OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2903, 21 February 1891, Page 4

OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

(l llDil Ol I! (J« N I'OllllKsiMNl'KN I'l. I iS", |in i . I',•ln ii.i i-y 11. j 'I'm.-, i.-i known as the " .Silly Sia-on. ' 'I'll- | :n\ idi<m.-i li'i'm is bestowed up.iii it l» - I cans'; I*.ii']i;iiiifiit is not, sitting. With ri|iml frlicitmisncss and accuracy I'-irli i incut. il ii'lf in called 1 in' " '1 U <'• r>'<■ « i-' ilom" (if the (imiili'V- I" '•■"•r.-n-. ivln-iv there is not wi. !•• n tin rr inu-t. In- silli ni".s :mil vicc versa. Iline il!.'' hichryiiu This is a free country, mid theatre is fine fit' free thought, hence :t ! J Uv'.tyoii ci:i sionally hear ilniih' ; ' xpri'ssed whether tin: proceedings of I "ill 1 1 i;i t not, sometimes add to the collective silliness lather than tn the collective wisdom. Hut this train of thought is disconcerting, ami deviates somewhat from the line of my argument, which was intended to show that no one has any right to expect a sensible letter from a newspaper correspondent in the silly season. It may bo true that life to the individual is as interesting and full of vicissitude as it was when Mr Gould and Mr Gsrvan, and other legislative, celebrities were airing their eloquence in Macquarrie-street. There is in tho heart of every one of us locked up a story, which, if properly told and propprly listened to, would evoke thrilling interest and genuine sympathy. This is a stupendous bedrock fact, which is not perceptibly affected by seasons silly or otherwise any more than the Himalaya or Rocky mountains arc nfleeted by summer or winter. But who will tell these stories and who will listen to them .' Who will believe them when they are told, and who " will wear his heart upon his sleeve for daws to peck at?" So it comes to pass thar the publicist is driven to moralise upon such shreds and patches of lifo aa transpire in Parliament, in the caucus or on the hustings, and when these fail he feels himself intieh in the position of those unhappy bondmen of old, who were condemned to make bricks without straw. His own silliness and the assumed silliness of the public for whom he writes he visits upon the inanimate season much in the same manner and often with not quite so much truth as Biddy accounts tor the smashed crockery by saying, " I'lease .sir, it were the cat." But a truce to excuses, and let me try to deliver the weekly "tale " uf things as they appear to be, with such effort as I can command to show them as they arc. Politically, Federation is being brought to the front, and as in duty bound, wc ate trying to get up some healthy interest in it. It seems so reasonable to suppose that a number of nominally civilised communities .Npeakiug the samo language and owning allegianec to tho samo sovereign should malco an effort to oonio to u oormnou uudoiStanding ou B»bject3 in which they huvo a common interest thut tho svmprithies of patriotic citizens all over the colouics are strongly enlisted in the success of tho movement. The Convention, in which all tho colonies will be represented, will moet in Sydney next month At present tho all-absorbing question iwhothcr tho proceedings shall, or thall not, be reported in the press. Some of tho inoro conservative members who wish to hold the sessions with closed doors would probably put the case thus: — "Shall we talk to Buncombe or shall we tdk to ono another? Our proceeding's, if reported, will be in danger of becoming interminable. \\ o nhall talk columns, intended for tho perusal of our constituent*, wkurc a few well weighed words would be niuply sutlicicut for the transaction of tho business." Tho other side reply that what is lost in verbosity is likely to be more than made up in thoroughness, imd in the sense of responsibility quickoncd by the knowledge that the deliberations aro carried on in view of the public, for whose benefit; they were initiated. It is a very pretty quarrel, as it stands, and even with the experience of Parliament to guide us, it is open to question whether the balance inclines to the side of publicity or not. Most probably a compromise will bo agreed to. The proceedings in Convetion will be reported but those in committee will be private. Thus the press and its readers will not only be able to see the work half-done (it is to be hoped that there are no childreu or fools among them.) but in all the stages of its doing. Meanwhile the real danger which is threatening the public prosperity and the public security is the strife between employer and employed. It may bo that the police organisations of the several colonies are strong enough to prevent or punish open outrage. Hut legislation is evidently nceessary to put an end to the disastrous conflict between conspiracy and counter-conspiracy. At all events the signs of the times are such that one would pi cfer to see the captains of the ships of state "on tho bridge" rather than confabulating in the cabin. It may be, though that Federated Governments aro necessary to deal with Federated Unions and Federated Associations.

"Hang the agitators on both sides," was the rough-and-ready susrgestion ftf a squatter who was giving evidence before tho Labour Commission as to the best means of putting an end to tho present dilliculty. An exaggerated phrase perhaps, biit. there can bo little doubt that lie voiced :j, wide-spread and growing conviction, not only among th» general public, but one which i" riit'-il.iinfd by the most worthy moinn.-r-f of tu-tli ermteudiujr faction". They find their account in oomimr to briiis iii shi-niiu:f i-hoon and gettintr paid for it, iu getting sheep cliom and selling the wool. But the agitator Jiuds bis account in fomenting strife, that is to say iu preventing his principals from entering into those agreements, or making those concessions which are mutually so profitable. In times of peace his occupation is gone. If he allows it to continue lie will get neither salary nor notoriety. Hence it is, that when one battle is ended be is always at hand with pretexts for another. If he iiad his way he would continue the struggle until like the Kilkenny cats, each side had devoured the other. Meanwhile, the public suffers more than the combatants, for the latter aro too heated to feel the full force of the blows they receive.

At present the most serious trouble is in (Queensland. Union shearers are camped in thousands, determined not to work under the pastoralists agreement. In this attitude they are of course well within their legal rights. But they aic not content to remain there. They avow their intention not only of not working themselves, but of preventing any others from working, which is plainly violence and intimidation. Threats have been uttered of burning stations and letting rabbits loose on the runs, whereby it is shown that those who approve of sneh tactics are not merely the enemies of the detested employers on whom they depend for their wages, but of the public prosperity as well. They seem determined in short to teach our legislators and rulers a simple and practical lesson, which they seem to have forgotten. It is this : That sedition and conspiracy are still criinos, notwithstanding that our form of Government has become democratic, crime? which cannot safely be winked at.

The Queensland squatters -ire importing shoarcrs from Victoria, and the Government are sending large bodies of police to protect tliem. The position is very threatening, and it will not be surprising if bloodshed ensues. All this malevolent fading, all this dislocation of industry, all this concerted attempt to ride rough-shod over the rights of employers an:l non-unionists, and to monopolise by force or fraud an important industry, springs from the facl that a handful of violent, noisy ignoramuses have been allowed openly lo threaten unlawful action, until they have brought themselves and their dupes to bclievo it lawful. No wonder that thoughtful men are beginning to say :—" Hanpr the agitators or at all events prevent them from a.;ting tho incendiary under your very eyes." One matter in which the Government is beginning to make a move is the suppression of obscene literature, A weekly paper wbieli had become n by-word for filthy ilt,,t/„'e i;ife>t<liY,< has been slopped

l.y tin' l'"<tin:>-t,rC' llfllll f l'"ln fllj" V i llg tl'ir nrivi!. -. <~f " ||, v .\b,j.■,(>•'.- iu.il-." [! \v:H li i.. 11.-il umL-r another trim'-, lmt l.hr .1. -Vine «■.!• 1111-U.-.---si'lll, I'"' -11-'-nll." 1 - -in- -.-.-or }.< in- a.-; ii.".i.'ii>iy sto:i ; .,d a.-th.-lii-! ..n.-ti.!,-i. I.' say lilcintui- <•!' ll.i-cU.fcrirlinii is '•:• f-'.-rly m\.-.I-I,■«-,-.!. Tin- liiniil..'!' <■!' diily miii'!"l ~,,,,,1,. is ,:vi-!-iiilv -i l-'iu'e Hi'" i' I" p.-cnni.nilv pii.liulil.' l.' ii:in<l..-r t» th.-ir <l, |i : .v. ;l .-inr-i-tilc. 'Hi-; stumps' p.m. of ih- poi-'iii i- ili:;'- .-li.winsc.:irs lf> 1": v:mi.-liiim'. Formerly pcuph- il.-iii-.l :-f :iu.V u!i- to In.ilc..(;;it, \viii-;it<*vi i- their leal character might In-, But now in; inc.it \vi:!i :m itii.M number, v. !in have cnst i.IF all sembhiiec of decncy in their talk, except, perhaps sullieieiit circumspectionto prevent them from making the :icf|Uiiintmieeof a .stipendiary mai^istrtto. Uefnrc women, I;k1h, and children, before anyone in faet, who will not swear an information, the stream of obscenity and j>rofaniity is allowed to How. In Sydney yo» can hardly walk a block without getting unpleasant evidence of the fact.