SYDNEY LETTER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2914, 19 March 1891, Page 4

SYDNEY LETTER.

(nYorK own i oiuasiMNiiK.N r.)

SYI.O.T.Y, February -M. 'Illk Minister fur Works, Mi; J>nu;Smitli (commonly called " Spruce Smith by the cuinic pe<»[.l.-, and " Shoot Vim " Smitli by the '• groat unwashed ~ attempted last week to address his con Btituuntsat the Glebe. The li.ill, however, had been packed with noisy and vituperative individuals from all puts of the city, iiuludii)!,' some well known Domain orator*. They kept up nieh a b.ibel of noi.se that tin: Minister was quite unable to deliver his address and was fain lo abandon the attempt. Tlius-. , roiuly outbreaks are very dh-rac ■fu! :ui I very au'iciym:.'. 1 hey are not however criiihued tu one side or one party. Nut ho very long F. A. an tx-Ministor for Works, was deni- '1 a hearing in hi- own constituency ol 1 1-->l— f.-rn. These outbreaks are anion;; Ih , - , inevitable drawbacks which accompany tree institutions. Oncontent which relieve--, itself by mteh a foolish and noisy safety-valve is not nearly so formidable; as secret plotting. Forewarned i< forewarned. When the wolf appcrti:. in his true colours we know what steps to take in regard to him. It is only when he puU on sheep's clothing that he becomes really dangerous.

The delegates are beginning to arrive fjr the Kederal Convention, ami for the noxt week or so we shall be deluged with biographies ol the " men of mark" order, detailing the origin and history of these illustrious individual! find their progress to their present elevated positions. One of the delegates, at any rate, thinks as I ventured to hint a week or two ago, that the proper place for the captain ot a ship of state at this particular juncture is on the bridge rather than confabulating in the cabin. Sir Thomas Mellwraith will not leave Queensland to attend the conference until he can see daylight under the shearing dilHculty. Quite an epidemic of emb-.v.Zicmcnt hccmih to have set in. The classes principally JiH'ect.id are bank manager;; and civil servants. In the l.ite.l eiues, one of the former, who presided over a biirbnrban branch of the E. S. and A. C. B.uik is said to have robbed his employers of a uuiii of money variously eUted at Irom £15,000 tu £30,000 ! One of the latter, who was charged with thu duty of paying pensions is now accused of having paid them very regularly to himself, long after the leyiti mato recipients had shullled off this mortal coil ! Wonderful is the march of science in tliid nineteenth century, though I don't think oven J!rowii-Seu.uard ever protended to raise the dead. But U.e dead turn up to draw their pensions, and ovon to vote at elections with a regularity that is bociimiug almost monotonous.

A number of peoplo who liavo been iiueuieesstid in business ;uul who attribute tlioir failure to tho action of the bunkers who assisted them rather than to their owu imprudence, or financial \vl ikncss, aru slightly jubiluut at, tho e.\nuMirr> of tho luetics of bank in:iuaj?iirs. " Yea '' thoy Biiy, " tho banks aro oblige I l> cmploy crooked tools to do their dirty work fur thoin. Thoy have to induce their cliuuta to burrow m juey when it is plentiful ami thoy have to call it in when it is scarce. N<> matter who U ruiued, (,„) bank is not to huli.t. It is 1... givo a man credit till uUiim- ptojilitrust him, ami then it is tu come down on their goods and ruin him and them in one. common downfall, in order that it may get its Sor 9 or 10 put , cunt to tlie uttermost farthing. With ordinary men high interest incline bad security, but not with the banks if they know it, How can the men who do .such business be honourable, or even honest? And if they are, not, is it not just and that they shall f;ive their employers a taste of their quality as well as the long-suffer-world." Of course, such a view h mainly an exaggeration, and a caricature. The function of the banker is to find money for those who have wealth, and to net as the custodian of money which is waiting employment. It is the man who lias no wealth, and who yet insists on having money, who wakes trouble for hi'- , bankers and himself, lie gives I hum more power over his all'iii's thin any man ought to give to others, and then lie bitterly complains if, in ordoi- to avoid loss, they exercise the. powers which he has given them. 01 course, there are good bankers and ha I. Then- are some who are as hone,! an.! straight, a-; tin , circuiintancp-i will permit. Thoro ; i"' others who absolutely seem lo revel in the civil pns.-il.ilili s uf 'tli.ii- ]>:otV.-.-i'.n. 1 have been b'lraivd into :i di , ..'region fvum i.h.- ntV-iii-.\,f the, K.S. and A.V Hut aa the i:.i-u i.; still ■■.a l ' ■■:<.'.•■ ii'i'i th" aeeiweil in fact, utill at lan; , -, there i. nul jnuuh that cm t'auiy be :; iiJ.

Other uimimil i i-'.'.-i of iultu , -! li.u,al.,j b.;i.-n buiur.) ih- i- -Hi U ai ihe jnv.-out moment ''Dr.' , Ov.vuld lve:i!,in:re, foiineily edilor of th.' l..bimr journal in the ilo.nl eiitiea) tiuvs of the >*reat ,-uike awaits tho veiiliet of a jury on a char-v of liaving criminally assaulted a aorvaiit girl at the rtsideneo of Mr A. (>. Taylor. In defence ho told tho jury that the wholr all'iir w 19 ;,'ot up between Mr Taylor and Mr Wills, and it partly arose from the face that ho had written fome articles for their paper "Truth" I'.a , v, iii'h he had lint been paid. The in !:;j i. t> sum up this (Tuesday) ::i:.l we shall shortly wii t tie , i.py liii-i'; of the very reiniiiiah!: , ■•! it.>::i-::ii. j ~ ., i ;i, . , ' i Were inii'de diirim,' the tivi!.