AUSTRALIAN JOTTINGS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 174, 16 April 1908, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN JOTTINGS.

THE CAPITAL SITE QUESTION. INDIGNANT TELEPHONE GIRLS. (moil 008 SrECIAL COBEESPOifDKNT.) '■ ■•.. Sydney, April 11. Xho.Federal House of Representatives spent v, a day, this-week in discussing the Fedoral ;• j;.,; .capital question, ■ .without, .coming. nay nearer -v-/ a solution than before. Of course; -.tho iiiii : r is only m ltssecond reading stage,- and so if the • i Mimstcriahcnsis ends speedily ,thoro will bo . : • plenty of time for the unexpected to happen, and for tlio Houso to declare definitely whero • the capital is to bo; V Hut this result,' from preßont appoarances, need not bo hoped for for somo years yet; so that any, man- who. is thinking of buying up lots in tho selected ... locality is advised to rock some.otiwr/iriTest-:--f: ment, if lip doesn't, want to' wait till ho is • white-haired beforo gottirig some return for his capital from the Canberra.has, assumed prominence.'.withinthe'lastitivo years'" • ••' v. 03'a:likely. sito>..sincp'it/was: Oqy ii party • of Federal members'.who /wero greatly' struck ijyitli; 'tho appearance 'of : th'o' .district, ,> v : not far from Quean bayan.- ■; .Unfortunately, fy thero/are other . possible''.';capitai; : :sites.Sviihin; . ■ . half a dozen electorates South . Wales,; . henco the mombers.from that State are,hope-! i, . lossly divided/- as was proved when-'-tliey met- m Melbbump.itofscek.to arrive' at • somo understanding by.whichlthey might vote ■.: as a 'united party. - The meeting: appears to have been quite useless, ,as ili had Ho be. terminatcd, it is stated,' bccauso'thcre was' no I

■ prospect of unanimity.'.':. Chapman ■is . battling hard for Dalgety,'Sir William Lyno •rwants'two or three other places, 1 and Mr.:U. • 11. lteid and Mr. Watson favour Canberra.

Naturally, if the .'members frpm ;.the; State in - which tho capital is to bo are not "united, 1 .the j::-r other parts, of Australia rcannot, be. expected ;*-.'->v4o como to a decision,witjiout'difliculty. ,I>alt. gety is strongly favourea' in some quarters, - but tho chief objection, urged against fit is that tho climate -will.prove.too. cold ip..,wint<M\. .. The second 'reading' debato ' has: - boon ad-

• . 'journed. 'AftdrAaUi^''tho''-ihp^yiwhisibJo;'plaiv : v, -!of arriving ;q,t a settlement of. this vexed pro.b~ : Jem, one imagines, would be' to follow tho' courso adopted in . the; casoof Canada, and

■: refer-the subject to outside "arbitration. .■ This;| i would avoid the lietty local prejudices atpro-i;: 1 sent delaying tho choice of a site, and would ] - .very properly romovb tho decision from tho ; lands of the parish-pump politicians who, aro 1 :■■■ now wrangling over it; without any liopo of I over arriving at a .conclusion, or' the rovcrse. , " ARE YOU THKIUfi What a :shock 'tho iWollingtin. telephone! V rgirls. wbuldiVeceive, ;if, 'on'cnteririg/tlio offico some day, thoy. were notified that froih henceforth '.the swearing of all articles of adorn- ■ m the cold-hearted regulations as " frivolous "—such brooches, .oar-: rings,^/bangles, rings,"! flowers,' etc.; was .to-' /: to discontinued, sincc.these were supposed to clog the elcctrical instruments; thus interfering with the shutters on tho switchboard,- and t.causing disconnections. '.'.'.-Whatv,indignation would bo expressed, what opposition!—and, as como of tho ladies are not compelled ;to work from necessity, a few resignations would probably result. Consider tho stato of excitement that would bo reached, were this mjunc- ■ tion followed, • »lso t in the interests ot tho letter.- working <of f ,the . service, iby ? another, - prohibiting-tho uso of; straw arm protectors, ■ articles which are of real-practical use ;to. '':.'the'.Wearers,s r saviug^their::s!eeye3'frorii;.thp;, •wear and'tear of tho telephone ..work. iS'o ' doubt words would bo inadequate ,to express :-.'tho contempt' felfcfor'sucli unheard-of .proceed-* ings, iand Reeling' ' vtliat '' the limit;- of'the 'deprivation, of 'their privileges had been Teachcd, and a certain sense of security, m tho powerlessness, of .their .persecutor .to lmposo any further restrictions'uponthem, they , v would Vindignantly s demand,. " What .next? " ■' and be quite unprepared 'for the ■ information ' that their manner .of/.dressing ; ■ bo. altered,and .illiat. an .future, .they ■ must. ■ arrango'.' itj ih- : such'' a' fashion -to "cnablo" . tho telephone headgear to be worii;more',ad- ' vantageously; . At; this" piece jo£. information . .it iis/ hnrd to imagino .what course the Wei-, lington Vtelephono; girls would ;ipursup.;' I'os"v. sibly they would bo too crushed tojraise their :■< voices, in the freedom.' An official . has recently: been, split from Sydney to: im- •| prove tho . management -..of .tho 'Melbourne telc*phono exchange, j an'd.'to'jaccoripiish. this. : . lits lias 111 reality, imppsed.'tlies'q.conditions oil tho girls. ■ Tho.Postmastpr-Ueneral .states that - : under: the new v management complaints, hare ; been fewer. One of the officers of the Central: ' Postal Administration! said. it. was necessary tho girls should remove 'tho jewellery, as it. might interfere .with'tha performance of their '-"duty. ;at tho; switchboard.)" Awajv fronr that,: ihoy could \voar what: they'liked, 'and dress their hair how ; they liked. It should have , a ■ reassuring effect to ,bo. ; inforihed 'that .official supervision ceases,with office hours. Mean- ; ■ time :the ypung • Jadies. prpbably.. think.,a,few' linos of Tope's eminently applicable';tq...'. the. • trouble: — ' ' ■

" Man, proud man, dressed m a little brief authority,. '' Plays such fantastic tricks bpfordhigh,Heaven; As makes the angels weep.". ;;;. REMEMBER, THE GRAVJi DIGUJiII' . , '.How- should -the pooi^pohceman.-fgam diis . livelihood if everyinan : 'di^'Asi'jbofoWglitk.attd; • never broke the lawr'v.ln.diko ,manne.r;.-..Yrhst. is the unfortunate grave-digger ja; V'' idistrict .which'suddenlyt^c6mlS,s^^«bia^jriMlly'" that, people , 's«ggMtea^^.lfii^i,'a i lft^|^ > s)]|' .'.(urgency to -the. trusteos"'df the - t cemetery of . - ShepparUny in.-Victoria. The ' death-rate: of ' the town'jids: fallen so low, as the., result of a new sanitary scheme, that',they have-been 'compelled: to- reduce the, wagesx.of; ••who-digs! tlie of. deaths;- ' last' year; was only 28,; as 'jagapsi': the fpre-i .iVious. average .of'. 48, : so thc ; positipri is evidently serious, and if. > tho inhabitants : persist at this rate in refraining from, death,.'it is abundantly clear that tho unfortunate man will havo to • betake himself to, somo. i; other district' where, sanitation' isn't so popu- . 2ar,"or to. liiid sonio..other occupation than grave-digging.- .It is'possiblpj of that' . times will improver-br; get "worse,' according to the'point of view from which' ono choosos to regard it. ' home hope of this contingency was held out to the' grave-digger when ho ' inquired, with, concern, how. long the reductionof his - wages would '• last;.; : " Till ; tim'es - get better,'■ ;said 'one' of i the '.•■.And; when will that be.-"'-; lie persisted. 'S Wheiv, people begin to die again," .was j tlio- reply.; ; In the. nieaiitim.e, ho; : haV; been granted tho. .Tight: of ' privatevpr'actieo'''—in other .' permitted to take' :"otltl - job's'"' 'Outside; which is a; coricessidh,"'. considering :that ; . his; present : duties .require,:' his. attention,.! r.t the . rate of about pned a fortnight. ■ . 'A.MISS BIMNDON-USHEK'S ' WEDmfIU." Aliss Constance. Brandon-Uslieiv tho ..well-. - known pianist, ,who visited. ;Ne'w: Zealand: not long since with 'Miss Mario Isarellc, was > inarriod on Tliursday, at St; Mary's, Waver- - ley," to- Lieutenant E. ' B;'; Simpso'n-Baikie,' it.N.lt., : of; tho Japanese ' mail , steamer Yawatu Maru. Tho marnago excited con- ' udorablo interest; Miss'Brandon-Usher being • 33-well known in tho musical.world, llio bride, who was - given' away - by 'her father, .. f/orp'ai trained gown'of .ivory; souple''satin, trimmed with point dc. gaze; a tullo veil and . . vreath of- orango • blossoms being .also worn.; ; it. the reception,iiiJSt.,"Mary's Hall, the vedding cake was sunnoiintod with-a sugar nodel of the bridogroom's ship,'.'arid amongst .ihs guests wero bisfellow-officers, from, Japan, who honoured 'tho.toasts by shouting. Banzai! " Mr. and Mrs. Simpson-Baikio ;.l6ft by motor-car 'fbr,"'Katoomba."' for' tho honeymoon. Jor four'years the bride was 'a Btudent at the Leipsio Cpnscrviitorium, whero her teachers wero tho distinguished l)r. ' Koineckc: and Jierr-Teichmiillor.' Lovers of Rhine .wind and Moselle will bo : shocked to learn . abont' tho ■ wine dealer abroad who has just neen convicted of haying sold 33,000 gallons of, fine Rbins wino whsch ho had made artificially, with the help of chemical substance#, without using a sin- ' glo drop of real irina. i During tho trial a chcmical expert testified that a dealer'' in drugs had sold to wine, dealers, within seven ' years 300 . tons "ol glycerine, 120 tons of / tartaric acid, ten'tons of potash, and eleven Jons of citric'acid. ■ ■