AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1136, 25 May 1911, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

■ : r~? —c*" ~ . '""' 'LATEST MAfL IT^MS. . • MILITANT- "NEW UNIONISM." Tho "Sydney. Daily . Telegraph", states that investigations at Re'nmark (South Australia), the- present industrial storm centre, "reveal the active existence and stead}-,, spread of. militant 'ne^ .unionism.' It is an organisation which jams, not at legislative reform, but. at ignoring Government except where it seems tactically advisable to browbeat it into submission. Its proclaimed purpose is 'the' emancipation .of labour by the abolition of the wages system,' a kind of Socialism while 1 you.wait. In battling for eight shillings a day it admits that it will next ask for nine; when it.gets that for ten, and so on, until, if the union could have its way all along, the employer 1 would be wiped but—and. the unionists would start fighting among themselves over the division of billets and profits.. Its methods of organisation and campaign are,those of the.I.W.W., which were tried in the last, Newcastle.strike;, and. consist of linking unions up in an "industrial army whose regiments are expected to join in a general strike whenever it isconsidered necessary because some union wants higher wages and cannot get them at once without waiting for Arbitration Court or Wages Board. In .'fine, the 'United Labourers' Union threatens the community with industrial war unless it is subsidised—in the. form of immediate concessions in working condikeep the peace. It need scarcely bo.said-that such an arrangement will come very dear to tho public at the price, since any victory • won. by the linionistic combine in .that way will only encourage it" to demand more and still .-more. For that reason the Renmark producers who stood together-and successfully helped each other to.harvest and ship and-store their crops triumphantly resisted the despotism which menaced them" and through them iho public." ..... "SPY MANIA/'; The absurdity of raising a scare about spies because the Japanese who have returned from the rigours' of the Antarctic exhibit a natural desire to rest and recruit ashore at the camping, ground which ha's.been assigned to them at Parsley Bay (says the "Sydney Daily " Telegraph"), must bo obvious to anyone who is capablo of looking, at the. facts dispassionately.. Lieutenant Shirase and his men must have had. a bitter experience down 60Uth at.Coulman Island, and Professor David, who should be a good authority, expressed surprise that they were able to get dear of tho ice at all, on account of the lateness of their', departure!. To find a sinister, motive in their desire to leavo the' restricted quarters on their, small exploring steamer in order to stretch' their legs asharo after all the hardships of tho voyage is surely: pushing suspicion to preposterous lengths." - '■'. WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY; ' The installation of tho wireless telegraph station at Pennant Hills, Sydney, r is ; proceedine.steadily. The Sydney installation is tb.be the latest "singing spark" system, and will have a range of about UOO miles. The maximum charge for private messages is fixed, at 6d. per word. Some idea of the magnitude of the plant con be gathered when it is learned that it covers an area of 39 acres. Tho wireless mast is to be of steel, and .about 400 ft- .- It is stayed from three anchors, but on deep foundations, made of specially reinforced concrete. The spread from the mast to each of these stays is 2468 ft. The electrical-counterpoiso which is rendered necessary by the distance from the sea, is comprised^of-a network of wire, the meshes".being"some yards square, covering an" area-within 2000 ft. x 850 ft. The motive power, is an oil-engine of 78: horse-power;-it is not considered desirable for a defence proposition like. the wireless to bo 'dependent upon illitminant or power from an outside source, so oil is chosen before gas". The sizo .of the dynamo is 35 kilowatt. PAYMENT TO FEDERAL MEMBERS. During the nine months ended March 31 Federal Ministers received, payments .from the Treasury amounting to ,£8930, allowances to - senators : amounted to ■ £16,252 ,16s. 4(1., and to members-of the House of Representatives .£32,371 14s. 2d. In addition ,£8507 lis. 4(1.. was paid for travelling expenses of members; or a total of, .£66,062 Is. lOd. . ~ THE METHYLATED SPIRITS HABIT. I At' Melbourne the Customs authorities. I are making inquiries into the extent to which, methylated spirits 'are drunk- by pe.reons-r-n-hb" cannot' get" alcohol during prohibited hours. The Minister has been informed that over 20 persons were seen ,to purchase methylated' spirits on a're-cent-Sunday morning from a chemist in the : metropolitan . area. Ho says that both from.a humanitarian standpoint and that of revenue, for methylated spirits are free, while ordinary alcohol bears high duties, strong-efforts should bo made..'to'prevent a spread of'the methylated, spirits habit. Experiments are now being carried out,with a view to discovering some nauseating substance which might be added to the spirits, Tendering theju unfit for human consumption, but not interfering with their qualities for. industrial purposes. MUSICIANS' UNION. The Musicians'.Union of Australia have now district branches in the capitals of all the Australian States, and at a general meeting held recently in Melbourne it. was resolved that an application be made to the Commonwealth Court of Arbitration and Conciliation for settlement of disputes existing between various employers 'and employees in the industry .of professional musicians. A new scale of rates, with which it is desired to secure uniformity in the terms and conditions of •employment throughout Australia, was drafted at Pfrth. The Musicians'.Union .of Workers have cited in the Arbitration Court moving' picture companies and others employing orchestras for an.increase of par. The demand is for' ,£i a week. .The present rates are 4:3 down to 255. a week. The Court; decided there was a dispute, and proceeded to take evidence, the union having been registered. Points reserved for appeal were-whether the citcrs" arc workers within the meaning of the Act; whether they are professionals partly engaged in other employment; and, finally, whether the citation should not bo to the Federal Court, because both employers and employees operate in various State's

Great courago was displayed by Mr. Rooker, a second lieutenant in the Royal Garrison Artillery Reserve, who was injured in a motor-car accident near Sevenoaks, Kent. Mr. Rooker was out for a drive with the nurse who was attending him for injuries to his leg caused by a shooting accident, when the car was overturned in collision with another car. Mr. Rooker was thrown over a gate, his wounded leg being badly splintered. Although in terrible pain, tho young officer managed to drag the nurse, who was unconscious, out of a'ditch, and to attend to the injuries of the occupants of the other car, who were all injured, until help arrived.

According to high authority the velocity of a.rifle bullet is something'liko 21,10 feet a. second, or 21.2 miles a minute, and that of the projectjjo weighing 3391b. from a. quick-firing'9-inch gun is about 3000 feet a. second, or 31 miles a minute, so that the velocity of the earth is 32.3 .times as fast as the latter.

THE MACDONALD CASE. —-—♦ REPORTED RESIGNATION. MORE TRESS COMMENTS. Mr. T. Kennedy Macdonald has, it is reported, resigned his office as a member of the Legislative Council. "A SINISTER CASE." . .Under the heading "A Sinister Case," .the, Dunodin "Evening Star," a supporter of tho Government, printed the following editorial on .Monday:— It is not.surprising to hear that public opinion in Wellington is dissatisfied find uneasy in relation to the latest developments in the notorious case of Ro.-e and others versus T. K. Macdonald, M.L.C. The.case has boon marked by anomalous and (from the.public point ot view) sinister features from the beginning. A tew weeks ago the people of the Dominion learned with astonishment that the eariy proceedings had taken place with closed doors, all details concerning the litigation being carefully withheld from, the representatives 'of the press. No valid reason for this irregular secrecy has been vouchsafed—though we hold that the community are entitled to an explanation from the Supreme .Court Bench—and in these circumstances it is little Wonder that an unpleasant construction (relative to the political position of ■ the defendant) has been placed upon the judicial complaisance. And now the Court has discnarged the writ of attachment that had been issued against the .defendant,' on the ground that incarceration would probably have an injurious effect upon his state of health,.which is admittedly unfavourable. We should be .sorry to appear harsh or unsympathetic, but sympathy may easily be misdirected in matters of this kind, and there is an .important principle at stake. To speak quite plainly, we find it. impossible to dismiss the suspicion that the writ of<attach-ment-would-not hove been discharged if tho. defendant were an obscure person, unknown in political and municipal life. We share the misgivings expressed to-day by ' our Wellington.contemporary, Tub Dominion. In discharging the writ the Court observed that it-would still be in the power of the plaintiff to have recourse to criminal or bankruptcy. proceedings. That is all very well; but the matter has ceased to have a merely 'private import, and we take it that the Acting Minister of Justice (Mr. Fowlds) will- feel-called upon to. consider whether the Crown should not relievo the plaintiffs of the onus of further proceedings. Wedo not wish to say more at present, but tho Executive will be well advised to bear in mind that public opinion, in regard to scandals of this kind, is in a rather ticklish state. '

WOULD IT? The "Hot, Lakes . Chronicle" says: "Thomas Kennedy Macdonald, M.L.C, has been released from custody on the ground that his incarceration in his' present state of health might lead to serious consequences." Would the same'- consideration, under similar circumstances, have been shown to Micky O'Regan, a roadman, had he been in the samo position? And yet we hear that the course of justice cannot bo interfered with! Perhaps so, but it is very hard to make the everyday, ordinary man believe that there is not law for the presumably rich and influential and for the creature who is considered poor and deserves no quarter, who must suffer the punishment attached to his offending, while others dip deeper— who go for thousands—roam at large. •