SYDNEY LETTER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2726, 2 January 1890, Page 3

SYDNEY LETTER.

_♦ — " [from our own corrkdvondent. ] A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and many of them to all my readers and everyone else. I was very nearly writing to everyone who deserves it. But as no one can be really happy who deserves it not, it seemed rather superfluous. This is the time of feasting and merriment. May we remember what the genial influences of the season ought to remind ns of. Not those, I fancy, who eat and drink, and revel the most, will he the merriest or happiesl', but those who give the most, and the most wisely. Bu this giving, what a complex and paradoxical thing it is. One, be it man or woman, shall give you more pleasure, hy a tone of the voice, a glance of the eye, a grasp of the hand } than another who pompously confm-8 upon you the leavings of his wealt'. Ifts in themselves, are lifeless and i uueless. According to the. heart from* which-they come is theirreal worth. And-juichr«! : by this rule, what so vain able as the gifts, which in one perpetual stream, flow down to Humanity, from the Giver of all good—wh*se manifestation, fall of grace and truth," the whole Christian world will have commemorated by tho time these lines are read. Shall there be bo gratitude for these, no passing on from our own superfluity, to those who need it more than we do.

Politically the year closes ominuously. There is apparent, peace, because the Houses of Parliament have gone into recess—but it is a peace that prepares for war. The passing of the estimates for the year has cleared the deqks for action, and there is an undisguised determination that when the Legislature next assembles it will not be to deliberate for the public good, but to decide which of two equally balanced political parties shall force its "platform" down the throat of the other. It reminds one of the ancient ordeal of trial by combat. While the fight lasts good feeling and good government will be thrown to the winds ; and when it is over the result will be the same as if it had never been fought. That is to say, it will be a compromise. Each is battling, as I said before, for the right to force its undiluted political dogmas down the throats of those who hate them. But, whatever may be the result, the minority will be too powerful to admit of the possibility of coercion. Seeing then that after the fiebt is over, the beaten party will still be able _ to enforce its claims to consideration, why cannot both parties agree to extend consideration to each other before it begins. A Parliamentary division has no more power to alter the real truth—the real rights of the easethan had the combat d Voutranee. The fact that a champion was unhorsed, or speared, or got his throat cut di'ln't render his cause one atom intrinsically worse or better. Civilisation slowly awoke to the fact, and the combative knights and iron armour had to give place to the judge and jury, who do at least make some show of candidly and dispassionately enquiring where the truth lies. But the knights still flourish in party divisions. Far more imp rvirins to argument or conviction than the armoured champion to chance arrow are our modern political fighters. Why cannot we do away with the whole pestilent tribe, and settle down like sensible men to see what is really good and practicable? It will come to this sooner or later, and until it does come our pretence of Government, by means of anarchy, will be a wretched parody. I don't know whether Chiistmas influences had anything to do with it, but a very serious labour trouble, which bade fair to disorgauise the whole of the coasting trade, is iii a fair way of being amically settled without the objectionable appeal to physical force and endurance. I refer to the dispute between the engineers an:' captains of steamers. The latter claim jurisi'ictiou over the whole ship The former declare that as captains can only have a very superfical know, ledge of machinery, they are out of place in the engine room, and they demand for themselves a seuarate and uncontrolled jurisdiction as to details, tlionsih. nf course, they are willing fo concede to the skipper the riuht of deciding the speed at which the engines are to be run. Thore is a good deal of reason in the complaint made by the engineers, that at present they are in danger of being J arbitrarily and vexatiously interfered with by men who have little or no comprehension of the tninutue of their words. But it is plain, on the 6'her band, that it would never do to create an imperii!m in imperii). There can only bo one captain on board a ship, and he must be captain everywhere, in the engiuu-room as well as on the quarter deck. The question seems to be one for the exercise of tact and discrimination rather than for the drawing of hard-and-fast lines. Other thiugs besides seamanship are required of the captain. If he cannot command without provoking ordinarily well disposed men to rebellion, he is plainly out of place, and should make way for some one better qualified. On the other hand if an engineer is so morbidly sensitive that he resents the taking of ordinary precautions by the captain, he also is out of place. Unfortunately these are often complicated ty personal favouritism, and iu the over powering feeling of resentment against injustice in the conviction that no redress awaits them but such as they can force for themselves, positions are taken up which in the long run must prove untenable. I don't know that there has been anything of the sort in the present instance. A conference is to bo held to day,consisting of two representatives from each side, and it is quite expected that an amicable arrangement will be arrived at.

Iu commercial matters the year closes quietly, but hopefully. Prices of commodities have risen all round, but the demand is slow, and points to a period of general suspense. The mainstay of New South Wale* is of couroo the pastoral industry, which with wool at a pr iop.and abundance of feed and water, is flourishing bravely, barring bush-fires and grass seed. .^_^________