OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2545, 1 November 1888, Page 3

OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

(FROM our own correspondent.) Sydnky, October 17. NOTHING can demonstrate more plainly the Rrent change which has taken place in tho public estimate of Sir Henry Parkes, than tha manner in which his propositions are received. There was a time when we looked upon him as the .saviour of the country, and thought he cmild do nothing wrong. Now, however, he can do nothing right. Every new departure is criticised with the most merciless severity, and evidently with a conviction that it ought to be condemned bofore it is tried. Tn fact, we are face to face with this curious state of affairs. Everybody, declares that the Parkes' Government is the only possible Government. And at the same time everybody declares that it cannot by any possibility pPivern right. To such a pitch have we been bi'Might by persistent .neglect to redeem e'i#ion pledges, by the foolish proposition to change the name of tho colony, by a multitude of things attempted that were plainly absurd, and of things left undone that were as plainly necessary. Tho latest blunder of the Premier—l need hardly say that no one takes any account of his colleagues—is the proposition to lease the trains, which has met with one universal condemnation. At first sight this seems unreasonable. For a long time everybody has been declining that tho trams could be better managed by private enterprise, but the first step to secure this desideratum is bitterly denounced. But I question whether those who talked and wrote so airily about " private enterprise" had ever seriously counted the cost. The State can at least afford to bo liberal. It can set before itself as a definite object tho securing of the maximum of comfort and accommodation at a minimum cost. The syndicate must of necessity take a diametrically opposite position. It undertakes the business primarily for profit, and has to look to profit in everything it does. Perhaps, after all the difference, wide as it appears ,is more apparent than real. But it is terribly apparent, and it is made particularly so in the Government propositiioii, which specifies threepenceas the minimum fare, instead of twopence as at present—an increase of fifty per cent, right away. It is generally

conceded that if theGovernmentthemselves wore to make such a charge as this, the trams would soon cease to be a losing concern. Why then should they hand over to an irresponsible corporation, which presumably has neither a body to be killed nor a soul to be saved, a power which they will not exercise themselves. Other great blots in the scheme are the stipulation that the present line is to be superseded by some other system—that system being quite indefinite and undetermined—and that the successful tenderer is to have undisturbed control of the whole system for forty-five years—a period of time in which our population may reasonably be expected to bo more than doubled, and in which all sorts of unforeseen contingencies may occur. Finally the time chosen was most inopportune. The question of city railway extension which must senously affect the profits of the trains is still unsettled. And, moreover, it is noted that this hastily devised and injudicious invitation to tenderers was issued the day before tho arrival of Mr Eddy, the gentleman to whom we look for the reform of our railway management, and who may reasonably be expected to be able to give valuable advice about tramway management also. Some members of the Ministry are known to bo such adopts in the devious ways of syndicate forming that it is openly declared that the combination which is to accept this "' sporting offer " was in existence before it was made. Fortunately, however, it is subject to the approval of Parliament, and, after such a sweeping and general expression of public opinion, it is hardly likely that that body will show it any

quarter. Other peculiarities of the Premier's administration are beginning to cause trouble. Neglected correspondence—an ommission, which may be entirely unintentional, but which to the aggrieved person always studied and premediated, is producing complaints from the public men of other colonies ; and, in addition, some of our own magnates conceive themselves to have grievous ground of complaint. Some time ago Dr. Creed, a bellicose little medic., concluded that he had a mission to expose the shortcomings of the Government in relation to their management, or as he would say, their mismanagement of military matters. With this view he sought permission to institute a critical inspection of arsonals, tuiuedo store?, fortifications, and such like. The Government naturally demurred. If every member of the Legislature were to constitute himself a self-ap-pointed critic in these matters, with full power to poke bia nose into the inmost rccess of our military secrets, the enemy, if wo have any, would soon be as well posted in our defects as we arc ourselves. So far, there is not u.nch ground for complaint. But when Dr. Creed got himself appointed chairman of a select committee of the Legislative Council for the express purpose of inquiring into these matters, tha affair assumes a different phase. He required some information from the Agent-General with regard to the purchase of stores in England. He asked the Government for it, but did not get it, and then he wrote to the Agent-general himself. That officer sent the information desired, but sent it under cover to the Colonial Secretary, who has persistently refused to forward it to the doctor. The Ostensible excuse is of course that it is irregular for any one, however high his standing, to obtain such information from the Agent-General, except through the Government. This, moreover, implies the possession by the Government of a ceitain discretionary power in withholding information which, it is to be presumed, they are now exercising. Descending from the infinitely great to the infinitely little, the Premier avers, moreover, that thfe letter in dispute was not directed to Dr. Creed, but to himself as Colonial Secretary. However, there is certain to be a pretty hubbub • about it when Parliament meets, and Sir Henry will probably see cause to regret that he was not as careful to maintain the suaviter in modo as the fortiter in re, The Herald, which is easily moved by the woes of men of position says " These proceedings can hardly fail to become a subjcct of Parliamentary inquiry; we are not sure that they ought not to be investigated in a Court of Justice." We have a Medical Board in Sydney. Like all such bodies, it is a kind of glorified trades' union, possessing, however, more countenance from the Government than such bodies usually succeed in obtaining. I need not say that it demands absolute jurisdiction over all medical practitioners. It declares that no one ought to sell medical advice or give (the corollary to that advice) a certificate of death unless he has the mark of the beast —I mean to say, of the Board. A case, however, has just occurred which shows that it is quite possible for a man to be duly certified by the Board as all that is proper and reliable, when yot he may be the very reverse. The town has been set talking by the disappearance from a fashionable suburb of a Dr. Drummond, a "duly qualified" medical man in good practice, who had recently married ißto a wealthy family. With the " doctor," it is said, has disappeared the sum of £0000, his wife's dowry, trusted to him for investment. The detectives have been put on tho track, and, it is said, his destination is known, and he has taken passage in a Bailing ship, so it is possible he may find someone waiting to meet him on his landing. But now for the medical part of the matter. It is affirmed that the doctor's diplomas want looking into. An English Dr. Drummond, a wealthy and fashionahle specialist, some years ago had the whole of his diplomas and qualifications stolon. The thief was never discovered, and, as the doctor's reputation was so well established as to need no help from parchments, he did not troublAimself about the matter. It is now sqrroiS&d that these very diplomas were palrr.ed off on our own infallible Board by tho gentleman who has just left us in such a modest and unostentatious manner. However, that may be, the doctor had been served with notice to appear before the Medical Board, to undergo examination. And it was after receiving that notice that he suddenly discovered that change of air would be good for his health. Of course no man must be held guilty till he is prored so, but as far as " Dr. Drummond" is concerned, the facts require a great deal of explanation. One would have thought that results should be allowed great weight in determining such a question. But I question whether the results of this doctor's practice would be found to be very much more deadly than those of his professional brethren who are above suspicion. Tho Medical Board is in a curious dilemna. To set itself right with the public it has to show that it in not as apt to admit tho charlatan and pretender as the deserving practitioner. And it has further to show how it is that reduced to the crucial test of practice, it does not seem to matter much who it admits, and therefore that its very raison d'etre is open to question. Parliament meets next week, only a

short financial session is expected ; and it is hoped that the Opposition and the Government will unite their efforts to arrange for the expenditure of 1889 before tha money is actually disbursed. The Newcastle strike still continues. The mediatory committee have withdrawn, owing to the refusal of the masters to meet thein. A conference between miners and employers is, however, to take place on Saturday, when it is hoped they may be able to arrange their differences without the intervention of third parties. At Stockton there has been another little strike owing to the employment of non-union coal trimmers. The masters, however, have given way, and work was resumed yesterday. There has been some disturbance at Wallsend, but fortunately nothing serious.