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MELBOURNE GOSSIP.

MMillions of agricultural societies included in the eastern division of the colony will shortly be required to elect a representative in the Council of Agricultural Education, to till tin; vacancy caused by the retirement of Mr T. K. Dow (Agricultural editor of the Annlmlnsian), who has recently been appointed to the principalship of the Longerenorig Agricultural College. The council consists of twelve members, six of whom are appointed by the Government, and six elected by members of agricultural societies. Mr Dow has represented the eastern division since the council wasfirst established. For the vacancy two candidates are in the field, namely, Mr Angus M'Naughton, agricultural editor of the Weekly Times, and Mr Charles Sergeant. M. L. C., of Warragul. The former gentleman has an extensive practical knowledge of agriculture in all its brunches, as he combines farming withjournalism. He has been a member of the Wyndhatn Shire Council for twelve years, a position which he at present occupies. Having to attend the principal agricultural shsws throughout the colony, ho is widely, known, and possesses a large circle of friends. Mr M'Naughton, during the past four years, has acted as one of the judges of farms for which prizes are annually offered by the Government, and also acts as judge of prize farms every year for several agricultural societies. Being secretary of the Dairymen's Association of Victoria, lie is necessarily brought, in close contact with those engaged in that industry. The Hon. Mr Sergeant lias an extensive connection in South Gippsland, and is the representative of the Eastern Province in the Legislative Council. Mr W. G. Spence ou«ht to be a proud man. The occupant of a dingy littie office in Sydney, he draws towards him a sheet of foolscap paper, upon which he writes a manifesto —the embodiment of the supreme will and pleasure—when, lo ! and behold, a formidable army obey his behest with unreasoning, unquestioning docility, just as a flock of sheep follow the lead of a bell wether. The spectacle is

singular, but it is not the less pitiable. The army consists of poor clown-trodden shearers, who are expected to work for a miserable pittance of ,£1 a day, who are compelled to ride to work on horse-back, wherens men who earn half the money are allowed the privilege of walking, and what is worse than all—what is a monstrous monstrosity—when they have signed an agreement they are actually expected to ahidc by it. It is a fortunate thing for these poor people that they are in hands of such a noble-minded patriot as Mr Spence. That gentleman thinks it is time to make a stand. He does not at present object to their working for £1 a day, small as the sum is, nor that they have to work for eight moral hours in order to earn that pittance. The time has not yet arrived when lie will insist that the shearer shall take away the sheep as the price of cutting olf the wool for the squatters perquisite. But it will come ; it will come. All things are possible to those who have patience to wait. There is one thing, however, that Mr Spence does insist upon, and

that is that the shearers shall not agree to anything, Laws are made for such people as pastoralists, unci pastoralists exist for the benefit of shearers—and Mr Spence. If a pastoralisfc enters into a agreement he is expected to keep it. If he jibs there are law courts to fotce him back into the right road. It is only the shearer who may stray from the path of virtue, and tear up his agreement at pleasure. The only man who they may not disobey

is Mr Spence, their high priest whose interpretation of a shearer' agreement is that it is like the liea< of a Irishman when he visits Danny brook Fair—it may be broken. An< very wroth he is because, havinj ordered out a mob of armed men foi the purpose of intimidating tin pastoralists and their labourers, th< Government has had the audacitj to send a few soldiers and a batter} of guns to prevent the possiblf commission of murder. W. G. Spencc is a genius, iu his own estimation at all events. But see what fools he has made of the men. If they don't fight, it follows that they were beaten, and they will have to stand by and see the shearing done under their very noses by other men, who will pocket big cheques and walk oil' with them : whilst, if the shearers do tight, they will be shot down. A very " tight place" is that into which Mr W. Ci. Spence has led the men who pay I him to think for them and look after their interests. 11 seems to my poor comprehension that the calling out the shearers, and armitnj than, is a far greater bungle than that which the redoubtable Spence was guilty of when lie failed the men out last year. I however, be has got them into a lix ; in- lias now to get them out. of it without loss of prestige—if he can. After a few more such mistakes, (he men will probably recognise tlio necessity of thinking for themselves. For what has happened ? Ilarrassed by the incessant and insatiable demand of the unions, the pastoralists, none too early, have also combined for the purposes, ot self defence, and have made the discovery that plenty of non-unionist shearers are open for engagement, and will cheerfully accept the liberal rfctiuutnaloii rfcfubtct bj the- rc.tii.lca

of the Shearers' Union ; and thereupon the latter have taken steps to compel the non-unionists by force of anus to desist from work ; failing which, they have threatened to shoot them down, and to set fire to the woolsheds and the runs of the squatters, by whow the free labourers have been engaged. Probably some of these threats are mere bombast, encouraged by the mischievous fire-brands, who are found to be so prominent in all strikes— voluble stump orators who have never done an honest day's work 111 their lives, but are supported, as Trades' Union officials, out of the earnings of the men who do work But the mere fact that the malcontent shearers have taken up arms in order to coerce peaceably conducted non-unionists, who are anxious and willing to give a fair day's work for a fair day's wages, amounts to au overt act of civil war, and the Queensland Government is to be complimented and congratulated on the promptitude and decision with which it had acted in this grave emergency.

There are to be great changes at the Theatre Royal during the next few months. At the end of June, Mes3is. Williamson, Garner tfc Co., the present lesstes, will walk out, and a limited liability company, with that veteran actor and manager, Mr George Coppin, at the head, will walk- in. But prior to the Theatre being opened under the new regime, many improvements are to be made in the building, in readiness for the return from England of Mr Amory Sullivan, who has gone home to select novelties and new faces. Mr Sullivan, who is a son of thu once great actor Barry Sullivan, has been appointed general manager of the Royal under the new order of things. I say " once great actor," because I hear that the shadow of death is over Sullivan, senior, who is now an old man, closing his Inst days in the town in England where he first saw the light. Mr Amory Sullivan acted as agent for his father when he was starring through the Australian colonies in the sixties. He has had considerable experiei, ce in theatrical matters in various parts of the world, and doubtless Mr Coppin has set his fingers upon the right man. It is strong evidence of how far the management of the Royal are looking ahead, when the announcement is already made that the Christmas pantomine of IS9I, will bo "Dick AVhittingtnn and his Cat," for which engagements have been entered into. There are several candidates for the position of treasurer of the, new Royal—an important office—and the choice will probably fall upon Mr James Moore, ilr J. C. Williamson's brother-in-law. Mr Moore has had great experience in theatrical treasury matters, and his appointment would be a very popular one all round.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WT18910418.2.40

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2927, 18 April 1891, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,398

MELBOURNE GOSSIP. Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2927, 18 April 1891, Page 4

MELBOURNE GOSSIP. Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2927, 18 April 1891, Page 4

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