial League, o! Australia means, to play a prominent part in aeronautics in the , near, future. At present the body is very energetic, and one may hope, for practical proof of.' the club's activity, at an edrly.date.''ilt;is said, that at least, two pro-, minent" members are , getting out specimens . the latest' types .'of successful aeroplanes,. and if 60 Sydney .enthusiasts may look-forward to something novel in, aerial flights: It is inter-. esting to note that Lord Dudley, the GovernorGeneral, has accepted the position of patron. The provisional' committee has' already , completed rules, etc.,''for' approval; of a general 1 meeting. The membership of- the now body is Browing'-day.'.bj'day, , and it is evident..that those'.interested in aeronautics'in this State nro determined that Australia shall bo well ■to the fore when war in the air is being carried put. ~.;,.' -.. .'J' ■'.■:■'.. .'... ; ';■ ;; New Guinea Affair's.' '■'.' The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr. Bachelor, M.H.B-.), who has b'eon on an official visit to Papua, passed through Sydney on May 1G on his "way back, to Melbourne. The Minister,was mrny'for seven-weeks in all, five of them being spent -in' Papua', .with the. object of-getting a' first-hand- knowledge of the country and of becoming personally acquainted with the officers in charge of.affairs.-. Mr. Bachelor speaks onthusiasticajly of/\the island, and considers it /is a.; distinct, acquisition to tho wealth, and , he.is further .much gratified .with the,-work, being dono by the Commonwealth officials.' .Tho administration is no,w being carried out .Without any internal friction, and in every way the prospects aro very bright. ! .During the "visit the Minister .travelled'along, much of- tho coast in the Government steamer Mcrrio England,'and went inland wherever it was possible. . He, spent somo timo. in the Piirari,delta, saw. several of the rubber, hemn, and cocoanut plantations, and also visited tho mining camps. '.The soil he speaks of as wonderfully fertile, but the climate is very vary-/ ine. It is expected that tho export of rubber! will commence next year, and is. expected to rapidly rise into, an industry of great import-ance,-for,,Mr. Bachelor has been informed bv, experts "--that there is no place in the world where, rubber makes such progress ■ as in Papua: At'Woodlark the miners'were. very hopeful, a fresh impetus having been given to ■ the. development of tho field by-tho amalgamation of some of the companies. : , /Opinions n's to tho value.'of'-native labour differ very, much in the island.. At Wpodlark, for instance," the miners sny.tho native labour !is .the finest in the world, and enables them to work ground that they would not bo able.to touch in other countries, bnt- at other fields'-: the opinion is not so favourable and a similar diversity wus' found to exist among planters who were spoken to on the subject. : /Melbourne Public Library.. /'. The Melbourne Public Library trustees recontly. had before them eight tendors..for ■ the construction of tho. new great central reading-.' , room, designed as an octagonal detached , , structure, .-surmounted by a dome, which is to bo built in,the interior quadrangle of the library premises. (That of "Messrs." Swanson Bros., at ,£66,914, was .accepted. This provides for the entire edifices, but,is not inclusive of.certain fittings, such as electric lifts, etc., that are contemplated. The contractors .will bo allowed to install these and other fixtures as extras, and it is .anticipated tho..; additional ■ charges thus incurred will exhaust the Parliamentary vote of .£70,000 setasido r for tho building. ■ 'It has been arranged that, work shall bo commenced this week. The trustees wish the building completed , at some early date; but,: according, to the. financial arrangements, tho. Government is to find the money'at"the rate 0f.£25,000 .por annum, and that would. involve three years' operations should work have to be governed by thht circumstance. If possible, lowevor, that bar to progress .will be obviated. When .the building is completed it will be the only public reading-room in the place,- and will havo accommodation for 1,000,000 .volumes. The existing library apartments will then bo put to other uses, portion being appropriated as a picturo gallery. ,■"■-■•.-■.'. . ■'. , " ■ ■ Chanco for Universities. Mr. Kenneth Anderson, , of the Orient-Koyal Mail Line of steamers, has written-to the authorities of tho universities of Sydney and Meluourno offering, .on behalf of the company, three free first-class return passages in favour of graduates of each ■ university w'ho desire .' to proceed, to Europe for the purpose of continuing their studies. , . ..„. '"'- " . Tho object of the offer is stated to be to multiply tho opportunities' for education by travel,"and the wish is expressed that the privilege -.will preferentially bo conferred on graduates who, though wishful to go to Europe, are debarred from doing so by reason of the expense involved rather than on the holders of any particular; university distinction (as such), or on graduates who are able to dispense with such assistance, and would go in any case. The passages will be availablo during the months of May to September to Europe, and during the months of March to July outwards from Enropo, and tho limit of time allowed for the return passage is three years.' ! The Senate of Sydney University has already expressed its willingness to accept the geneVous oiler of the company, and tho matter will bo again brought forward at tho next meeting. The Melbourne University Council has accepted tho offer with thanks. Hard Words for Socialists. Archbishop Kelly, Roman Cjatholio Coadjutor Archbishop of Sydney, had some hard .words for' Socialists in speaking at tho laying of tho foundation-stone of a church. The Archbishop said that certain wild theories had been promulgated by those who were ever anxious ',to work mischief. ' All peoplo.must bo drawn to -recognise a basis of mutual harmony, and that basis was justice. A great deal had been heard of a number of absurd theories which would destroy all incentive to ambition by mnklns all sources of production a common "property.. -People might as well take as'nn ideal tho return to a state such as' that in which the aboriginals live. If self-interest and 'self-advancement were stultified chaos would result. ..His advice to every miner on tho field was to recognise the just rights .of nil man Every man shouU »»»ivo u> \* n, wuit-

nlist by! living'withiA hieiincome,'and saving ever 60 little, and as it grew so would the desire to move forward aesert itself. Prosperity was alwaye found where every man desired to be a capitalist. Self-interest set the machinery of : progress in motion, and taking it away, was the forerunner of sloth and retrogression.. -He admired and agreed with those who organised na men to respect the rights of other men, but not those who oreamsed against capital. . Lord Dudley and Boy Scouts, A proof that ihe' Governor-General is a believer in the Boy Scout movement would seem to. lie in ••the fact that he has permitted his second son, the Hon. Roderick John Ward, to enter-tho ranks of the Wallaroo patrol. On Saturday (May 15) afternoon tho young ranker —for, at his father's wish, he will commence in the lines—was sworn in at Gorcrnment House Grounds at a troop parade. The lad is only .seven years of age, .but he will take' up the full measuro of routine work and the full study of those special requirements that go to moke a scout;ofso much use in the time of his country's trouble. v Motor Car Ablaze, A motoring party; had a rather etartline experience on May 16 while driving from llortlako to Croydon, New South Wales. Mr. Robert Walker, of Croydon, was driving his car in which were his son and three ladies, along Concord Road, Concord, when the petrol stock became ignited.. At loud explosion took place, and flames shot high into tho air.- Mr. Walker quickly pulled up, and managed' to get the .occupants out just before the flanies enveloped tho car. The fire burned fiercely, and the brigade »ras called out. It played a stream of water .upon tho flames with one hydrant, but was unable to save more ■ than • one wheel of the car, tho rest being totally destroyed. The car is said to have boon worth about