AUSTRALIAN NEWS. COMMONWEALTH.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 37, 12 August 1905, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN NEWS. COMMONWEALTH.

The Murray River Fisheries Conference met in Melbourne on the 4th inst., and passed a number of resolutions. I The Conference favours a hatchery for fresh-water fish indigenous to the Murray, the expense to be borne <• equally by New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. The Rev. H. F. Walker, managing director of the Papuan Industries, has had a further interview with the Prime Minister: He assured Mr. Deakin that the company did not desire any financial assistance whatever from the Commonwealth, but only asked for reasonable conditions in respect of any land it might acquire. The Prime Minister is not, however, inclined to lender the company assistance of any kind. The State postage stamps are about to be superseded by a Commonwealth series. In an article in the Sydney Herald, Ernesb Favcnc makes some suggestions on the subject, 5 positive and negative. He concludes thus: — ' t 'lt is to be hoped that we shall endeavour to get out of the Southern Cross grooye, which is not a national ] emblem at all, seeing it belongs to so many other countries.' We have made a' horror of our so-called national Rug', under wliich one would be ashamed to fight or feel patriotic, as it resembles a Uying advertisement of somebody's patent pihs. Don't let us make an equal horror of' our national postage stamps." • Mr. Bruce Smith (says the . Sydney Telegraph) has a novel remedy for the uncertainty of life so fa_r displayed by Federal Governments. He has given notice of motion in the of Representatives affirming that the repeated changes of Government and Ministerial policy are detrimental to the progress -of the Commonwealth, and i that it would be conducive to the prevention bf such I frequent changes to lessen the disparity between the remuneration of Ministers and of private members.. iHis resolution provides for the introduction of a Bill to fix the following future salaries : — Prime Minister, not more than £1250 per year; other Ministers (not more than seven, £1000, including Parliamentary allowance ; members J pf the House of Representatives and the ' Senate, £500' per year At present, under the Constitution, seven Ministers divide £12,000 a year, plus their Parliamentary allowance, while ordinary members receive £400 a. year. "I mentioned recently (writes the London correspondent of the Adelaide Advertiser) that the Australasian Chamber of Commerce in London had' been instrumental in obtaining an inprease in the rebate allowed by the Australian banks on grain bills. Within the last month the National Association of Flour Im- . porters — representing practically the whole of the flour importers" of the United Kingdom — called the attention of the Secretary of tho Chamber to the fact that they, were in precisely the same position as the grain merchants, and asked whether the Chamber would •approach tho Australian banks on their behalf. The Chamber has given this matter considerable attention, and, I understand, has now succeeded in getting the flour importers of the United Kingdom put on the same footing as the grain merchants — that is to say, the Australian banks have agreed that the rate of rebite shall until further notice be £ per cent, above that allowed by joint stock banks in London for deposits at short notice, provided the bills be retired upon the arrival of the shipments." The extraordinary powers conferred on ' Fedoral Ministers "by the Bill for regulating commerce evoked much unfavourable comment in the press. On the 2nd inst. the measure was suddenly withdrawn without explanation, though it was privately stated that the measure had been "tabled by mistake," and that extensive alterations were in contemplation, As the Bill origindlly stood it was thus described by the Daily Telegraph :—"lt: — "It is important beeituae of the vast powers which it vests in the Government Tho vital clauses allow the Executive, which in practice will be tha Minister, to prohibit by prodlamatior the importation or exportation of any goods whatever which do not comply with standards established by regulation. In practice this will havo the effect of placing large legislative powers in the hands of the Executive. For the Government or'^the Minister — in the g«neraf run of cases it will be the Minister— ;will be open to any pressure that may be exercised through backstairs influence exerted by any coterie of persons, and may send out a proclamation stopping either the importation or exportation of any goods whatever under regulations drawn up by himself. Tho. clauses dealing with falsely marked goods and other descriptions of fraud strnd by themselves. They are admitted to bo | valuable, and no doubt essential. But j this, wide, general power of absolute proI hibition might be exercised by an unGcrnpulous or prejudifod Minister to ■ further any political views that lie might hold." The admission of a lady to the Victorhn j bar may givo rise to- interstate compli- i cations. Victoria alone of the States (says the Sydney Herald) has made provision for the admission of women to .the Bar, and we do not know how far her example will be tollowed. Perhaps the complications that may arise in conse-' quence of Miss Greig's admission may hasten reform v For jnstance, she may practise- as a 'barrister or a- solicitor in Victorian courts, and this would seem to entail her right to appear as a barrister or a aolicitoT in the High Court. Would she be admitted to the New South Wales Bar, supposing she were to elect to be a barrister rathor than a solicitor? If not, it would be a curious «noma.ly that a State Supremo Court was less, liberal in this matter than the High Courfc. If, however, sho were admitted as being a member of the Victorian Bar, how could our Supreme Court refuse admission to New South Wales women? At present men only may practise either branch of the profession in New South Wfiles. Girls ; may pass tlio law school of tho University , with the highest honours, and m;iy be congratulated by distinguished peibonngCi on gaining an unprecedented success ;, but (liore it all ends— the girl graduates in | laws may #o and darn stockings for tlicir i livelihood so fai as Hie Supreme Court is concerned. Of cotii'p-e, our Court It s eminent authority bcliinrl it, in the i-lupo of a- docision by Lord Chancellor Hatabury | and ii special tribun.il of English Judges. This was m the rase of Mi's Bertha Cave, who had been refused admission to one of j tlie Inns of Court, utid who appealed a minat this action of the authorities. The | Lard Chiincellor gravely observed that Ihcic was no precedent for ladies bcini> Milled to th» English Bar, and that ho nut! Hie. other Judtjes wcj-j unwilling to create* f>ne. Precedent or no precedent, ' however, the reform muirt comi>,- and Mi.si I Greig's cose Tiill do much to facilitate it. I NEW SOUTH WALES. The consolidated revenue for July shows a dccrense of £56,020 compared with the corresponding period list year. The Northern miners are endeavouring to arrange a deputation to the proprietors of Hebburn and Pelaw-Main colleries for a general dscussion of tho situation. At a conference of local authorities today, a resolution was passed in favour of an amendment of the postal regulations,

to allow the transmission of ballot papers free of cost to shire councils. The Betterment Bill of last session was condemned by the conference. The industrial dispute between the Sydney Wharf Labourers' Union and the New South Wales Interstate Steamship Owners' Association is being proceeded with in the Arbitration Court No. If The issues for trial aie numerous and complex, esQjcially those in regard to wages, as so many different rates of pay have to be determined. • The "main object of the Union's claims is to bring the interstate and oversea labour into line. A Court of Enquiry is engaged in investigating a series of thefts from- the- Naval Dockyard at Garden Island. It is understood that largo quantities of canvas, rope, and other stores, of the value oi over £300, have been stolen, and disposed of to civilians. • i The capital sentence which was passer l on Jane Davis, an elderly woman, whr was convicted of the attempted poisoning of a Kanaka at Maclean, has been commuted to penal servitu^.- for life. Ministers decided that the new facts elicited at the enquiry us to whether the Kanaka was suffering from leprosy^ditl not affect the question of the prisoner's gilt. The Chinese Defence Association in Sydney has learned that the twentythree Chinese stowaways imprisoned by the Germans at New Britain are in a deplorable condition. Three of them have died, <me is dying, and it was feared, according to>]atest advices, that threefourths of the remainder were doomed: A mob of a thousand crossbred ewes, travelling from Bathurst to GrenTell was camped, near the railway line, close to Covra, and a number strayed on to the line through an open gate.. Over a hundred were killed and injured by the train that arrived at midnight from Blayney. A delay of nearly an hour occurred in clearing the line. The cheep were recently purchased at £1 per head. On Ist September £500. \T worth of 3£ per cent. Treasury bills will mature. The Government has decided to offer holders the opportunity of exchanging the -bills at par for the new issue under the Treasury Bills Redemption Act, 1904, bearing interest at 3i per cent., with a currency of five years. This is the first time that it has been proposed to renew tn~s at 34 per cent. On Ist May half a million pounds' worth were renewed at 4 per cent., but it was then announced that that would bo the last occasion when 4 per cents, would' be issued. In February and June next further sets of bills will fall due. A late arrest by the Auckland police will bo remembered. The following, from a Sydney paper, throws some light on the subject :— A warrant has been issued for 'the arrest of a passenger for San Francisco by the Ventura,, which sailed on Monday. The man who is wanted by the police carried on business in Bathurst street with his daughter. They made extensive purchases on credit, and it is alleged disposed of goods at considerably less than cost price. One of tho daughters left Sydney by the Sonoma on July 10, and took with her £200. It is srttd that the principal' of the firm secured a draft for £500 on San Francisco last week, when visited, the shop contained goods of the value of a few pounds only. The discovery of caves at the National .Park (writes a Sydney correspondent) will add a new interest to this delightful pleasure resort. , These caves, which have been known to the blacks for many years, lie on the south side of Port Hacking River, and in a limestone formation of rock. An old aboriginal chief, known to residents of Botany as Johnny Malone, \ often spoke of the caves, and the strange things he had seen in them at various ' times. The blacks were too afraid to enter them, and the undergrowth and debris had so blocked the entrances that for nearly half a century they were unnoticed. As- many" Sydney folk have fishing boxes nnd small cottages at Port Hacking, a road to the caves is sure to be soon mapped out, and already tourists ! are arranging exploring parties. If any testimony (says the Daily Telegraph of 4th inst.) were needed to show tho esteem and respect in which the lato j Rev. Raintfqrd Bavin was held by the ! citizens of Sydney, the representative I gathering which yesterday thronged thej Centenary Hall, on the occasion of the memorial service — apart from the countless messages of sympathy which flashed from all parts of the Commonweilth — was I an all-sufficient demonstration of it. Ad', dresses were delivered by Archdeacon Langley, Rev. Johr Ferguson, and Rev. Dr. Sellors, each testifying to the exemplary life of the deceased minister. Many ! .vreaths and floral devices were forwarded I by sympathetic friends. The principal ones wore from the president and members of the Methodist Conference, the Board of Missions, tho Sustentatiori Society, Central Methodist Mission at Newcastle, ,the Ladies' Church Aid Association, the missionaries in Fiji. The New South Wales Arbitration Act works far from smoothly. Recently application wits made for' write for the ar1 rest of four men, and the offence for which it was proposed to incarcerate them were the non-payment of sums ranging from less than £3 down to less than £1, j due to unions as contributions, about tvhich orders were made by tho Court last year. In one case v respondent pleaded that he w;ts ill and unable to work, and the judge threw on the secretary making ■ the application fpr the writ, the responi sibilitv of proving that the man was in a position to pay. The secretary elicited that tne man had got £30 from the mortgage of his house after the order of tho Court was made against him Inst year, and wanted to know what had become of the money. It went to the. butcher and baker, to whom the respondent was in debt. The judge proceeded to impress upon him the enormity of disregarding an order of the Court by using money with which the order might have been satisfied for other purposes. "The union has been of no uso to me afc all," was the reply. "The 'butcher and the baiter were my best friends. They supplied me while I was out of work." Even judicial keenness (says tho Telegraph) had to subside when confronted with such a position, and the Court did not pursue tho subject. The I application was not allowed. j