AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1389, 15 March 1912, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

PROTECTION OF ABORIGINES. The demoralisation of Northern Territory blacks through relations with Chinese and yellow people is remarked upon by Professor Baldwin Spencer, special commissioner and chief protector of aborigines in his first report to the Commonwealth Internal Affairs Department. Prutessor Spencer stales that an appeal case has shown that onlv the chief protector has power to issue' licenses for the employment of aborigines, these having bicu Hitherto issued bv all protectors. Permission temporarily given to Chinese to employ blacks had been withdrawn, and the aborigines had been sent to their own country. Many aboriginal camps round Darwin had been removed. The greatest difficulty in dealing with the natives near settlements was tlie presence of a great number of undesirable Chinese and Malays. Owing to the difficulty of getting evidence, convictions for tho illegal supply of liquor or opium to the blacks were few, and the only way to prevent the trafficwas to prohibit natives trom entering Chinese and Malays' houses, and prevent the aliens from visiting the native ramps. That portion of J)arwin known as Chinatown had been declared a prohibited area, and drastic regulations were being enforced Io keep aliens and natives apart. An urgent need was tho reservation of Bathurst Island or some such island, as a place where aborigines with such evil tendencies could be kept, under the care of a man who had had experience of farming. A LEISURELY ARTIST. "That art is long is exemplified once more, says the Melbourne "Age," "in the iaet that the picture which Chevalier dc llarlino was commissioned to paint to celebrate the founding of tho Commonwealth has arrived after a lapse of ten years, and is now hnnging in tho library of tho Federal Parliament. Tho Chevalier was a member of the Royal partv, and is a celebrated inarino painter. lie was introduced by Lord Linlithgow to Sir Edmund Barton, then Prime Minister, who commissioned him to paint a picture, nit was under the impression that it was i ; J .V f tlic !llmli "S «f the Roval party at Melbourne. The picture was painted, but transpired to be of the landing of Lord Linlithgow at Farm Cove, Svdnev. on jf's arrival to proclaim the Commonwealth, the Deakin Government did not accept he picture, but the artist insisted that ho had been commissioned bv Sir Edmund Barton to paint it, and (hat the price was to be ,1500. Mr. Fisher wrote to Sir Edmund Barton, who replied that he had given the commission, uut thought that the picture was to be tho Melbourne scene, the money has now been paid, and the picture adorns the Parliamentary Library It portrays the landing of the first Governor-General, showing the warships on the harbour and the crowds of people on the slopes. There is nothing very sinking about it bevond the price and the time it has taken to arrive." THE PROSPECTS OF CHINA. The Chinese'of Sydney and a number ot their European friends recently assembled at a banquet held in onfer to celebrate tho inauguration of the Republic. One of the Chinese speakers said that the eyes of the world had been centred upon tho marvellous readjustment of political control in China. The speed and eftoctiveness with which tho mighty Chinese nation rose to tho occasion lo assert its dignity and national honour was, he was sure, a source of astonishment and pleasure to them all. It was the turn-ing-point of the brilliant development of China to an important factor in the conduct of the affairs of tho world in tho future. As a lover of his country, and one deeply interested in the conditions under which it was governed up to the time of the abolition of tho Manchu regime, he had always felt hew utterly unfair the assumption was by most Europeans that the Chinese v:ere a weak, and, to a large extent, unworthy people. This he did not wonder at, however, when ho considered the policy of tho Manchus in rigidly excluding any chanco whatever of enlightenment lo the great masses of tho nation. He was convinced that, just as Chinese patriotism had shown its valour in war, so would lasting peace ensue, now that it had gained its object, and they would witness soon the emphatic desire of the Chinese people, for recognition, by the rest of tho world, of their desire to imitate European methods and customs, and their tremendous susceptibility to learning. Dr. Arthur (a previous speaker) had advocated the encouragement of the visit of a number of Chinese students for training in the various Australian universities. He thought that was a good idea. GROWTH OF METHODISM. Some interesting figures illustrating the growth of Methodism in Australia were given by the Rev. J. E. Carruthers at the Lyceum Hall in Sydney during a meeting held in connection with tho centenary celebrations. According to Mr. Carruthers, the year 1812 was notable owing to the fact that it was tho year in which the first class meeting was established and the first love-feast held in Sydney. In 1355 the first Australasian conference was held. In 1873 conference was divided into four, and conferences were held in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and New Zealand. The Methodist Union was effected in 1902, and in it was incorporated Wesleyans, Primitive Methodists, Bible Christians, and United Freo Churches. A hundred years ago the Methodist Church in Australia was represented by very few members. Now, however, there were 1050 ministers, 943 lay preachers, 215 home missioners, 175,079 church members, 240,000 Sunday school scholars, 075,000 adherents, 45 collegos, 955 parsonages, 755 school halls, and 3900 churches. The amount contributed to homo missions was .£32,ooo'and to foreign missions .£IO,OOO. LABOUR AMENITIES. Tho Socialists in Australia have a new and fearsome namo for the so-called Labour party, both Federal and State. The "Industrial Workers of tho World," as tho Socialists prefer to will themselves, speak of the Labour party as "alleged" only, thereby desiring to intimate that tho Socialists are the genuine article, and the Labourites, in the unionists' own classic language, "bogus." Recently tho Industrial Workers of tho World assembled in tho Queen's Hall carried two resolutions directed against both Federal and State Governments—"That the members of tho Northern Fcderntiou of Miners be congratulated on voting down the alleged Labour party's Conscription Act." "That this meeting of th© I.W.W. condemns tho action of tho New South Wales alleged Labour party in not releasing the four men imprisoned for taking part in a strike, and demands their immediate release."