AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 280, 7 August 1909, Page 14

AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

ELECTING A SPEAKER. Sydney, 'July 31. Tho centru] political event of tho last fow days was the election of a now Speakor of ' the Federal'Houso of Representatives. ' It was admitted on all sides that the Mate Speakor, Sir Frederick Holder, had set a high standard which it would bo difficult for his successor, whoover ho might be, to maintain The election, which took place last Wednesday, was markotl by some unusual features . It had boon agreed by a Ministerial caucus that Dr. Carty Salmon should be tho party's nominee for tho Speakership It wasv common rumour, howover, that somo members of the party wcro not satisfied with this decision, though they felt themselves honourably bound to accept it Tho Labour party saw an opportunity for harassing tho Government The rosult was a protracted and in some passages unseemly debate on the merits and dements of the members nominated for tho position of Speaker. When, after several hours of talk, tho Prime Minister suggested that tho House should come to a decision, there were defiant ories from Opposition members, "No, no I" "We are not nearly done yet," and so on Both the morning papers, in Melbourne strongly condemned the tactics that were employed "Tho manner in which Opposition members abused the character of Mr.. Salmon is>certainly without precedent," says tho "Age " They appealed to be resolved that as they could not prevent his election ho should go into the Chair 'covered 'with all tho disrespect that could be put upon him It was a state of anarchy, in which tho unruly ,elements revelled, until finally, after many hours had been wasted m a discussion which -imust certainly lower the dignity of the Parliament in tho eyes of tho ..world, Mr Salmon was elected by a majority'of eight votes" , 1 " __: , x SIR F HOLDER AND HIS SUCCESSOR The now Speaker's long Parliamentary experience has not sufliced to create a general conviction in the ranks of any party that the Houso ha 3 made the best possible selection Tho "Argus,", in its j cautious ■way,.seems to express the feeling" of very many of the sfKctators of the political game, when it writes- "Dr Salmon does not enter upon his duties with the prestige which attached to his prcdcecssoi, but wo shall bo glad indeed if ero long wo aro,able to congratulate lum on having attained it " | What that prestige was may be indicated Iby another excerpt from the samo article j "The late Speaker, by a combination of courtesy,'tact, ,and firmness, set a very' high standard <,to his' successprs So caroful, indeed, was he' to keep his office above all suspicion of party bias that ho always refrained from casting his vote in dommitteo One result of this was that in all the tariff struggles tho Free Tiade party was deprived of a vote, since the Chairman of Committees, an ardent protectionist, had no scruplo in voting alwajs when the bill was before the Houso This circumstance is only mentioned to show, (the caro which Sir Frederick Holder exercised to preserve tho dignity and prestige of his position in order to maintain his influence as an impartial arbiter ' in the disputes constantly arising in a do- , mocratic assembly.'' It is'to bo hoped, for itho sake of the honour of representative institutions, that ,the "Argus" is exaggciatmg when it, more than suggests that tho , death i of Sir Frederick Holdci was gieatly hastened by the strain imposed upon him i through the "new system of Parliamentary , warfare." J THE LAW OF LIBEL <

! ITheNew: South Wales'Pa'rliament has been j .opened .for^fqur"weeks/'. 'Much of tlie:,time , lias been occupied .in .getting into stride'; it' ; is' hoped 'that /it' will be possible now to •march onward 'in the -real business i.session.'vAmongu'.thou.measures 'which- Mr. . ..Wade';"ha'?;vplac'ed--in;-.;the,-.forefront 1 'session,'-is-a ;BiU'to'amend the law 'of : libel. \,The' subject 'lis- no: how r one.''either -in.i'TNW South Wales; or, JNewr Zealand. .The joilrhalist in the'Mother'State his less substantial" : liberty than in Queensland or in Victoria or ,in;: Great Britain.! .Th.at-.measure:.:of full "pub- ' ' with public, affairs' which :,'the : Qre"at.'Jßritdin -or, in< Queensland'or 'in : '■ arid "receives from its press, isnot lawful in New South' Wales; ; -and .when, it .is'..given-ft- is. at the persohaiv risk of men' who wish to serve the public. What: is;asked l for is (in; the 'opinion of the .an astonishingly'jiriodefate emancipation 'from legislative interference with .freedomi back from. ;the 'wprst?of ;the,.'badi'bld -'days.. Other.iGov'J2rnmoh.tirtmeasure3'>:now'.''before. the- House' aro ;; the. ::Fores't'ry.;;Biir; and the Nurses' Be- , gistrati6n<ißillr;(the, titles; of which i will perjiaps; explain' their' purport sufficiently for N,ew Zealand .readers), and the Inebriates -8i11... .:•,','■ ■■'':''•■' .'-'■' -■•"-';

.; ; . ! ; ■ ; CONTROL.:OF v ;INEBRIATES. ' / ~'; . .Thp --last-hamed; measure is regarded by supporters'■,ofy^the 1 Government: as an im;portankunst.alm,ent, l 6f.'.Mr.. Wade's policy of social 'reformV'' : The Premier, in', mo vihg the seeonjjljveadiug ouJYiday, explained'that one :of'-isSi;d|)'jects wa's|toi>pkce;, the', inebriate under' the 'charge' and car'e ; of a ' guardian,- 1 .■aiithorised'^o/deal: with him or her in certain .specified; ways. Another,, to-provide for, the inebriate voluntarily entering into recognisances before a. stipendiary or; police magistrate to abstain from: liquors or narcotic drugs-for z period of not 'less than twelve months, • breach, es'jto'i he forfeiture of:.reco^i3ances..V.Authority: : woiild' be., given to the Governor to establish institutions for the treatment of inebriates, .these to bo under the care of ithe Inspector-General of. the. in sane,. • and ..there .were .wide powers for' tli©*: relegation 'of-drunkard's r;to '■ ,themt : ThejChiefvGovernment, Medical ;Officer, . the' Jnspector-G(eneral ■" of'Sthe and the. Prisons "were consti-•'.. supiprvising^lipard^underr-the ;ActJ' ■Jn;the, debaie, that, followed .the-most notable; ;,to;v;the measured was con;cerhbd witfytthe wid§|powcrs proposed ,to'';B'e conferred <»n magistrates-;to! determine ivKo are' inebriates;;'.? Speakers who, 1 followed from both sides of- the House, were 'generally' agreed-as to "the'necessity 'for some such enactment;-and the. second reading was agreed to without division:. .'.'■'•' ,r

:, /v'^OpraAL^FIGHTS;-';;'.-. •;; Vv % ;r 'Melbounie;has-been much concernedl about rowdyism at football matches. The riotous behaviour of a: portion of the crowd at the -Pitzroy ; aiid'-. : South Melbourne football ;niatch. ' "iph..; thb 24th'j 'has.Hnduced the 'committee of -. ;the' .'South^^Jlelb^urno^iCricket.- ;Club ; ■: (as- ■ owners-of _ the' 'ground)- to-'devise' means to guard against a recurrence of such disgraceful conduct, and tx> protect the players of risiting teanis. The visiting clubs will have, the' use of the cricketers', dressing-rooms, in; . the, pavilion, and 'no';: imo.-except ithV players iind officials of the competing clubs will be allowed on the arena before, during, or after the> match. Plain-clothes policemen will be stationed-throughout the crowd, with orders, to .eject anyone using bad language, or otherwise'behaving offensively. For tnis .purpose,twenty'uniform f twelve plain-clothes, and;;four "mounted' police will be engaged, and if this is'found insufficient the number will be increased. , ', ■-■ Three footballers had' to appear at the Police Court on .charges of having behaved' in a' riotous manner on another football ground, but the. Bench held that the facts placed before them ,were not sufficient to 'justify the charge, and tho cases were dismissed. The moral which the "Age" draws from these lamentable exhibitions :is .that- the State should, provide ypimg, people! with', a military training as a-better meahs-of spending'their week-end holidays than the, pseudo-sport of football'".barracking."* ■-.-. ■ ',-■■'