AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 112, 13 May 1910, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

| * NOTES AND COMMENTS. POLITICS AS A CAREER. The Governor of New South Wales(Lord Chelmsford), in the course of his address at the University commemoration, last week referred to sport and politics. His Excellency said: There are two ideals which we as 'Varsity men should hold up before ourselves. One is in the sphere of athletics and the other in public life. In the sphere of athletics, not only should we hold before us the ideal of sportsmanship, but the maintenance of a high standard. (Applause.) In the universities is to be found the largest body of public opinion, and therefore we must look to them to uphold the high traditions of British sportsmanship. (Loud applause.) The ideal can be summed up in a phrase we al) know, "Play the game." If the men in the universities will "play the game," there need be no fear that in the sphere of athletics the ideal of sportsmanship will not ba maintained. (Loud applause.) The second ideal is in the domain of public life. The ideal at which University students ought to aim is that of public service. There are few of us who would have enjoyed the benefits of tne universities had it not been for many generous gifts. I was glad to see this morning that the University men did homage to those who have given of their best. (Applause.) We are debtors, therefore, not to ourselves, but to our country, and I believe it incumbent upon us to pay back in public service to our country the debt we have received from her. (Applause.) I believe that the greatest career a man can have in any country is a career of politics. Many of us no doubt feel that we have no bent or inclination that way. It is true that there is no pelf nor emolument to be derived from local affairs, but I can assure you" from practical experience that there is no sphere of life in which one can find greater interest or in which the fruit of his labours come to perfection in so short a time. A country looks to its highest institution, and a University does not serve its purpose to its country unless it is willing to'provide men who are willing to engage in public affairs. MR. .HUGHES RESENTS REMARKS BY MR. DEAKIN7 The women's branch at Ballarat of the Commonwealth Liberal League has decided to hold meetings monthly for educational purposes. Mr. Deakin, exFederal Premier, in an inaugural address, dwelt on the importance and value of this method of political education, and suggested that In all these leagues politics and legislation should be made a frequent subject of conversation for material enlightenment. Such a line of action would provide the cure for current misrepresentations in education and give better information. He dwelt on "the profuse and reckless promises" made at the last elections by the Labour Party. Misrepresentation was resorted to beyond anything experienced in any previous contest. He deplored the unreasoning suspicions and the imputation of mean and contemptible motives. Mr. Hughes, stung by these statements, replied on behalf of the Government: "All except those owlishly solemn persons who regard the advent of the Labour Party as a sort of political calamity will laugh at Mr. Deakin's latest statements. In one portion of his address he deals with the slanders of the Labour Party. That was at once the most impudent and daring thing ever ventured upon by a beaten politician. That a man whose downfall was brought about by the direct result of an inexcusable dereliction of duty — a backslider on all his ancient principles — should accuse the Labour' Party of slander is truly amusing. Speaking for myself, I can say that in every electorate in New South Wales slanders against the Labour Party, against their morals, and against their general character, were circulated pitilessly, and with the deliberate intention of injuring them in the eyes of the electors." MERRY-GO-ROUND SENSATION. A sensation was caused the other night at a merry-go-round at Donald, Victoria. The wooden hor&es were loaded ,with women and children, and the maclline was just on the point of starting, when the tent collapsed, enveloping both horses and riders. The screams of parents added to the general confusion. It was with great difficulty that the children were extricated. Fortunately, none of the riders were injured, but sever* of the wooden .horses were smashed. An onlooker received a severe blow, being struck by a falling pole. Had the machine been in motion, the results would probably have 1 been serious. • THE COMET'S MESSAGE. At Christ Church, Hawthorn, says the Melbourne Argus, Canon Tucker delivered an interesting address on "Comets and their Message." He said that comets had a message, as everything in nature had. There was, in the first place, a message of mystery. While they were no longer feared as portents, they had climatic effects, as was shown last week and month in wild weather. But the very existence of the earth and all its inhabitants might be mysteriously controlled by a comet. Halley's comet, in particular, had a strong human interest. Halley identified this comet as the one which stood over Chaldea, and. later over Jerusalem, ■before Christ was born. It "gleamed like a star," as Josephus described it, when Jerusalem was destroyed in 66, and was identical with that which came "flashing on our native land" at the time of the Norman Conquest. This comet, therefore, connected the present day with Newton, with the Conqueror, and with Christ. THE CHILD AND THE SNAKE. The other afternoon at Numurkah, a four-year-old boy, who had been playing in the yard, returned to the house and complained that something had bitten, him on the foot. A bruise on the toe was squeezed, and blood oozed out of two punctures. A ligature was then applied, and the child taken to the doctor, who treated him for snake bite. The child had never seen a snake, but on being shown a toy book at once picked out a picture of a. snake as resembling the thing that had bitten him. He said that -the snake crawled on to his leg, and he was trying to poke out its eye, when it stung him. The child is apparently little the worse for his adventure. THE TRADE IN SAILORS. The conclusion of the strike found Newcastle with a fleet of 100 foreigngoing vessels in the harbour waiting for coal cargoes. Of these some 25 were steamers, and the remainder were sailing craft of various dimensions and descriptions. Since then most of the steamers and nearly 30 sailing ships have been loaded and sent away to their destinations. As was to be expected, the sudden activity in shipping circles created an unprecedented demand for seamen, and during the past few weeks the boardinghousekeepers and others who make it their business to obtain crews have been experiencing a busy time (says the Sydney Telegraph). Seeing that even in ordinary circumstances there is occasionally talk of "crimping" :n

Newcastle, it would hardly have been surprising had there been a recrudescence of this evil lately. Inspector Goulder, of the police, however, took time by tho forelock, and the rigid system of supervision that has been enforced effectually prevented any "crimps" from carrying on operations. At the same time there has been a brisk traffic in sailors. An able-bodied eeaman just now has a distinct market value. If he wants a ship he places himself in the hands of one of the well-known suppliers of sailors, and m a very few hours he >"s traded off for a monetary consideration. Apparently there is no fixed price, but it is well known that skippers are prepared to pay from £2 to as mucb as £4 per head \r a crew, when, as at present, sailors aie difficult to obtain. Although the legality of this practice has been questioned, its defenders point out that very often tne man who obtainb the sailors is compelled to scoui the country at considerable expense and inconvenience, and, therefore, the payment by the captain must be looked at in the light of compensation for services rendered. The sinister side of the transactions, however, lies in the fact that it not {infrequently happens, that both tihe captain and the man who is shipped participate in the "blood money," as it is sometimes called, and the person who really suffers monetarily is the owner of the vessel, or the agent. The visible supply of sailors in Newcastle is lapidly becoming exhausted, and the captains of. the fifty odd ships that remain in port will find it no easy task to secure their complement of men. At present there are several ships lying in the stream, having already cleared, but unable to proceed to sea owing to the difficulty in obtaining crewb. This difficulty will doubtless be accentuaed in the future. However, there are a good many sailors in various parts of the district who have left their ships without being paid off, and those whose whereabouts are known will doubtless be compelled to return to duty. Several of these men are brought before the Police Court almost every day, and are returned by the authorities to their respective vessels. \n view of the fact that fully 1500 men are required to man the huge fleet that had gathered in the harbour during the strike, it is surprising that more trouble has not arisen in regard to the supply of sailors. However, the police authorities are fully alive to the position, and it is largely owing to their watchfulness arid tact that no serious complaints have arisen.