OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 478, 10 April 1909, Page 11

OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER

THE LABOUR PROGRAMME. [FEOII Oiß OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Sydney, April 3. The programme of the Fisher Government is at last bofore the public. Mr. Fisher travelled from Melbourne to his constituency in Queonsland, and delivered his policy speech at Gympie on Tuesday night; but, after all, so precarious is his tenure of oilico, because of the present confused state of parties in tho Federal Parliament, that tho new proposals have not excited so much interest as they woS'l have dons if their author did not stand an oxcellent chance of being turned out of office next session. Tho new proposals arc much more moderate than were expected. There is to bo a progressive land-tax, a measuro which has long been part of the Labour platform, and was accordingly expected to mature when Labour look office. It has been received with a good deal of alarm, but is really not more drastic, in the long run, than tho law which lias been in force now in New Zealand since Mr. John Ballance's famous Act of 1891. Tho following is the schedule proposed by Mr. Fishor: -Tax on largest estate of Value. Bate, each-class To .£SOOO oxompt *.. £ s. d. .£SOOO to £10,000 Id. 20 16 8 £10,000 to £15,000 lid. 52 1 8 £15,000 to £20,000 2d. M lfi 0 £20,000 to £30,000 2Jd. 197 18 4 £30,000 to £40*000 k 3d. 321 18 i £40.000 to £50,000 ..: 3Jd. 463 15 0 £50,000 and above 4d. 630 8 i Absentees are to be charged Id. extra in each case, without exemption. The other important feature of the Government proposals is the defence policy. Mr. Fisher cannot agree with the popular demand that a. Dreadnought should be presented to Great Britain. Despite the outcry that his suggestion has provoked he persists in describing this agitation as "hysteria," and whether one agrees with him or not, there must bo a certain sense of admiration for a man who, whether he is right or wrong, sticks to his views in the face of popular opinion, and refuses to take advantage of tho public agitation to gain support for his Ministry. .The view of the Cabinet is that the Australian defences should be strengthened, and accordingly a comprehensive policy of building destroyers is to be proposed. Twenty-three of such vessels are to be constructed in three years, and, moreover, there is to be compulsory military training, beginning with boys' in school after 10 years, and ending at 20—r age which will strike, a good many peoplo as too early to finish the scheme. In regard to finance, Mr. Fisher explained his difficulties at somo length, and declined tho proposals of the Premiers'' Conference at Hohart. They wore prepared to accept a minimum of £6,500,000, with the addition of £250,000 for Western Australia, and the Prime Minister- has offered them £5,000,000, plus the £250,000 for Western Australia. The Dreadnought Offer. The offer of a Dreadnought from New Zealand- has aroused" great interest in the Dominion oh this side of the Tasman Sea, and everywhere tho spirited action of the Ward Government is drawing praise. The proposal that Australia should offer a ship was received in Sydney with electrical enthusiasm, and the scene at tho noted dinner at tho Union Club when £30,000 from three pastoral j magnates were promised in three seconds ' stimulated public interest in tho movement immensely. But after that, the. enthusiasm fell off, until it .has received a fresh impetus by'the proposal of Mr.' Wade's Cabinet yesterday that if the Federal authorities~persist in their attitude of declining to send a ship, New South Wales and Victoria should take upon themselves to present a Dreadnought. Mr. Murray, the Premier of Victoria, is favourable, so that'it-'may b6 regarded as certain that,a battleship will go to Great Britain from th<y two leMlng States of the Commonwealth. Meanwhile the Sydney fund has swollen to £60,000. This includes a donation of £1000 from tho "Daily Telegraph" Company, and another of £1050 from the proprietors of the "Sydney Morning Herald." : Fight With a Burglar. A few years ago, a young man from New Zealand come to Now South Wales and entered the police force in Sydney as a probationer. To-day all Sydney is talking of him, for he is Constable Gates, who so bravely stuck to a burglar in the small hours of Thursday morning at North Sydney, and refused' to let him go, though, blow after blow was rained on his head from.the butt end of his prisoner's revolver. Sorely distressed, and with his head streaming with blood, Gates was practically at the end of his resources when a civilian came to assist him, and, two other policemen arriving not long after, the capture was completed. Gates was taken homo to have his wounds nursed, ■but the head of tho Police Department, Mr. Garvin, took prompt measures to recognise his devotion to duty, for that day ho promoted him from a first-class to a senior constable, speaking at the same time in tho highest terms of his courage and fidelity. ■ The prisoner, who gives the name of John Frederick Crook, entered a house of Mr. Russell Sinclair at Kirribilli Point about five o'clock in tho morning, but instead of carrying a dark lantern, he resorted to the use of matches to find his way about the place. Tho striking of a match aroused a maid, who gave tho alarm, and when Mr. Sinclair dashed out of his room and chased the man, the latter, unable to get out in time, closed with his pursuer. Sinclair, on his part, exhibited great bravery, for he was unarmed. In the struggle which took place in the kitchen, he was unable to get possession of Crook's revolver, and tho man, turning the weapon downward, shot him twice in the groin. Tho wojinds are not likely to prove fatal, but they rendered Sinclair helpless, and the burglar escaped. The police had been informed, and Constable Gates, on his way home from night duty, accosted a stranger whom he met in the' street. The man kept his right hand in his pocket, and when Gates asked him why, lie replied that his habit was to keep it there. Suddenly he drew his hand, which had a revolver in it, and fired. The shot missed, and set.out in pursuit. The fugitive turned twice and fired without effect, and Gates thon fired in return. Crook exhausted all bis shots, but Gates had still three left in his weapon when ho closed with the man, who then started to beat him furiously, about the head with tho butt end of his revolver all the time that Gates was endeavouring to handcuff him. Once Crook got away, but the policeman followed him,' and the civilian joining in the chase, the prisoner was brought to bay in a lane on tho hillside not far from Milson's Point Ferry. Chivalry to Women. Sir Harry Rawson, that gallant gentleman who, to tho regret of everyone in the State, has just retired from tho Governorship of Now South Wales, has given somo fine advice to the schoolboys of this country in a farewell letter which ho wroto at the requost of Mr. Hogue, tho Minister for Public Instruction. Hero is an extract from' tho letter:— "To you boys: I .would give. three little maxims, which are very easy to remember, and if. you act up to them they will not only save you from many troubles, but also train you to become worthy citizens of your grand inheritance. They are:— "1. Never say anything you would not like your mother or your sisters to hear. "2. Never do anything you would not go and tell your mother or your sistors you had done. "3. Never keep company with anyono with' whom you would not like your'mother or vour sisters to associate. _ "I-know you all wish not only, to bo considered gentlemen, but to bo gentlemen and I tell you thero is no more perfect sign' of a true gentleman than ho who treats all women with respect." This is fine, isn't it, and worthy of tho gentleman who penned it, too — one who realises the true definition of that muchabused word. Unfortunately, when ono observes what takes placo in tramcars and other public places nowadays about the hour of the daily rush homo from business, one regrets that Sir Harry Rawson could not havo addressed a few words of admonition to tho fathers who are training our boys.