AUSTRALIA TO-DAY.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14405, 12 July 1912, Page 4

AUSTRALIA TO-DAY.

(FROM OCR OWX COIIEESPONDEN-T). SYDNEY, July 0., Although Australians are excedingly fond of outdoor pleasures and relaxations, and have not strong climatic inducements to indoor study, there arc many in our communities who devote themselves with fine zeal to tho higher branches of literature. Shakespeare societies, even though they may not flourish extravagantly, exist in all our big cities. A delegation from the New South "Wales society of this order waited upon the newly-installed Lord Mayor of Sydney (Alderman Clarke) a couple of days ago, and asked for his assistance in a movement for a memorial in Sydney to mark the centenary of Shakespeare's death, falling in 191 G. The Lord Mayor agreed that it was a good thing to perpetuate the memory of Shakespeare, but said ho feared there was no "chance of getting the general public to show interest in the matter. In tones and terms of conviction he declared that Shakespeare was not relished much I nowadays. '"The ]x>etry of Shako-, spearo is a very nice thing for tho edu--1 cated man, but the general public wants something more of drama, burlesque, and extravaganza, than of solid and inspiring pieces. The great preponderance want light instead of ponderous literature." A member of tho deputation hastened to remark: "But .\e do not think Shakespearo ponderous." However, the Lord Mayor went further. With all the dignity appropriate to his high office, ho said: "All works of great authors are liiore or less ponderous." The publication of tho Lord Mayor's utterances has induced a revival of controversy as tho measure of truth in such assertions. Mr James Biyco has promptly been asked by interviewers to contribute to tho Shakespeare discussion, and they have succeeded in obtaining from him an expression of the opinion that there ought to be annual discussions, with tho object of arousing public interest, iv Shakespeare nnd Jiis works, apart from tho work done- by the Shakespearo Societies. THE STRIKE SPIRIT. Two remarkable- manifestations of tho spirit oi strike have- to bo chronicled. Both havo taken place in Victoria. At a conferenco of farmers held at Kerang there was brought forward a proposal that all farmers should work for twelve months, only growing enough to feed themselves and their families. The motive underlying this proposal, which was of 'the nature of very advanced imitation of unionist methods, was to givo an emphatic combined reply to the increasing demands by organised rural workers tor higher wages, and at the same time mark disapproval of tho ways of tho Judge of the Federal Arbitration Court. There was just enough discussion on the echemo to secure very strong expressions as to the desirableness of farmers banding themselves together. However, the thing was re- j garded as sufficiently serious by several big newspapers to call for articles pointing out that to try to bring about a general stoppago of production wouldbe- a most mischievous business.

A Flinders lane warehouse in Mel-1 bourno advertised for a youth to bo employed in the packing-room. In response a crowd of sonic fifty young fellows nsembled around the door of the warehouse- by the appointed time. Somebody suggested that nn\agi"eement should bo come to concerning the minimum wage at which the position would bo accepted. Notwithstanding tho number of applicants, tho minimum wage proposition suddenly launched found ready acceptance with a large number. Tho manager of the warehoiisc camo out and invited six of tho most likely-looking of tho applicants to come into'his office. It happened that all the six had agreed to tho proposal that they should ask for not less than 3us a week. But one of them told the manager that he would accept £1. He got tho position. When lie came outside again ho was set upon and struck about tho face and head, amid abusive cries. The £1 a week man was having a very bad time, when the crv'of "Police!" was heard. It wag a false alarm, but it saved him. MOVING FORWARD. Australia's new fighting force camo into being on Monday, when, under tho compulsory training scheme started a year ago all tho Senior Cadets who nre 18 years old wero transferred into thn fighting line. The transition stago has been reached, and from now onwards on July Ist of each year the boys as they reach l-l will pass from the Junior to tho Senior Cadet ranks, with tho distinction and responsibility of wearing a uniform and carrying a rifle, while those 18 years old pass forward into tho fighting line. The number of those who hare just moved into the fighting force is 20,000. It will bo einht years before they are discharged. When that time arrives, and not till then, will Australia's defenders reach tho limit of 120,000 set by Lord Kitchener. Although all the youths who became citizen soldiers on Monday did so under tho compulsory training system, they havo not been allowed to pass into the ranks indiscriminately. A searching medical examination (in which only 17 per cent, failed), has been gone through, and the boys have also been rejected who did not comply with certain physical standards. Cadets have, as far as'possible, been allowed to name the arm of the forco in which they desired to serve, but only picked trainers have been allotted to the artillery and engineers, who will bo required to exercise 25 days per annum, instead of 1G days which is prescribed for the infantry. IRON AND STEEL. Strong envy, local as well as interstate, has been provoked by reports which indicate that Newcastle, tho great coal mining centre in this State, will be mado the scene of tho great operations which the Broken Hill Proprietary Company intends to carry on with tho establishment of the biggest iron and steel works in Australia. It is because it has almost como to the end of its tether as fnr as mining operations at Broken Hill are concerned (its own mine is about exhausted, and there is not much to be made out of treating ore for other people) that the biirgcst of the Barrier concerns has resolved to apply its abundance of capital and scientific skill to supplying Australia with tho steel and iron which is j in groat and rapidly increasing demand. It is said that when the pb.ns already formed are carried into effect, the company will employ about 10,0 CO men at its "iron and steel works. Naturally, there is competition amongst various places to secure selection ns the site of so b'fi'a section of a very important industry. The brainy men who manage tho affnirs of the company may bo credited with at least approval of this competition, l>ecause it strengthens their hands when it comes to getting from local authorities undertakings that if tho works are established in their territory certain transport and other facilities will be forthcoming. At first South Australia was oncciiragod to believe that a big deposit of iron ore in that State which the Broken Hill Proprietary people were examining very carefully 'would mean the setting up of tho big works there. But present indications point strongly to the site being at Newcastle. THE POLICEMAN'S REVOLVER. As a consequence of the aimed burglar scare of a . c hort while n'jo, much more attention has been given to tho arming of the *x>! ice with revolvers when on duty. Many new weapons have been issued, and there lias been a lot of practising at targets by i-on-stables who formerly had but very slight acquaintance with the revolver.

That Boino members of the force, have acquired deadly skill has been demonstrated in two very recent cases, in which men havo been shot down. In this State a p<">lico sergeant proceeded to arrest .i man on a ■ warrant tor apprehension because of mental unsoundness. Tlio man confronted the sergeant with a small rifle in his hands, r.nd d.d not heed the officer's order to put tho rifle down. Instead he fired, and the builct lodged in tho lower part of the body of tho sergeant, who discharged his revolver ana shot tho man through, tno heart. At the Coroner's inquest- a verdict of ''lawfully killed" I was returned. In the second case, which occurred at a town on the Victo-ria-New South \\ales border on Tuesday night a constable oncraijod in arresting a. man found himself "fiercely attacked by a mate of tho one ho was handcuffing. First ho was kicked, and then rushed at with a knife. A shot fired at tlio wall <1;<1 not, act a* a check lon fne rush of tho wild friend of the I policeman's eaptivo, and the policeman, J who had, apparently, been rather badly ; Lurt already, fired twice in ouick a\wI cession, -md brought down the attacker with one bullet on the rirht sido and tho other on the* loft. The .shot man j died twenty minutes later. Tho in- | quest has not yet been concluded, and then) has not yet been an official <ir indicia! pronouncement as to whether the shooting was justified or not. "Whatever the verdict may be in this case, the- fact remains that tho polifremaii is shot at iroro.often than he* shoots. \\ oalilc message informed us thai in the second case also tho jury upheld the constable's action.] VICE-REGAL FRANKNESS. At. the annual dinner given by the Lord Mayor of Sydney; both tho Govor-nor-Generai (Lord Denman), and the Governor of New South. Wales (Lord Chelmsford) broke through the tradition of reticence on the iiart of Governors in relation to controversial matters within the scono of public bodies. Lord Chelmsford felt himself obliged to speak out candidly in connection witli the determination of tho Government of New South Wales not to grant a renewal of tho leaKC of Government House- at Sydney for occupation by tho Governor-General. It may be mentioned what tho State Governor has been provided with another ample residence a little distance out of the city. "Wo want Government House for another purpose. Wo told of this some timo ago. [t is tho busiLess of tho Commonwealth to provide a. house for tho Governor-General. Wo do our share by looking after the State Governor.' , This is in summary form tho argument of-t/he State Ministry. There scorn's to bo no extravagant warmth about the urging* by tho Federal Ministry (also Labour) for a eontinuanco of the lease, and some of the. folks who are making much noise over the* matter suggest that thero is a sort of agreement to work towards the abolition of Governors, jit any rate of ' Governors not elected from Australian citizens. Lord Denman said his own .was tho unique instance of anybody in tho position of a Governor-General or Viceroy in tho British Empire being evicted irom tho house which ho thought was his own. Personally, it d'd not affect him very much, but on public grounds, and with due regard to tho position which he held, he had taken tho line that if this residence- was taken away lie would noo reside in Sydney at all, because tho official residence of the Governor-General must ho in keeping with the prestige and dignity of tho position. However, the State Ministers, while lefraining from debate with the King's representative, have announced that they will adhere to their late determination to put .Government House to "other uses.' .

Lord Chelmsford. who has had experienco of civic affairs as. a member of the London County Council, told tho gathering . some , fairly plain things about defects in civic methods hero. Hβ pointed to waste of time and energy in futile, little, personal or parochial contention, adherence to oldfashioned ideas, instead of tho adoption of modern methods of city planning, and narrowness of view which prevented the introduction of a greater Sydney way of doings things on lines appropriate to a biir placo with a big future to bo provided for.