AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 878, 26 July 1910, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

MR. WADE AND HIS CRITICS. Sydney, July 20. > The "Sydney Morning Herald," replying editorially to th* strictures lately levelled by Mr. Wise at Mr. Wade and his Ministerial colleagues, asserts that no effective reply was made to Mr. Wade when lie asked what more Ministers could have done .or what more they could do now. What we do get, remarks the "Herald," is any amount of wild and impracticable talk about nationalisation ; but those who listen to this evidently fail to realise tho risk* run iii carrying on any big business concern, an<! that in tluYcase those risks would bo borne, not by "capitalistic monopoly," but by the workers at? large. Many misguided people imagine that nationalisation is a, source of unknown wealth. As a matter of fact, if it ever •has to bo carried out as regards any commodity or convenience, we may be sure, it will bring far more worry than profit. The very conditions that make profit possible to private enterprise will be destroyed as soon as the act of nationalisation is complete. It is not fair to accuse Mr. Wade of stirring up strifebetween the Commonwealth and the State.' All that Mr. Wado has over done is to ask that compacts entered into should be carried out in good faith. Unfortunately, he has had to bo insistent in his asking; but the' Commonwealth cannot blame him for that. Equally without fouudation is the charge that Liberalism set out to kill the old Arbitration Act. That Act was killed, not by disuse, but by overuse; and Labour itself was the most loudthroatcd in the demand for something more workable. It got it; and in spite of Mr. Wade's criticism the fact remains that the wages boards have accomplished more than the old Arbitra-' tion Court over began to perform. Surely a convinced exponent of arbitration is ill a peculiar position when he advocates the "right w strike" as the Magna Charts of trades-hall liberty? The alternative lies between industrial arbitration and industrial war.

Underpaid Postal Assistants, "We are on the verge of a revolt," said some members of the general division of the postal -setvice' when interviewed on Fnday v last. "Our prospects are hopeless under the present conditions. We find we are not to be allowed to marry, or at least it looks liko it. Wo are aground,, high and dry/on a sand bank, labelled - £110 a year, and there we remain three years . at least; then only getting a paltry £4 increase and so on till wo reach £120, when we shall be stranded'for another threo years, eventually arriving at £138, where wc are hung up again for live years. This time, and after that, .one's good conduct and efficiency allowances are considered —rather late in tho day, in our opinion. Wo may reach £150 per year, but by that time wo shall be about 40 years old, and hava been in tho service for over 80 years. It is iniquitous." An examination of figures produced showed that on February 1,. 1910,. there .were 56 postal assistants in receipt of £110 a year. Two were 32 years old,- one was 30, "four were 2'J, six wero 28, >eix moro were 27, twelve were 26, and thirteen were 25. \ Two of these assistants had been in receipt of £110 salary'for ten years, one for nine years, four for eight years, and six for six years: .They are said to do the same work as a postmaster, while a postmaster receives about double the salary. Tho assistant must be able to receive and send telegrams at the rate of 25 words a minute, to perform savings bank duties, pay old ago pensions, transact money order business, and attend to the-loiter'do l partment. . ■. .■, •

• , University Loan Office, Pending the coming of the day when the placing of the coping stone at the university shall be as free as the laying of the foundation stone in.the kindergarten, the council of the Melbourne University is considering • a scheme recommended by the senate, whereby loans may bo granted to approved applicants who have not the means to pay their fees, and to maintain themselves while graduating. Owing to the increasing number of students the income derived from examinations anci fees is steadily growing,. while the'expenditure is practically stationary. It. is proposed that of the £1500 annual increase in revenue £1000 should he paid into the proposed loan fund, .the Government to subsidise it to the extent of another £1000. There will thus, bo £2000 available each year for assisting needy students by remitting fees, and by grants for living expenses. The average loan will be for five years, and, allowing a margin of 15 per cent, for the death or bankruptcy of student* at the end of the fifth year by accrued interest £3800 would be available. By theend of the 10th year'tho sum to-bo distributed, would be £5240, while by the 15th year £7000 would be available. It has been calculated that the schema, would keep the university open to 350 students who cannot now afford to attend. ■ Tho repayments would be extended over two or three years after graduating,, and would bo guaranteed by '■ some responsible person. '- To participate, the student would have to show that ho and his parents are un--able—or the latter unwilling—to pay his fees and-living expenses; he must bo recommended as a fit and proper person by a professor, or a schoolmaster, and two reputable citizens; he must agree to take such remunerative employment as ho or the bureau can arrango at suitable times; and he must enter into a bond to repay the loan at specified dates. The interest to bo charged is 5 per cent., and already students of law tastes are arranging to present the university with three gilt balls.—"Sydney Morning Herald."

A French Venture. The island of Makatea, which is said to contain valuablo deposits after the nature of those on Ocean Island, will, probably within a--few months be worked by a big French company. Mons. Touze, who represents this company, arrived in Sydney yesterday by the Wonga Fell. The.deposits on the island of Makatea are so-far unworked, and have not yet been even surveyed. The French company which proposes to. work them has a capital of 7,000,000 francs. Mons. Touze stated yesterday that tho final instructions as to details of the scheme were still awaited. Whether the company would run its own steamers, and whether tho trqde would come through Australia, he was at present not able to state. Mons. Touze and Mr. Bertrand, who is with him, intended to go on to Melbourne by the express last night. The final arrangements of the company will shortly be' made, and it is possible that Mons.' Touze himself may go on to Makatea. "Plant a Tree.'' In the opinion of the Victorian Conservator of Forests, the expenditure of public-money in pine plantations will bo profitable to the State. In Australia, up to tho present time, almost tho only plantations of soft-woods, aro those laic! down in Victoria..and South Australia. In Victoria tho Government receives a return for thinning, chiefly for the manufacture of fruit cases, from about tho sixteenth year of growth onwards, but the main crop giving standing timber from 18iu. to 2ft. 3in. in diameter, will be available from the 25th to the 32ud year.. A South Australian return, furnished a short time ago to the New South Wales Forest Commission, gave an estimated yield. for pino with a growth of 21 years at 24,000 superficial feet to the acre,, equalling a financial return of £200 uii'r acre, or an ayeraae.

for the whole period of>£9 10s. 6d. per acre per annum. .The cost of preparing the land was given as from £5 to £10 per acre for tlie 21 years. Tho other branch of the planting operations of the department is of. trees that arc indigenous to Victoria. In the.past our "" hardwoods havo heen ruthlessly slaughtered in the settleddistricts. On private lands there has not been the slightest attempt at re■alforestation, while Nature's process of seeding has been broken! Large areas havo been fenced in and stocked. The timber has either been totally removed for cultivation, or used for commercial purposes, without regard for, the future. In other cases the trees have been ring barked in order to pipmote the growth of grass for grazing, and only the gaunt skeletons have been left standing. In. these settled districts which still havo a demand for timber tho Forest Department is faced with tho necessity of planting now hardwood forests of timber natural to the country. In most cases the planting of Victorian hardwoods will,take place on tho northern plains in the neighbourhood of . settlements and towns' where in past years tho natural growth has been completely removed. In the mountainous districts, in which there are still large forests of natural hardwoods the work of conservation" and thinning, together with the production of seedlings will suffice, and Nature will provide for the seeding. About 80 men are employed in the outsido work of the ■ Forest Department. Since the reorganisation of the department less than two years ago the aim has been to keep the expenditure within the income. The' expenditure and revenue since 1894 havs been as follow:— .

Revenue., Expenditure. ■'£ ' £ 1904-1905 „ 17,320 17,773 1905-1906 ... 21,508 21,974 1906-1907 ... 24,971 21,16? 1907-1908 ... 27,373 19,550 1908-1909 ... 40,647 27,065 Of the revenue-for- tho last year on record, the details consisted of mill rents and royalties on sawn timber, £11,464; fuel and charcoal, £7615; grazing rents for forest lands, £7435; hewn timber, -piles, etc., £7060; mining timber, £2841;, wattle bark, oil, etc., On the expenditure side, management and supervision of forests absorbed £15,462, or 38 per cent, of the revenue.- The upkeep of: State nurseries, the raising of trees for plantations and the gifts of tree plants t,o settlers and public institutions cost £2759, or 6.8 per cent., while £1163 was devoted to the building of the school of forestry and purchaso of land at Creswick. The Tomainder of the expenditure, £7681, was spent in improvement work in the young natural forests and in laying, out new plantations. . "