OUR SYDNEY LETTER

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2618, 23 April 1889, Page 2

OUR SYDNEY LETTER

(j'llO.M CJUIt OWN* COIIItKstI'OXDKNT.) PIiKHAi'H the best news of the week is the tidings of copious rains in the south and west. These are not merely passing showers like those which tantalised ths " bnckbloekers " for so many months, and which, although they have temporarily freshened the feed, have given no supply of permanent water. There has already been a soaking lain, which has extended right out to the far west, not only in this colony, but also in (Queensland. As much as six inches has been recorded in some places, and it is now pretty certain that over nearly the whole of tlie country there will be an abundance of feed and water for the winter. Perhaps it may be thought that this in not an appiopriato item of news to mention in a inetiopolilan letter. But, as a matter of fact, the prospeiity of Sydney is more intimately bound up with the welfare of the pastoral interest than with that of any other section of the community. From Sydney they obtain their supplies. To Sydney they send their wool and other produce. To Sydney financial establishments they appeal for the pecuniary assistance necessary to improve the carrying capacity of their runs, and to protect the stock from the ravages of drought and famine. In Sydney they spend the lion's share of their prolits, when there is any to spend. For some months thore has been little.>r none. The country has been scorching and baking under a semi-tropical sun. The waterholes have long ngo dried away. J'jven great lakes that have never before been dry, at least in the memory of this generation, have been parched up. In placo of increase and prosperity, there have been monotonous tidings of death anil disaster, flocks and herds slowly dying of hunger, and their owners reduced to the verge of desperation. Along with all this there lias been the inevitable concomitant of men discharged, of improvements postponed or discontinued, of country storekeepers unable to meet their liabilities. Distrust had taken the place of healthy conlidence. One of thy principal stream* of wealth from which the prosperity of Sydney is replenished was cut off at its source, aud men wero beginning to ask themselves, gloomily enough, whether this state of things was ever gome; to have ail cud.

At last it seems almost certain that the end had come. Tho darkest hour is just before day, and the day has begun to dawn. I t is almost certain that tho rain -which has fallen will be followed by more. Even now it is transmuting itself into grass, the grass into flush and fat and wool, that is to say into cash or its equivalent. Of course there is a great deal of lost ground to make up. Jsut the recuperative powers of tho interior aro very great, and assert themselves with marvellous rapidity, i'robably there is no country in the whole world where a few inches of rain make so much difference, not only to the face of the country, but in the aspect of the great financial and commercial interests. Whether it is exactly creditable that a British-speaking community should be thus almost entirely dependent on the mercy of the elements, is another question which 1 shall not at present attempt to answer. Another iteu. of good news for us metropolitans, whoso welfare is so intimately bound up with that of tho dwellers in the interior, is the fact that both the Government and the Opposition are agreed as to the necessity of amending some of the most radical defects of the present land law. The tenure which it accords is capable of a much move equitable definition. At present it discourages the construction of improvements by confiscating them at tlm end of a short term, and it further exacts an arbitrary increase of runt, irrespective of the seasons or tho carrying capacity of the runs. It will bo very creditable to the Opposition, if they succeed in embing their party zeal, until a more healthy state of things is brought about, and their leaders seem determined to (Jo it. Unfortunately, however, one or twa recalcitrant members have it in their power to interpose numberless obstacles to the course of legislation. Tho groat libel case, bibbs v. (lie Daily Telegraph has at last been concluded. Tho costs and damages in the first case, in which Mr Dibbs gained a verdict, have been paid, and the proceedings which wero pemrliug for a second libel action against the paper, have been withdrawn. Tho case has been a great windfall for the lawyers, who must have divided some five or six thousand pounds among themselves. Hut 1 question whether it has given any solid satislaction to the successful plaintiff, and I am certain it has given none to the defe% dent newspaper.

The military world of Sydney litis been | amusing itself for some weeks "by holdinga great court martial. One Webster .'a non-commissioned officer, to whom trusted the business of obtaining clothing from the contractors, and distributing it to the men was charged with embezzlement. We usually accord to militaiy men some rrpu. tatiou for promptness and decisiveness, the ''drum-head court-martial, whatever else it is synonymous with, is not usually associated with any idea of the law's delay. But in this ease the trial lias been prolonged for several weeks, and it was virtually prolonged at the prisoner's expense. He was represuntod by counsel, and tho expenses of his defence will amount to something like £700. Thus in addition to the punishment which military law prescribes for his defence, his wifo and family are redujod to beggary. Tried at quarter sessions, as all such eases ought to be, the case would not have occupied more than two or three days at tho outside, the military mou, however, wished to make an inquiry into the system of clothing tho force, and at Webster s expauae they succeeded iu <Jq.

nionstratmg that uud- r their own manngumcnt, they nll'-wrd a sy-tem to grow up which ottered '' priamum to fraud, and which, except in the case of men of iwcepttoiial integrity, w*as idiiiii.it certain lu lead t" it. lhey also nucceeded in dtttiionxtr»titifr tm-ir entire unfitness for the onerous work of judges. I t is hoped that the inquiry and its revelations will lead to the entire reconstruction ot the Permanent Force and tho abolition, at all events, in time of peace, of toe at):-,mil privileges which are claimed for it. The arrival of the Calliope after her hairbreadth escape from tho Samoa hurricane was the signal for a great ovation. In spite of the inroads of modern civilisation, there is still something left within us ot the old viking spirit. We glory m the courage and skill of the dashing skipper who saved his ship bv .-teaming out to sea m the teeth of the hurricane, whilst .«o many other warshipsperished ingloriously at their moorings. As usual the theatrical proiassion are early in the lield to take advantage of the popular adoration of this latest nautical hero. Mr tceoige Ixignold, one of the most enterpriMug of our theatrical lessees, gave a special " welcome " performance the other nii;ht in honour of the exploit. The l-o-vurnor and Lady Cairington were present, will) a distinguished p:irty from Government House, while close l>y sat Captain Kane of tho Calliope, with the ollicnrs in full fit'. Behind was a large muster ol blue jackets. Her Majesty s liasn t presented such a nautical appearance since it was opened. Of course there was only ono piece which could appropi lately be played, and that one piece, need liardiy say, was " Black-eyed Susan." Parliament has hardly got to work yet. Last night, however, they managed to pass a resolution in favour of paying their noble selves an honorarium of £HOO a year. Tho mover, Mr Waddel, had the decency to make his motion applicable to the next I'arliiuuotifc. 15ut thin would n*it at all suit the more greedy members. The resolution was therefore amended so as to apply to the present Assembly. The division was not near ly so closs an that ou 1 reetrade and Protection. Forty-five members voted in favour of putting public money into their own pockets, against only 25 who had the courage and self-respect to legist the insidious temptation. From a democratic point of view, tho case in favour of payment of members is irresistible. But members who allow themselves to be elected to a position which they are well aware carries no emolument, should bo very loath to give a vote for their own pecuniary advantage. Already, after only a few days' life, the Government find themselves instructed to oring in two Bills, both of which are outside the range of their avowed programme. How long they will consent to submit to this dictation 1 can t say, but the position cannot be a very pleasant ono. , The agricultural returns, just published by the Government, reveal a very dis eouraging state cf affairs. '1 lie acreage of wheat, after making full allowance for that which was cut for hay, has diminished by o.er 10,000 acres, and that of maize by 5,-lSli acres. The total area of land under cultivation in ItW.I shows a decrease, as compared with tho previous year of 50,320 acres. The decrease in tho yield of wheat amounts to .'i,000,000 bushels, but this is due to the exceptionally bad season, as well as to the inllueuces which have caused the laud to go out of cultivation. Ihis state of retrogression is very discreditable, and it is to ho hoped that a remedy will be devised.