AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 561, 16 July 1909, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

. POLITICAtjAOTIVITY. ' ..■''.;,' v 'i\-'r July' 7- .', ■■■ ; Speaking with the authority of an old campaigner, Sir William Lyno declares that never before has he known public interest in Fodoral politics, to bo so thoroughly aroused as it is to-day. Ho submits that the members of the Opposition; are entitled to show to tho public how impotont the Ministry -,-.-' is, and the extent to which it fails to exercise oontrol of the House. There isno admission that the debate now in progress has anything in common with stonewalling. On tho contrary,.the speeches dolivored.laßt ' . week in criticism of Ministers are referred, to by Sir' William as powerful deliverances, Which, if mado available ,to the electors . throughout the Commonwealth, would put an onu, once and for ever, to the pretensions ; of the Deakin-Cook combination to', rule. Tho "Daily Tolograph's". Parliamentary co--however, puts a very different.' complexion on the proceedings of-the House: "Talk proceeds in a steady stream. No onopays tho remotest attention to it.- If a < member shouts 'Hear, hear,' the'voice inter- .'■';.". rupting the speaker sounds' like :an echo .- from the grave. On tho whole, it is the most v wretched debate and the most'useless that ' tho ; House of Representatives: lias t hid." ■ Meanwhile, Mr. Deakin's supporters in, the ■country seem to be pretty confident. Mr.: A. Bell, the chairman of his last Election': Committee, has declared that, jn the event of his being opposed at-the next election, he would be, returned with a tremendous majority., "The man to: defeat . tho Prime Minister in Ballarat," added-Mr. Bell;:"ha* yet to be "born." -'' : : : . ,; ''';","- ~ PUBLIC SERVICE "EFFICIENCY policy." ;.:h ;-.'■:.'.;- ■■ . Since Mr. D. C: M'Lachlan took office at Federal Public Service Commissioner, he has carried out his "efficiency policy" with con- ■■•■; sklorablo.success (says the .Ago"). The old obsolete; system of promotion by' seniority has disappeared, aridv the. day-of' the "time server"; in the public service has passed. To - encourage the best- men in the service to/.. gather m-the prizes,'without regard.to ago','-.: or seniority, has been the aim of the Com- :' missioner. In furtherance of. this policy,;;"-' important changes have been made in'tho - system'of advancement in the Postal-Depart- - menty General division employees l in r grades' 3 and 4, whose salaries'range from" £114' to" £138,' are to bb given an opportunity- to,: : qualify for the:position of 6ofter." in. the: < Postal Department.' The minimum • salary \ of a sorter is £144.. In future,' employees"irt" '-• the grades mentioned may notify the Deputy Postmaster-General in their State of their:' desire to be tested as to their fitness to'act' -."• as sorter.: The test is to sort correctly 500' letters at the rate of thirty per minute, !>.'•_'. per cent, of; errors being' /the- maximum :>;. allowed. Those who pass will have- theii "■■ names recorded in a list according t<y seniority ._. at tho examination; ' and' ai ; V vacancies, arise for sorters, they will-be filled!■■ ■ from 'that list. v There will.be a higher testy;; : oh similar v lines, for the position :of< senior'• j sorter,: ■ which carries a salary ranging i rbmi' t £162 to £168. •: In some'of, the mail .rooms i'' 'at present,' officials who have gained, theuv. • positions per medium, of. tho' old; seniority y system .are slow in their, methods,, and mail *; superintendents consequently do!not; get" th0...;/■'■ best work out of, their-: staffs., ; Merit is- to;:;-.; -count:in the filling of,these positions in th«. ; ? future. The Pub'liA ServicbCommissionor hat- ■;■ . decided also W,stimulate''.telegraph messen-,';., gers and others to: acquire' a .knowledge.of,/ : ,prattical ; 'tolegraphT.''-'..,;BtßmJnations'.'b7;'meW;'-. ■ sengors L will bo held from:,tim« to timo.in'thbl, transmitting .arid-; receiving ■; of telegraphic" messages at' tho ratb.of twenty. a.',,'minuto. The boys: who pass that, examiri'ar .. : tiori.. will have ■ priority over tho" others. fon ",-.'■ promotion iri the general divisionVand it is.,, practically .certain thatthese .lads,'will' not v, have to retire from the service ori;|reaching: ' tho. age of 18; years, .as.'..'thejyhave ,to dp. at y.- v ■ present*' '•'.'; ; '.}" ■ :', ;-:'/-' ■.■■':'■:.';-"'' IMPORTANT NAVAL DEPARTURE. : :: What is regarded iri riayil circles as a\ terry'y : impdrtarit'Bt^p,' t: hae;beeri/takeriTby the' FedVjt eral Crdverrinient in 'approving', of the enroV -.' merit inthe Cpmmpriwpalth .Naval,Foroes , the Torres Straits 'pilots;; with, comniisßibh's'.;.'* ; as lieutenants. ThenaVifeation'of'the-Straita'"'''' is. a speciality in the study,oi: pilotage, .and,.:.. the route in question is'bne'that fmißfc form' t! the key -to ariy,iattabk- ? .upbtt';:north-easterri. . Austraiia-T-not.,only from s the 1 point'of .tho < rapid transit of'coastal defence ships or :ves-- ;c sels of'the Imperial, Navy.but ;also' ; inthe ;. question of accessibility' for an- enemy, and : ' afca'ny. time : it>might be necessary ;to. mino-v the ohanriel, at different .parts.-: The special;, knowledge''possessed ';by - ,,the •Torres'-Straitsi pilots :would bo invaluable;in'.such circum*. '• stances, both' to tho Imperial' and Common-,'".•' wealth: Navies; and'': the-yv'accordingly: dpv. cicled: to 1 place their, services entirely atytho>> disposahof'the: Government.,: The proposal >?' now being developed includes an arrange-' '_' irient with ship-owners arid ,agents under-■_"?:-. which naval officers ' shall : accompany ■ pilots;': '■" 'on merchant vessels; passing-through tho y Straits, for the purposed:being made famit' . iar with the peculiarities: of the-route. ', ■ ■;;'•■' new silver /'i;;: It;,is expected; that-, the Commonwealth'i . y new silver coinage will ,bo available for circu*: lation in about four months. .Previously, it '' was 1 thought that it would take': till the end . of the year to get.the.coins struck off, and ...' have thera.ready for distribution. •Thecom-:.■.■'.: munications received from; England, indicate".that the coins will' nowvbs issued probably- ' by Melbourne, Cup week, or at least>a little; ■';"' later. : -. As;, the half crown • under "the' new.y system disappears, trio: effect' at, Flemington :■■ and' subsequently at:all the courses of, Aus« i tralia'may lead to variations', and complexi- :■' tibs: on trie part of race;habitues that; will have• their amusing lis;■ well ; as ; their: iti--' •- , convenient' features.' j The Federal Treasurer :' (Sir John Forrest), however, does not attach ■■ much importahee'to,this.. He;believes'that y tho .übw coinago, minus the.'half, crown,! will , provo 'more serviceable to people; generally . than the present.'As the work of referring ' tho designs to' Australia for approval would; ,; involve serious, loss of time, the ;Treasurer ' has left the form, to .Captain '. Collins, the Federal official in .London to approve. A general instruction has : been given that tho >: ooinon one side shall bear the stamp of.tin?.' l . -King's toad."'.'••'"• y ,■:'-.,'■:.. :.'.'! ':('■. ■''."''•'"' ■■; BROKEN; HILL'S TROUBLES. ;;: ■ Since 1 the terriiiriatioh of the ! . strike Broken ' ; Hill's .' statistics ■ are beginning to improve. For' June' the imports :wereo valued at ;.'. £77,028, and the. exports £171,522— bct'tei ' ; figures than for ariy month this' year, j Just before, the strike last December .7010 men • were .engaged on thomines. .-. At the ohd'of.' Juno tho total,, was 5550, a decrease ;of 'a ' , little under 1500; When the mmes, with . the ■ exception of • tlio Proprietary,; resumed work in January, the total numbor of' men'; employed was ; 4500, and the .cessation of ', work on Block 10 reduced this to nearly ;; 3900. ' Thus, about IGSO, men have been v .re r ; engaged'since the strike. -Distress, however,,is still; acute, and-the State. Premier (Jlr.y; Wade) has decided to'do something, to alleviato it. The police have been instructed la . giybrelief to.'tho i most urgent -Local,. works to which' the unemployed might, bb put are' unfortunately non-existent,.'and, this ■•'.. makes tho question of further' relief rather.- \ difficult, tut 'thoV Government, will, under. :: certain circumstances,. givo assistance for. the'-,'.", transpbrt.;from Broken Hill of.; persons siring: employment. 1 ;. "The position'■ of ■■ thb : y men out or employment on'the; top of along. .' strike is really dospcrato," saysvthc_ "Hctv ';■., aid,'! ."and wo cannot bo surprised:ifywild ,-:■ language 'is'.used'and, wild threat* »r«: mads. ;y ' Putting that aside, tho simple fact romsini' ~ that- hundreds of .men, some of them ; with , wives' and children, aro destitute ;, in the - middle of the winter. , Th»t they 60..V largely by their civil fault, 'or' by their fo»J,',:, in Doing- led by others, does' not. altar tbf,t . faot,' and thpjact calls, for. immediaw, ?™ ; : sufficient sctiori." - .'■"'. :,,::.';;■;,//.;,',,■