AUSTRALIA.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 912, 3 September 1910, Page 9

AUSTRALIA.

VLW« ;'fcTOf.Teceived : : ; through Messrs'.' IWliitoombe:;arid : Tom.bs ; a;'copy; : of \-iib'.'igpster. 93ie Making of - a. Nation". (Cassell.-., 3s. fid.). "Pending; our 'notice,- we give' here :sfanw'v;;extr«^ ; ;:;:,;>ritli : :- : tlie ■ "SydneyBeraldV' comments:-- i : V v> 'vv; v '' :j"Melaide- for.cnlinre,'-Melbourne-for :':%:•: having V.'a i good ; tune,"', is the'famous which ,iba book ;opem' ■'; A-.little* la,ter we' learn third •generation VAustralia $ets sick of going'.on'\the..]and, and slips; , back to .the;city';:where:;itrtries'-;to;,look American,"laid 'only;;: succeeds:-iii/being : provincial;" That sounds .bad, %hiia r . delphia- of 'Aiistifaliai'-fsaves us by ;its embalmed, if ihat is.the right'expression, in. colleges, museums, :>rt:'fgalleries, :','.and a. geographical society;'',■>. Even'' Mr.', Foster Iraser must; admit: that avgeographical society: is "the i: salvation/of : ; any-.com-munity.; M for Sydnay, : 'its intellect is ,hid under a; bushel,; or else!■'the - harbour' lights; that ■■ 'Imade the' scene more fas-' cinating than.Venice'at night," put but cur' little candle of/culture: We are.-a 'contented, solemn- people, • with. no spray ; of light' chatter '. such • as, distinguishes 'Hydo Park on a Sunday afternoon, and the sun-glare makes. us: frown. Quaintly, enough, ; Mr.; Fraser; notes in: us "a singular ' absence', ; of.... commercial;. ambition'.", ,'There.ii.more,vim in the young .British, provincial ''than;, in the; Australian young man. ';.- Moreover, "Mr: 'lYaser missed, "any general-genuine desire' for' immigrants;-,:;■Why'.should wo .make things: harder4or ourselves by' letting others come in 'ind.share the good things ?", That: is the thought Ivcould discern at: the-back.'of '- the: minds of juany Australians." :■'■: ,/...:.;::;., ;:;';;::/; 0$ TAROCUuiisti. '■';;};■■■ \ -Australia .is; a'paraded.', It has .Imperialism, ■ :.which , ; it spells ;in. six-foot flags, but no national.spirit.■■.•''•You 1 drop from Imperialism ;tq parochialism.. '.'For all- practical purposes the Stales might have been so many.islands." Even'now "Western Australia is ..as much severed, from the rest of the continent'as though an,ocean flowed between.' "The' States passed their own'laws. \vith nomore consideration, for each other than British legislation displays ; for. French." The ':"machinery,', of Federal.Government is destroying all this, but' it. is still > sufficiently pronounced to rouse the scorn of all sensible men." :" At present the seat of Government) is Melbourne, but "for it to remain there would put' Sydney into hysterics of indignation, and for it to bo removed to Sydney would, almost provoko .a civil war, in Victoria. ■ ■' To prevent heartburning among the other States, a piece of territory' l has : 'been ceded and disinfected from Now South Wales. It is called Yass, but it is not on the road to anything except scenery." Nor docs Mr. Foster Fraser■■'.think anyone will want to. livotliore for. generations and generations.: "The-society.of politicians Knot suflicient to.attract tho retired

and leisured classes." There, at least, 'Hit. Foster Eraser shows a profound , wisdom. . . • SOME: OF OUH ASSETS. /: ■ In Now. South .Wales Mi\ Fostoi. Frasor found . thirty "Dead Horse i'lats," twenty-seven "Tin-pot Gullies," ~i.hundred' and .thirty "Saiidy Creeks,", and one ""Will I Go Bung?" Our chief crop is "Potentialities." ,■ It is scarcely •passible for ;uiy orator roared beueatli the Southern Cross to havo his tonguo wagging for Jive-minutes..without utter-i-'iirj; that word. was a blessed word to some old. lady, but not half-so blcssdd as "potentialities"" is to Australians. ■. .•. ~. ; . : "[remember a Judge saying to me: ' What has struck-:you 'most in Aus : tiiiliar" - , '' ' ;;, '■■ , . ';. . ; 'The/number of times :youuso tlio word -'potentialities , ," I replied. . ; Alf.ii we possess racehorses, and the Cotalisator, and an area-to' support at least: !20U,(JOp,UOO-;backers.. ;■'! /.- :.:.. ', •THOSE IGNORANT; AUSTRALIANS.'.: ;.' Miv Foster' .Fraser on .our; "Hornti' Lifo" .is decidedly: funny '-, After casualr ly. remarking ■'■that; the. Melbourne biisi-! ness'man' walks'four'miles to "the Sydney mail's .three, .and :that tho Mplbourna. ladies have "more stylo .in cob'tume," .he' assures: the reader that we devour, turkey, and., pliim pudding in u steamy,' clammy atmosphere, although ,tlie. : '"coiiipajiionable EiiglisliMiome life" is'absent. ''Australian'families' havo no '■'mutual reliance to;.provide pleasure,": nor, will wo stay. at home. and 'read."It, thercforej. follows that ;the appalling 'ignorauce'- among the, young men rind women of Australia .jars on the nerves. .The dogmatic cocksureness and overweening conceit 1 --.of '/ the ! averagt), :ypung Australian are!something' toiniake oho .alternately', sorrow' arid laugh." Nearly, all of. .us sneer at otherVcoiiritribs, 'and "one , of our. towns sheers .at the/next. Still: more dreadful is the fact that,boys 'and girls;of.-14."refuse . to ..be "wider parental domination;";: with the .consequence that there;'": are ■■': "frequent outbursts: of indignation from the pulpits." The'causo.-ljes' in "weakening iii religion, tlio.scant rattention .paid' to it in {lie•schools,' 1 and..the'niggardly attendances at places, of' Worship ,'on .Sundayl—bocauso that is the day devoted, to'! boating(and; surf-bathing ' and. picnic-. 1 ing.in the woods." Finally, we bay'e-ah. to Several pages, of moral disquisition! follow.. THE : EVOLUTION ;OF THE COMMON':i:.'-' , -, -i ■■;. ,;•;;; '■■ , ."At first, >hen;,the':only:.use to which the/country, was put'was a place for ; the •exportation '"'■■ of-, "cpiiyints, ,■•'! the ; , Governor.; was; king.*.. ! As'■the ; settlement;.''grew ithere was'fpi;med a'.Cpuiicil to. •• rule tlie; j ,lana^,.Theiiy-ih; ; 1842; it. had :a;'hardly' !demo(H'atic''Assembly." V Then the pep-! pie. .in'. Victoria : . and;/Southi Australia,;; "air voluntary. inihiigrants,\ and disliking .to\ l be associated with, New -South' .Wales," which they.-.regarded .as.'tainted: breaking.lodse from'-"the parent■■••yState , .', , ''' '.Well,; ;ndw,: : .tliere:;is.-;a '.-Cpmiiioiiwealtli.'''4 - uleu' .o{-"'pud}eyi-.ahd'Mr.V]?p'rter.'';]rraser!.'h'bpe : '- fully,, expects'it.. has : :''come, 'to': stay." Although '.;MrV ■ .Foster Fraser:,,is■.■■•''not going .to. .say .'l. did not,''hear of. cases ofj .'alleged corruption,", ,he.':thinks on. the ; , whole/ politicians are up to : the averago ■ ■elsewhere. Also, lie. learnt a; good deal frolh the "admirable, publicatious-.of Mr. Knibbs;;; ; ; '■•;;: ;:;■ ;> '■-;/ ,;\ .vv,:><; : :.';f : '^;;: : >vv' ; OIJR'BPU^TIbN.^-y;;: ; ;'y':: -.;.". Compared' with: tho population of. thel continent,- says- : Mfc Fraser,, thei'number; of children : ; 'attending;- ; the r "schools 'is not ..large,, and: they. l are decreasing /because/of, : ,the\ "sad' signifi-j 'cant'' ,fall in, the 'birth .rate./ ;"There ; , existing slackness'; in • religious lifeir the ' las 'morality,; and.' 'the; neglect; of'! bringing "families into the .world :to ...the. absence'.'of .dogmatic religious teaching.": There: , are/spine* good points- about; .our , educationv' however;";of ■ ;Which the 'most j are. .the .free: kindergartens.' established in! Sydney •': arid .' Adelaide, chiefly maintained >by< private .subscrip--'tion's.v *"It would!be absurd to : compare' the- Universities ; in'Sydhey, /Melbourne,: :or , Adelaidei with pnv. older institutions," and many.' Australians / look! upoii. , iini-; so v much 'waste > of; : time.;.. The head of one university waited on.':a .Minister.' for Education ; .to;plead. for:inore money :.;i;■ A;i :;"■;.;:'' ■'.; ■■"!': am : to see'you, :.gen'tlemeii/ biit :I may•'. tell you before.. yon. ; begin talking that this Government don't care! 'a.'d-TT-; jfor .science.";:' f;p.- : :?. h'.^y-".\■'■ ■' .:. : A ■."'little further! ;on'; -Mr, r/-Fraser. l.'doubts.'if. -ther'e.js any; civilised nation, on the ■'face'.rbf.'. the ..earth'.',s6 : ;ignorant/ concerning: geography.•, and ! ; history : as. the-Australians." ■:'.< '-\<;j, A : : !;-\>:' '„.;. -:! ;