OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 229, 20 June 1908, Page 7

OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER

—— e . NEWS AND NOTES ON THE WEEK. 10 1- THE ESKBANK- IRONWORKS, 't [from oub srcciAL. cojinrsroNDßNT.] ° .Sydnoy, June 13. ■ Tho industry which, it was hoped, had be on 3 put upon* sound footing at Sskbank, that ® of tho manufacture of iron, is again threatened, nil because of tho abandonment of tho Iron Bonus Bill just before tho prorogation of tho federal Parliament. An effort was made by Sir "William Lyne to get this mensthrough, 1 but it was bloeked so badly in the last.hours of tho session on tho wirenetting clause* that tho task became impossible. Jnow it appears that the Eskbank 0 Ironworks, in New South "Wales, recently - taken over from "Win. Sandford, Limited, by b U. and C. Hoakins, were depending to a r considorablooxtent upon this bonus, tho pro-. having gone on tho assumption that . the Bill would go through this, session. Ac- * f ol i IS® Charlos Hoskins, tho firm r had tho assurance of Sir William .Lyno, that 1 it would -go through, and niad© their &r----3 rangements accordingly,. On, tho pig-iron i they havo been sending to Victoria and other places outside of New South Wales thero i has been a. loss of three or four shillings )cr ton, and tho steel blooms could havo 1 been imported at a nntch less cost than that . mt' thej' are being mado at the works.. : Ino position is so serious that G. and C. ; fctoskuw havo asked their workmen to help m keeping • the blast furnace and tho steel furnaces going by accepting reductions of ■ wages until- September next, when, they hope, tho Bill will again bo presented to tho House. . Tho Committee _ of tho Eskbank Ironworkers' Association' has mei and discussed theso proposals, and decidcd to rccommeiicl members not to accept tho reductions. - This

decision is to be submitted to'a general meeting of '.members, to-night, and upon, theii vote, of course, everything will depend. As it is believed, t however, that the. resolution of tho Committee will be confirmed it will bo sebnthat the position, so far as tho industry is concerned, is serious. Through the Committee, the men stated that four years ago they submitted to a reduction to enable W. Sandford, Ltd.. to endeavour to obtain a'contract from tlio Government; that they submitted to. the firing tho draft of a. fresh agreement three years later, but did llot press it at that time for obvious reasons, and when G. and C. Hoskins took over tho works soon 1 afterward, this agreement was laid beforo the new proprietors, when an arrangement ■ was • arrived at,_ that' work should continuo under the existing conditions for five months, in Order that new machinery should bo installed.' Tho reply of Messrs. Ifoskins is that this agreement, laid before them when they entered into possession of tho works, provided for increases of from 10 to 40 per cent, in wages, and they considered it tho most outrageous document they had over heard of, and told the men so, stating that they would prefer to give them over the deeds of tho property for nothing rather than work under such a monstrous thing. Sinco taking over the business, they add, , they have increased wages in various directions, and in 110 case has thtrs been a_ reduction. However, as tho directors. recognise that a serious loss will result to all concerned should the works be closed down,- they'have modified their proposals to the m,en to tho following'extent:— Tho amount deducted from the wages shall be heljl by the firm until the end of September, and should tho Bonus Bill bo passed, tho money will bo refunded; if the Bill is not passed, tho firm will retain tho money and call 011 tho men to meet them in eon-; ferenco to .discuss tho question of 'wages. In tho meantime, - slionlu any part of tho works be closed, any of the men thus thrown temporarily out of -employment shall bo entitled to tho refund should tho Bill pass. :

MR. HOSKINS IN MELBOURNE.

Mr. Charles Hoskins, who wont to Melbourne to lobby for tho Bill, gives an intorosting. account of his experiences:—" On arrival in Molbourno I -proceodod on my crntchos up tho steps of-Parliament House, and was mot ! at tho doorway by - tho attendants,' who a&ked me what I wanted. As I evidently appeared liko a mendicant—which I truly was —I .told them I had como -from New' South Wales to bog on.bohalf .of tho iron and stool industry, the greatest industry the world had oven seen.- The attendants were very good to mo, and told mo to Come and sit down. This was tho first timo 1 had been inside Parliament House. It is really a' magnificent building, and doubtless was ono of tho factors in causing the Parliament of tho Commonwealth to bo located temporarily in Molbourno. Tho main hall is a magnificent room. . It was evident to mo that having tho offices in Melbourno gave an enormous - advantago ■to tho manufacturers of Victoria, and I was told that as many as 200 persons, representing tho manufacturers of Victoria, wero at 011 c timo in that room to advocate their claims. Thero was I, a lone man on crutches, from tho Mothor Stato. Truly, a contrast between tho manufacturers of tho two Statos, and showing tho advantago' 'possessed bv Victoria! My card was sent in to Sir William Lync, and in a few minutes 110 camo out and told me ho was afraid the Bonus Bill could not bo brought on during tho session that was just closing. I. urged him to try. This-was on Tuesday last; and during that day and Wednesday, and Thursday I was busily engaged interviewing the members of tho Houso. I considered it a humiliating thing to have to do, but I was thero doing it and I must say that all' sections of the' Houso received mo with the greatest' courtesy and kindness, and listened carefully to ovorything I had to say. Tho Now South Wales members gave me every assistance and tho Ministry, including tho Prime Minister, was kindness itsolf." • Sir William tried, but unsuccessfully; and honco tho Eskbank Ironwork iron industry is without its bonus—at least uutil September, when .tho Federal Parliament will meet again. . 'MR. TITHERADGE IN AUSTRALIA.

Mr. Titheradgo, who is to tour Australia with Miss Margaret Anglin, tho well-known American actross, is to arrivo to-day in Sydney, wliero tho company will appear this month in "The Thief," Mr. Cosmo GordonLennox's adaptation of M. Houri Bernstein's "Lo Voleur," Tho plot of, "Tho Thief" is the story.of a kleptomaniac, Mafiso Chelford, as sho is called in the English adaptation, who robs hor best friend for tho motive of pleasing her husband by dressing woll. Miss Anglin will play tho part of Mrs. Chelford, and Mr. Titheradgo that of her. husband. When Mr. Tithoradgo went to England ho mado a hit as Aubrey Tanqueray to tho Paula of Mrs. Patrick Campbell, with whom ho appeared at the re-oponing of tho Royalty Theatre; London his success being so marked that at the rehearsals ho was complimented by Mr. Pinero. Later on ho appeared with Miss Julia Marlowe and Mr. E. H. Sothern when thoso distinguished Americans played in London last year. Mr. Titheradgo, who will got a great wolcomo from Australians, as woll as in Now Zealand, told an "Argus"'inter-■ viawor in Mclbourno on "Wednesday that on returning to London after 20 years' he found everything in tho dramatic profession changed. Tho popular actor was less a man of many parts thaii a man with a distinctive personality—somo charm of manner not at all uncommon in private lifo, but which few people aro ablo to project across tho footlights. Formorly it was a inorit for nn actor to lose his individuality in his part' now, it is, above all things,' desirablo that ho should retain it, once his manner is known to tlio Londoner. Consequently thoro is a tendency on tho part of playwrights to run in a groove, to avoid tho bourgeois side of lifo, to have nothing less socially important than a baronot,. " Tho London stage," Mr. Tithoradgo declares, " is 110 longer a school for young men. Tho beginner who gets onco a olianco is generally told to go in front and study somo well-known actor in the part even to the detail of inflection and gesturo.' Thus in thrco years he may have, copied three parts, and is still without oxperionee Australia is the best dramatic school left to tho young actor, and, strangely enough, tho old ones, too, appreciate it. I have not mot ono prominent actor returning to London from an Australian tour who did not dcclaro that Australian audiences woro tho host to whom ho over played—aud audicnccs make p

vast difforcnco to tlio actor. Apart from temperamental peculiarities, he knows that for an nudienco which likes him, and believes him capable of playing any part acceptably, ho will nbraya find the best side of his art." THE MAORI FOOTBALLERS. Great interest was naturally felt in tho match between the Maoris and'a Mew South Wales tonm, played under the League rules at the Royal Agricultural Society's showcrouwl on Saturday last. The New Zealandors appeared to suffer' from tho want of combination, but tho individual play was in' many very fine. The brilliant dashes' or somo of tho backs were remarkable, their wonderful agility and alertness frequently boating the majority of tlio New South 'Welshmen, and taking nlay right up to the enemy's touch-line, where a "timely ptint, following upon good collaring, prevented a score. The opinion i 3 that when the Maoris become more accustomed to tho now rules, know each other's play hotter, and aro not penalised to the oxtont they wore on Saturday by free-kicks, tlioy will constituto a toam hard to boat anywhere. Tho match to-day, it is expected, wi'll show a good deal of improvement in their form. Certainly, they were not opposed on Saturday last by a strong toam representing Now South Wales, but Messenger, who played ill the three-quarter division, is a tremendous opponent, and was of vast strength to his sido. The Maoris have attracted a r;ood deal of attention as they promenade tho'Sydney streets, somo of them" wearing tho Maori mats across their shoulders. Their fine physique is tho subject of comment. On Monday night at tho Town Hall, when they gave an entertainment consisting of hcikas, war-cries, and Maori songs, they were greeted with tho greatest-enthusiasm by an audience that packed tho building. THE Y.M.C.A. IN SYDNEY.

Tlio Young Mpn's Christian Association in Sydney has entered into possession of its handsome bow building, opened on Wednesday by the State Governor, Sir Harry Rawsoil, who delivered .a speech full of encouragement to the members. A statement by tlio general sacrctary showed that when the" sum of £15,000 was collected during the thirty days' campaign, it was hoped that this would provo sufficient,, but when tenders were oponed it was found that, owing to tho riso in tho prices of building material, the sum of £22,000 would bo necessary for the adequate equipment of their new home. In view of the support which tho Association had received, its officers hr.d decided to go ahead and trust the community to stand by a project witji such lofty ambitions. While every mail was bringing in further contributions, it '•'ould bo necessary yet to raise £15,000 to bo free of debt. At tho opening ceremony a cheque for £!OQO was received from Mr. Hugh Dixson, of Sydney. This comes ns an addition to his donation of £5000 subscribed to the building fund of the Association two years ago. Mr. Dixson, who' is well known in commercial circles throughout Australia as President of the' British-Ans-traliau Tobacco Company, and Chairman of tho City Bank of Sydney, was at ono time President of the Young Men's Christian Association, and is now one of its vice-prosi-donts. Ho has been President of the Bap-

tisfc Union of Now South Wales, to which he subscribed £10)000 & few years ago. Incidentally, Mr. Dixson's hobby is tho growing of orchids, and his gardens and conservatories at his privato residence, Abergeldic, Summer Hill, contain almost priceless bulbs. Ono variety which ho prizes most highly flowers only once overy ono hundred years, and has dono so onco in his lifetime. Tito now building, for tho Y.M.C.'A. includes fonr stories and a basement, and ono of its features is that it provides residential quarters for tho mombers, thoro being fifty bedrooms. The back part of tho old habitation in l'itt Street has boon/ retained, the main hall, of that poriod beinc; now tho coucert hall, while in tho now building there is a'much finer and larger reception hall, finished in Australian silky oak, with rich dados of American oak and panels of stamped, metal. There is an extensive dining hall, and a recreation room (with two billiard tables)," a library, and a smoking-room aro also part of tho general schomo. Tho basement and sub-basement have been fitted as a gymnasium, claimed to bo one of tho largest and bost-oquiDned in' Australasia. ' Tlio roof garden will" bo -a featuro of tho Association's new home. It

covers nearly the whole area of tlio now block, and good viows aro .obtained over Darling Harbour to tlio west, and Hyde Park on. the cast. On tlio flat roof, whicli is liglitod by electricity, aro a dark-room for amateur photographers, and shelter sheds for smokors. Tlio froiit elevation of the building has boon carried'up to. tho ground.floor lovel in solid quarry la"eed stone, and past that in brick with stone dressings.