AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 778, 30 March 1910, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY

« , ( THE SOYA AND ASO. Sydnoy, March 19. The cruisers Aso and Soya, of the Japanese training squadron, on Saturday afternoon, March 19, sprang a sur- 1 prise upon the expectant Sydney pub-, kc. They were scheduled to arrive at about 5 p.m., but under favourable conditions they made good time down the. coast, and 2 o'clock found them enter- \ ing tho Heads. ,A. few minutes later j the booming of the customary exchange' pi salute's between the Aso and H.M.S. i'romoiheus announced to the city the' arrival of the Japanese .visitors.. The two ships stood out conspicuously at:' their moorings. Both are almost ponderous in their massiveness, and decidedly sombre-looking in their complete coating of grey-black pajnt. Tho fact 'that they had once formed units, of tho conquered Russian fleet added! to the interest with which they., werei viewed by spectators. on . shore,, and' shipboard...-, 'i'hey. each carry SO midshipmen, for whoso training 'the cruise: was designed. > Some "of the officers . have been to; Sydney before,, and. mosfc of theni played a part in vanquishing! Russia. ' The Admiral' was captain'of', the Mikass, the' flagship of Admiral: Togo's fleet, during the. war. His" two; staff officers, Commander N. Sikamotoi and Flag-Lieutenant sSkimomufa,' saw! , much service,' the latter especially, who.served 'in- ..the .first-class ' armoured cruiser Tokiwa, and also oii'a destroyer. Captain Sato,of'the Aso, was staff: officer to Admiral Kamimura during, hostilities, while Captain Suzuki, of the Soya, served as commander, of the torpedo l flotilla. The, visitors to the, vessels during the' afternoon included, many of tihe general public, and . , all 1 , were treated with; the suave. courtesy; which is' characteristic of 1 , the racoLj.They were' not a littjo surprised to no-' tic© how: well English' was spoken; byv nearly , all the officers;. ' ' . , AVIATION IN AUSTRALIA. " The. short flight -by "Mr. F."C. Gust< : . anco in South Australia oil Thursday, last on a monoplane and the series of highly .successful flights j:by 'Hoiidini in Victoria on a Voisiu. biplane on.Frid.ay mark the beginning 'of '.' practical in: heavier-than-air,...machines; Commonwealth. No one can doubt that" aviation 'will progress ..'.as ; rapidly, in. •Australia. as it has already progressed in and: America, and possibly-', also in Japan. ..The Federal Govern-, nieht has already., shown-its: interest in: aeroplanes by .offering. a ; substantial:, prize, .to; the. aviator; who< succeeds ..in" fulfilling: certain , conditions.. ' But as' experts have declared that one, at" least, of the conditions—namely,:, that of "hovering"—is; impossible. to, comply, with, there, is no immediate likelihood that the prize -will be claimed: . Further, encouragement might well be afforded by the Government to-persona engaged in! experimenting 'with: flyingi machines. A thoroughly efficient' and!, trustworthy machine would be of suchi value for ; the purpose.of national-de-'j fence alone that it would far outweigh, oven ; a-. . handsome > monetary' reward.' Now, that South Australia and Victoriahave; each'; witnessed aydisblay of aero- " planmg :it is-;to" be--hoped that- NeWf' South; .;Wales will - not -bo - far behind!'. There is a .big future-'in but,it ought-to begin-at once.

: DIVINITY DEGREES. '.y The council of-the Melbourne... Uni-' veraity.i to-day' -.cdnsiderfid ■ a'' proposal' tbat : tho . should he i empow- ' ered to grant , degrees, in 'divinity. s A.f ' motion . embodying the proposal •••was' moved. by llev.: E. -H. Sugden. He said' tbo; proposal. was that no .oiie sliould bo-'- s allowed yto -take.;.a in p divinity unless he 'had a.degree as a master' in' some other faculty. -..Their" strongest*" ■ground was that \a University should teach.every subject that was of human . interest, and capable of. scientific study. It. had been suggested that, this- was an attempt to. Protestantise', the- JJjjW"versity, but that lie. emphatically 1 -denied. Considerable opposition was' manifested- towards the proposal. Mr.! Justice" Biggins .said it: seemed to him that the question was.. should this University put the nationar hall-mark upon/ certain-Protestant, teaching? .~A mem-' her of the council:. Quito.so. "Mr.-.Jus--, tice Higgins: ... They. ha.d managed tomaintain 'public .confidence by . keeping to the strict course of non-interference;. • They should here bo giving degrees tot certain denominations that studied on, certain lines; : Dr.: Barrett moved atf amendment;'which affirmed, "In the opinion'of this council,the granting of. degrees in divinity : would injure., tho University, hut; all requirements, can b&' met by the Government giving power to ; some outside legislative .body to7cbnferj v degrees:"-- Mr: Sugderi's.proposal'was.', negatived by 12 votes to s;'and Dr.' .Barrett's amendment was agreed to oil; the 'voices. •. THE FINANCIAL AGREEMENT. The-Victorian . State Treasurer . at. Mooneo I'onds • last night -in adi vocacy-of .the financial agreement. " Ha" read a list of twenty subjects whicti • were . within the scope of State jurisdicv Hon, arguing . that;. their magnitude , showed tho need of financial stability,/ for the States. The; whole, object of; tho\ proposed- agreement was- ,to place th« financial relations . of tho States and Commonwealth upon a sound 'and per-i mancnt basis. : .•_/ "As .sure' 'as. tho sun: will rise- tew . morrow," Mi;. Watt said, .'.'tho State debt's' will be .'taken oyer by the Com- 1 monwealth within . ten years., Wheni that comes 'about, the position will bei reversed, and the States will bo pay« ing the Commonwealth 16s. per head. That is the answer to tho . suggestion."; Another argument, and a very im< portant one to Victorians, was that tha agreement was against protection., Tha Treasurer proceeded. to combat this as*: sertion by .quoting figures'to show that! "us soon as with its energising power, gets to work, it has tha . effect'rof enormously increasing oversea/ trade, both lV exports and imports." ' He cited the New .South Wales figures of import-s for 1887 and 1907,' showing that they had increased in '20 years,. and under a protectionist tariff, by. £2 per head.' If tho States pursued a vigorous immigration policy (as ho trusted they would) -every man brought in,- for "! whom "the States'received '255/ -would'-' be worth three times as much ill Cusi toms revenue, to the Commonwealth. ;