OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 204, 22 May 1908, Page 10

OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

NEWS AND NOTES OF THE WEEK. THE LATE MR. KINGSTON. (FHOlt OUR SI'ECIAI, COP.BESPONnTiNT.) * Sydney, May 16. Though for the past few years, Mr. C. C. Kingston had ceased to bo a commanding figure in the politics of Australia,'because of his ill-health, his death on Monday last recalls tho memory of ono of the strongest domocrats of his time —a man who had a great deal in common with the lato Mr. Scddon. Ho was a man of great force -of character, and one who liked t-o have his own way in Cabinet, so that when ho was Pre: mier of South Australia, his Ministers wero .merely heads of departments,, wlfo carried out his commands, and felt and actcd as men who wero only tho echo of his will. Once his colleagues solidly opposed tho course ho was taking; fearing he would be bcafcert, and, as a consequence, they would lose office. It. is related of him that, discussing tho situation with a friend, he remarked, "I am satisfied that Ministers ought to bo men of independent means. You can never have a strong Cabinet unless you have men who aro not constantly_ afraid, for reasons, of losmg their portfolios." On two points of politics, Mr. Kingston was unflinching. Ho was an ardent Irish Home-Ruler, and Protection was his great goal in politics. Ho went in for Protection regardless of everything, including his health, and when he got his tariff through, damaged and reduced, but. still high, he carried on '. its administration with rigour. His' love for power 'was-'insati-able, wliilo in everything elso he was moderate. He cared not for money, ho was a non-smoker, and he disliked men who gave way to excesses in liquor. Ho-was always alone —just a careless, quiet,' cbnipaniohlosn man. At the moment of his life when lie most wanted health, when the Premiership was' within his reach, ho was lying ill in a private hospital. In the political arena, thoro was chaos. Deakin was out of office,. Ileid had no hope of succession, and tho charicc. was for tho, Radicals, 1 , as, its-bul-wark. Thero was only one man in Australia capable of such a'body j together, whoso sweeping personality could not fail-to' secure the necessary number of votes—C. C. Kingston, and ho was ill. So Labour went in alone, and just failed when lie appeared again in the House; ho was but tho shadow of the giant who, a short time before, had fought tlie great -fight for Federation. His name will bo placed high amongst Australian politicians, for ho was .ono of the .few : big disinterested men who ' gave up their lives for thoir country. Though in many of his .characteristics he resembled Mr. Scddon, li-o lackcd his geniality, which is an asset to ono who seeks public favour., 'Mr. Kingston's death was not altogether unexpected, as ho had been ailing for some time, and though retaining his seat in the House of Reprcsensatives, he had not taken ail active part in politics , for a considerable period. The end was. probably accelerated by tho death of _ a sister a week and for whom h'e grieved much. Ho never reaJly .recovered from the sad and untimely death of liisadoptcd son a few years ago. At the funeral in Adelaide on Wednesday, tlio Govornor was represented, while those present included' the Primo Minister (Mr. Alfred Deakin), tho Federal Labour Leader (Mr. A. Fisher), Ministers of tho Crown, and many distinguished public officials. Rain poured as tho procession passed through tho streets, and despite this fact the route along which the cortege passed was thronged with people. THE TARIFF.

This, week, in tho Federal House of Representatives, the Treasurer was defeated in regard to the kerosene duties. First of all, tho Government attempted to provide a protection by fixing a flash test, below which all oils would-have bad .to pay a duty. This was abandoned, and Sir William liyne then sought a rc-classi£cation with a lower flash test, but was left ill a substantial minority. As the' Bill camo back from tho Senate, it provided that all oil below a flash test of 97dcg. would have to pay duty, and this request was rejected by tho House; the result boing that kerosene is left wholly on the 1 freo list. During tho week, also a 'matter of importance to New Zealand, the timber duties was settled. Members' from Queensland, whoro white pine is grown, pleaded for protection for the timbor industry in that State, but, on tho other hand, it was stated that the timber required for butter boxes could not be supplied in adequate quantity from Queensland. On the sub-item A, "timber undressed, n.e.i., sizes of 12in. by Gin. (or its equivalent) and over, 6d. per 100 superficial feet," the Senate requested an increase to Is. On this Sir | William Lyne moved an amendment that the duty on Oregon bo left at 6d., and after a long discussion this was agreed to, but the request of the Senate that the duty on other undressed timber should be increased from 6s. to Is. was refused, against tho wish of tho Treasurer, by 31 votes to 15. On the item B, "New Zealand pine, undressed, of all sizes, Gd. per 100 superficial foot," the Senate requested tho inclusion of rod beech, and an increase of tho duty to Is. Sir William Lyne agreed with this rocommondation, but after discussion he decided not to press it, and it was then rejected. Tho Houso also disagreed with n request of the Senate that a duty of Is. 6:!. per 100 superficial feet should be levied upon undressed Now Zealand pine and red heccli by proclamation as soon as it was certified to Parliament by the Minister that, similar timber, fitted for tho requirements of local industries, could be produced in sufficient, quantity in the Commonwealth. Hence the Now Zealand timber duty remains at Gd. per 100 superficial feet. The Bill will probably bo returned to the Senate next week, and by the middle of tho following week should bo finally passed. ■ A WHARF LABOURER'S FATE.

Some mystery surrounds the , death of a man named Aloxandcr Brown, a wharf labman named Alexander ■ Brown, a wharf labourer, 53 years of age, who died in the Princa Alfred Hospital about throe' weeks ago. It appears that there was sorao doubt as to the causo of death, and a post-mortem examination was made, which revealed that ho had succumbed to neuritis, a form of iniiammation of the nerves.' - After the interment of''tha^

body in tho Waverloy Cemetery, certain facts came into tho possession, of the polico .which prompted theni'to'-havo- it- exhumed. This course was taken on Thursday morning, and the stomach and its contents have been sent to Mr. W. M.. Hamlet, tho Government Analyst. Tho suspicion is that Brown may have died of poisoning. Inquiries made by the police show that not long before his death ho was in good health and spirits, and it -was also discovered' that he owned n quantity of jewellery, and certain other facts implicated a woman as being possessed of certain property which had belonged to tho dead man. This woman was later on arrested on a chargo of having stolen some jewellery which, it is alleged, ■was previously owned by. Browii. According to law, all tho property of the dead man would temporarily go into tho possession of tho ,Curator of Intcstato Estates until inquiries woro made as to tho oxistenco of a will. It is now stated that a will has been discovered, in which Brown bequeathes all his property to tho woman, .who is married, hor hnsband being alive. It is alleged that this woman was seen in Brown's company not long before his fatal illness. It was while ho was living at a hotel in Erskine Street that he was taken ill, and he then went to a houso at Stanmore, biit, growing worse, was removed to tho hospital, where ho remained for ton days before his death. Tho woman, Jane Baikbe, was charged at the Central Polico Court yesterday with having caused the death of Brown. The caso was remanded for a week. A charge of the theft of jewellery, valued at about £50, is also preferred against hor.

A NEW ZEALANDER'S SAD PLIGHT. A very ,sad case was dealt with in the Sydney Police Court' on Wednesday last, when Harold W. Cottle, only 20 jears of age, and recently from New Zealand, pleaded guilty to several charges of fraudulent practices. During the proceedings it was shown that the accused had been a patient in a hospital in the Dominion, and in order to ease the effect of an operation had been recommended to take occasional injections,of morphia. . Thus ~ he ; . contracted the drug habit, which had affected him to such an extent as to blunt his mental faculties and his sense of moral liability. On being questioned, the prisoner stated that he had come from New Zealand in the hope-' of getting away from his associations, and for the benefit of his health. At the time he began to take tho drug lie did not realise its ill effects, but later on he recognised its 'baneful influence. He expressed a desire to return to New Zealand. Judge_ Docker said the ease resembled one of insanity, when a person was locked up, till he was cured of his disease. For the prisoner's own sake it was necessary to protect him_ from the habit he had contracted, as it wa's also necessary to. protect honest tradespeople from his impositions. He sentenced him' to twelve months' imprisonment in GoullAirn Gaol, saying that this would give the prisoner an opportunity of getting the effects of the; morphia out of his system. He hoped that, when released, he would return to New Zealand.

STARVING STOCK. With pleasant rain falling in the city and in the coastal districts of New- South Wales, it is hard to rcaliso the straits in _ which graziers find in certain districts where drought is prevailing just now iiv Victoria. To save tlieir cattle, which are actually starving,' it has been necessary_ to shirt thorn to the rich pasture lands of New South Wales. Various cargo steamers have beon chartered'for this purpose, but during the week- a consignment was put on board 'tho 'A.U.S.N. . passenger steamer Kyarra at Melbourne with serious results. Tho stock were in such an emaciated condition when the steamer left Melbourne for Sydney that thirty cows and heifers dicd'<on board, out of the 1500 ■ head in.r. cortain space in the Kyarra's 'tween docks.. The dead cattle had to be thrown overboard —a task very difficult under the circumstances. Fortunately, tho weathor was fine on the voyage,- otherwise the mortality would liavo' been greater. One of tho cattle, at its last gasp when the steamer arrived, at Sydney, fell outside the gangway jn landing on the wharf. Thero is an enormous demand for sheep vans and cattle .waggons oil/the railways for the conveyance ■of istarving stock, with the result that the supply has been found to bo totally inadequate. Tho bookings from May 14 to June ■4 in this < State comprise .243 sheep vans and 741'eattlo jiv. n wons, so that within that period some 24,000 sheep and 7500 cattle will bo carried from tlie south-eastern extremity of tho State to the far north and west, but so great has been the demand upon thd rolling stock that 110 more trucks can now bo. booked until July 13.

; ; WELLINGTON NOT IN IT! There is a city in the' Dominion whose reputation for wind .excceds all its other claims to fame. Yet there mere gentle zephyrs- disturb . the atmosphere! compared with-'the:wind that visited Lours, last week. It was responsible for a. sensational accident. The driver of. a coach was blown clean off the seat of his-" carriage, \md the ..wheels passed . over his body,■ _ inflicting severe injuries. The horses continued "the journey, travelling full speed, . and encouraged by tho wind, which had already cleared the way of all obstacles, covered-'a considerable 1 distance before thoy were persuaded to give up the race. And yet people call Wellington windy! THE JOSTLE OF LII<'E AND DEATH. Killed on her way home from her son's wedding was the fate of a farmer's wife, Mrs. Alexander M'Donald, near Musv/ollbrook, on Tuesday last. She and her husband were driving to thoir home at Kayuga, And were turning a corner in the road about five miles from Muswellbrook when tho horse swerved, and tho vehicle struck tho stump of a tree, and was capsized. Mrs. M'Donald, who was carried to a house close by, was so badly injured that sho died almost immediately.