OUR- AUSTRALIAN LETTER

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 169, 10 April 1908, Page 4

OUR- AUSTRALIAN LETTER

A "CAPPING CEREMONY" BOYCOTTED. BALLOONIST'S ( MISADVENTURE.. (FROM OUII Si'ECrAl, Cqr.IIRSPONOENT.I Sydney, April 4. , A new form. of t-lio boycott, is imparting an element of humour to tho monotony of crery-day <;xjstencc in Melbourne just now. Tho University students, angry at tho linnoiilicoiiicnt that tlioy will not bo allowed for tho fucuro to make a bcar-gardon of the sceno, liave resolved to absent themselves from tho " uoininencemcnt" ceremony, or the " capping " ceremony, to. give it the name by which it is known in Now Zealand. Tho man who is an,ordinary citizen, and not a- University student, has- never been' ablo. to realise why -a number of young- students should bo permitted to assemble and: insult their fellow-men at'a University.commanioratipn, or why conduct ..which would- bo conaidered mere lirrikinism under'' any other circuniiitances should be tolerated at a gathering where, moro-.t-hsn irt any other-', placa, tho.ro«ults Of a liberal education ought to bs expected to manifest themselves. Sir John Madden,' tho Chief Justico of Victoria, and Chancellor of 'the .University,' evidently, believes, liko Sir Robert Stout,-that the time has come to. check this buffoonery; ' But the undergraduates aro rebelling,- and - held an indignation meeting the other day to protest' .against'tho newTcguiation. Their contention is that th'oy wish merely, to indulge ; in an ho.ur's sing-ing and other exuberance of- spirits befofo tho. spcech-inaking, and that even this privilege is to be.denied, them.-. Sir John Madden, on the other hand, sayu "tTi.-xt ; tlio, students hava made, a practice of interrupting the.,-proceedings' every year,- and on bile, occasion went so far as to tliroT spmo students into 1 tho pvind-when they objected.to tho disturbance; At the'Jubileo meeting in, 1906 tlip uproar was so great that t-Vio guests tho University, who h:d been'invited from all parts of the-world, could not, make themselves' heard when'thoy: attempted t-o spcalc. Tho Governor-General was "given a hearing,but other.wiso tho'sceno was. one of Bedlam.; Last year tho uproar was again intolerable,, and now'it has boon decided to alter this condition of. affairs, - if only ill the interests of comnion-sonse. : y i ' • At tho indignation .niecting, it' -wa.s ; . suggested that:the'-students' should collect'their: tickets, and ostentatiously- destrpy 'thornj but this proposal wao-rejected; 'as'it-'vras con- 5 .sidered ' that such..'a' proceeding would, bochildish and -.undignified:.' - There . . isV-',much humpurxbeneath tho surface, it may .be ob-. ..served;, in'this .tender' solicitude on'.tlio of the . undergraduates for their, own dignity' at this sta.en of tho day. It ,is-;a,pity, thoy: .did not think more of'this quality on previous; Commencement Days!' Finally a motion was': .carried •That wo pledge ourselves as a . body of - students to absent - ourselves /from ; the 1 Commoncemont. . ' y y... ■-'• : "Is thero.an.Tono so base as to.vote against that?"':demandrd the chairman/' as ho, put this, 'motion;. Of -courso there wasn't-.' > : - It ' Was- ajref-d' to smidst great cheering, j There -was nnothrrr clause to the-motion originally,; to the effect that, a Vigilance Committea should bo anpointed to see thot .no (students did attend tJie.ceremony ;-but this.eicrtod.too* much oriposition, and was; not:■ ogrejd • .to'. A -proposal- for a countor-dem'onßtration,- in the shane' of »■ mock capping ceremony at some, public:liall,'-was also unfavourably received,' •on# 'of; tho lediw sayingi.that't-hey',would, bo totally;.opposed, to any/such demonstration.' ': Th'erofo'ro, to-day, .the. students'will, .not attend -the Commencements nfeceedings; Sir John',Ridden says'-he: will' frankly; regret 'their absence, inasmuch-aa they represent an; important section of- the TJriiversity ; bh.t-j at the sanvi time, he• adds;-.thi(f, he.'-prefef-sV-'thei lesser, of two, ovjls. ;*nd '■l-ba-f..'- ffierefore,'' their, abseiico : is : preferablp to 'their 'preschce. ON THE LONDON MONET MARKET A ;-loan- ii'hich 'is underwni'teri at'par; at : per ,cerit.. is hardly >' failure,and therefore, lf 'is. not easy';to -sao. tho- drift of'-tho- recent; criticisms; -in -the^-Federal' Bopr?-' 'sent»Jiifes\cdn<»iSm'g, ; fto..N©wySouth.vWttieii' of ;£3,000,000, just-floated 'On .the' London ! mon'eymarket.-;. Tho'jnteresti-iaslfr.^WadSiall,' the Npw'South Wdes treaaur]er, h#s.;pointed: out, will aircunt to 0n1y.;£3.125.:9d. : .per .ceht.f —or .a' little -over 3^—r.nd,'as other; important loans since (Iqatcd haro cost : 4 or even 4J por cent.', 'the cbmp?iritively satisfactory :pps'itiori of tlio New South W»les' venture.'is.'obvious., As a; result of the'action of tlio Goverrimont in harinp the . loan underwritten, tlic St,*te will obtain the whole'.of the money—less' the usual'.charges, of course—whether, tho- puhlicappl.ies, or not. Attywaj, according:. tda recent cable message, there is a c'onßiderablfi inquiry. for---the:''st^t,y'andi;, : tlibui;h. 90 per. cent, has been allotted to the underwriters, it is. regarded'as probable that they 'wilt bo reliev'sd of a' good -deal nf it by iinvostor3' before; long. . So that there ; appears., to he nothing : w;riousl.v the. matterswith tho credit' of Now-South Wales: cn.-the London 'money' I marketj-'o&p<c'cially, aa other loans issued recontly have been underwritten at .much below, pali.', Mr. Deakin insists that all, Australian ; borrowing ought- to bo dono by the Common-wealth','-and says that, financiers-told hini, 1 when'he.was in-Europe:not,long.ago, that'if this system .worn snbstantial ap-' prooiatiim of A\istralian seoiirities would itn-' mediately result. ,;But thiß-is-another-story,; tlio < valno of which i 3 not affectcd : very much by tho latest experience of ?few- South Wales. If tho Primo Minister's contention-that the. Common.vealtb canjraiso money nior'o.chcaply; than-, the-.States- is right,.the.; host, wayy'of'proving it indisputably is' that- the'.Common-' wealth should itself go/on.to the London, market witli 'a proposal to .borrow a modest' million 6r 'two.'--" All' tho same, .there: aro many people who-are inclined to support Mr. Dcakin's proposal—not neecsaarily .because they think it right, hut simply for the reason, thai they would gladly.welcome any schemewhich looked like a-restriction upon our public men iin the facility with which they, are able to : appottl to',tho'-moneylendor in London., :'■ ': V - :■ y y-:- ; > ; MISS JENNIE LEE. -The sad circumstances of tlio death of Misa Joan.;. Burnet!, daughter of' Miss 'Jennie Leo (Mrs.' Burnett), tho well-known'actress; .'(famous, .as'-Jo in. "Bleak House") liavo excited grpri-t;sympathy, and on Monday, last-a:hu'go benefit enteitf.inmcnt tendered to Miss Lee took:' place. at Her s Majesty's Theatre, -Melbourne. ' -A|l, the, leading; theatricar artists jostled' for a placo on the, programme; , while tho public, on its part, crowded tho'theatre ' in every part. • Tho feature of tho afternoon. was Miss Jennie ' Lob's appearanco. as' Jo. in. her famrfiis ■ scenej tho audience, roused to great'onthusias'm; calling hqr again and again; before tlio■ certain,' nnti); oncouraged hy Mrs. Uob'ert flroiigh, \vho appeared 1 as Lady Dcd- ; lock, Miss Lpo cai'r.o'forward'and spoke'-a few. words 'of thdiiks; while' the' gtyge'waV strewn ivith floral tributes. ''Miss' Leo camo out with' h'er daVjjhter, who v/as to have appearedXas Tootles in "Peter Pan"—the part",she.filled'.in' - London, but her illness and. death from: consumption put an: abruiit' end, to her Mother's, plans.fpr a stay, in Australia, and'Miss;;Lco .is'; now-to return to England. y ; '\ . WANTED—ENCOURAGE3IEN.T FOR -ART.Studonts.df art iii'Meibouriie are'not-'only fortunato in having 'a -iino gallery ill their: city, but they aro encouraged to make prac- . tic.il usfl of it, and thus.fully, appreciate; its iadvantages. Eov, ten .'shillings a qiiart'Wj. a. :student m»j' .draw.' ovorjr day and -all dav, under, the best;tuition, and for twice'that amount 1 he may piiiit in tho samo way, with, n chance of gaining a travelling scholarship,'; which is awarded to tie "'most- brilliant- • student '.oyery -thrco 'yfeaw.''; Sydney, on tho other hand, is far from boing so fortunate, though'possessing-an art galW.Ti for which sho famed, in tho cqrapetivions in : this branch of .industry- at the recont' exhibition of.'women's , wov-k in Mellxninio every prim awarded to the . Victorian Stato wits, won by ' students of*, tho Melboiu-no GaUery, whereas Sydney's honours wero olaimetl' by artists .who wero indebted' to - foreign training. Miss .Ethel Stephens, discussed .this subject .when delivering -a lecturo recently,. beforo. tlio'. Society, of Arts . iuid Crafts, and quoted figures to bear "out this .statement. .Sho said that, tho local training in tllis section in Melbourne could almost hold its own with foreign training, aud was much too strong for SyiLnoy students'with thoir lsssei- advantages. Tho Molbourno wood-curving was goal, Mid in this branch tho Sydney exhibits did, not mitko the sensation they' were., expected ' to. In photography : tho northern city , was

oven less, successful, and could not compart with tho rqally good work done, by tho ..Mdbourno women. It is evidently time that tho y State of New South Wales granted .a much more substantial subsidy to its art schools, . whoso, good',: vrork is'seriously- handicapped by -■ want of funds. A BALLOON FALLS,ON.A HOUSE. As a rulo, after tho aeronaut has left hid balloon and started his descent to cart-h, ! gracefully or otherwise, by means of a parachute or without it, ho doesn't , worry much about his balloon—at all: events, ■'■•until' he rcachos the ground, lk> hasn't got the time, for one thing, even if ho liad the inclination. But tho subjcct may. bcconio of practical im- - portanco to'othc-r'people .if tlicso balloons, get into the. habit of emulating the 'examplo y of one which' fell on Saturday last in 13allarat, 'aftor tho' aeronaut, who .had ascended from ■ )3allarat Oval, had set. out upon- his parachute descent. It c-anio down- on to . •tho; roof of a houso in' Victoria Avenue, Ballarat North, with * loud crash, and this waa followed.,by an cccape of pus, which - had a suffocating effect upon people, in th 6. vicinity. The ocoupier of tho houso,..Mrs. -Tracy, was in .thoygarden"trading a. flower plot,•■and ■ saw tho billpon coming,- but, of course;'all/' that slip could:do was to.spcculato as tp'what " it was. going -to hit. _ Sho was notkept long in suspenso. ■ When it struck tho roof it tore off several shcetsj'of; galvanised iron"and a quantity of spouting, and the noise terrified those ,of the inmates 'who|'liad-,iipt seen tho object approach.. . Tho : owner ,of thorballoon ' will make good tho : damago, caused. to tho ■hoiwp/;; One, may, perhaps nail' this 'incident ■ as likely ,to stimulate an agitation l against parachute; descents, which as, a'form of "public -ajnusement aro absolutely 'witlioiit.- justifica- _ So long as , tho performer' risked.' hia own lifo merely, tho public did not considei that it<-had .any occasion to bother,, but nrnV ■_ that destruction to preporty ; is likely.-to-re-sult—well, that's another matter. 1 ' " THE AUSTRALIAN CATTLE KING." •' Fancy having an interest in:acres oflandl ' The 'owner.of 12,000 miles'/of "' country !y Why, if, a raan possessed so much of tho -earth's,, surface..'New Zealand,: he would hot. merely bo.a monbp'olisti'but' an' " pbliterator," for,there would bo .very, little'. room for anybody else. .; Yet. such ;is the ex- \ tent - of the. wealth of-, Mr. Sydnev l Kidinan, the': Australian'.Cattlo v :Kiiig, - who'*has''just - 'gone; on i a tour of the-,world.' One station, vvhich; is- probably the largest, ill. the world. ~ -has at- present 80,0(J0 head -of ; cattle\pn'. ; it; - . and. its -carrying capacity i5.:,.140,000/yThis .\ mammoth- station, Victoria- Downs): is in tho ; Northern: Territory.;: It . covers; justl2,OCO s milos of'-.! country, ••is . permanently; watered, ■ ' >ancV its greatest.drawback 'is that, the cbuntryas i a.bit too fresh". A-': inob'of cattje,; which . is -. beingv.'driyeh/.frpm this ,;statioii-; tp'yNe-ir.,. South/Wales, will t -' if.'they.cdmpletethVijour* my', ■ a "distance of '1750' miles,Jiave: dolic a ' t record journey for : any one' mob' of cattle. " Till - last year, the bullocks -'all '.shipped , to Perth',' but now the supply has'-sp greatly-:, : thai it. exceeds tho demand, and. now tho.v aro being' sent-to Queensland and New' South Wales.' : It .is remarkablo ,'thdfc' almost .without; exception .tlio/great'-Austra- , i lian ; ; -psstbralists ; who .have succeeded" 'it-:' amassing wealth .' commenced, htV the /bottom of the ■ ladder,. : - and battled- their way up,: Tho late James .Tyson, who'when asked how. .many station's ho possessed, had'to pause .to. coimt thorn, ' commenced his - money-making ' career ■ a-s a working man.: . Sydney, Kidman,, "tho Cattlo King,".was, as a boy, a rouso ' about. earning 10s.;' a week. In hia teens'b< was a;bullock whacker and wood hauler on tho Darling, and even, then -had greati business capacity, -arid 1 ' when' circumstances 'for- y. bade that ho should own: more than one • block' at- a' timo;:.ho i -inadp,the'''mqst: of' t-hs : position :by : selling. .-that ono'y ay couple 'of■'. times a month at a profit. Ho deals in stock of all kinds, not'even .disdaining-goats. "1 have always-taken .'care'of tho .littlo things," says ho, " and..when.l:ride on to one of irtv stations I look .at tho'trifice,- and if the small,. • things; are 'strewn : about;- then' know ;'why \ that, -station isn't paying." : He neither smokes;, drinks, ;n6r. .swears,.' : thus": lias the .outback' bushnian'sv virtue's: without Ilia ; vices. o.' - 'rougli---mKpibiKlj': .a .dSigh'tfiil .' son? of flature, : .free; sound, and; subs,tantial;,.honcstv.j:<i,' the core,--with, hi'aste'rfnl '.HvJU. but a; heart.-full of., Idndnessi-■. ..' y •7» ,r-t : ; i.i! 4-,'-,:i>' y'" : ,