OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

Evening Star, Issue 13091, 26 October 1908, Page 2

OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

SYDNEY, October 12. THS CAPITAL. Federation, in the true sense of the word, has, for the first time since 1901, begun to bo a Irving factor in Sydney. There -could be no true Federal feeling so long ss the souse of injury held the field, ana the undertaking on winch New South Wales entered the union -was unfulfilled. Hut now I hat a disposition to do even tardy justice to the senior State has been shown the sense of grievance has vanished; there is a general disposition to let bygones be bygones, and there is a possibility, at any rate, that all parties may unite in a common effort to help tho young Onmmotrweaith along. There was a very strong feeling in favor of Lyndhurst. Even Annidale had its advocates, and those who champion the northern and western sites cannot help feeling that their Coitus have been passed over with but light consideration. .Still, if Parliament Jould not agree there was nothing for it Wt to concentrate on the next best site m Jho miming. In the final ballot only two Kow South Wales members, Mr Ewing and Mr Spence, a Minister and a Labor man, voted for Daigely. This was equivalent, under tho circumstances, to voting that the seat of government should remain at Melbourne. On the other hand, fix Victorian members, Messrs Brown, Cook, Haas Irvine, W. H. Irvine, Palmer, nid Sir John Quick, loyally sank proviunal considerations and voted for the YassAanbcrra site. The Ministry were divided. The Premier voted for Dalgety, and most of his colleagues followed hisexample. Sir William Lyne, however, after fighting hard for Tooma, and finding it out of the running, voted for YassCanberra. Mr Fisher, the leader of the Labor party, was a Dalgety man. The majority, though not large, is a substantial one, and the House can hardly go hack upon it. Neither is it to be expected that tho Senato will take up an obstructive attitude. At present everything looks hopeful, and as the State Legislature seems prepared to deal liberally with the Commonwealth in the way, M territory it may reasonably be hoped that this vexed question of the capital, which has so seriously hindered the establishment of the Union on a firm basis nf national sentiment is now in a fair way of being disposed of. There is, of course, a “win, tie, or wrangle” section, but it is likely to be overborne by the good sense and good feeling of the majority. A MINIMUM WAGE. Once more the Bill for giving a miniaiun wage to young persons, chiefly those unployed in millinery and dressmaking, las been introduced. This time, instead if 2s 6(1, the rate originally proposed, 4s Is inserted in the Bill. This is the compromise last session to the Opposition. They insisted on ss, and carried it. Then the Bill was thrown under tho table, and the employees got nothing. The Premier declares that if 5s is again carried the Bill will again be withdrawal. Unquestionably, if members were free to vote without the crack o? the party whip, 5s would be carried. Having once resolved to establish % minimum, members are anxious to get as much popularity as possible out of the transaction, and undoubtedly, in the electorates most affected by the measure. 5s will be more popular than 4s ; whilst, after the principle lias once been conceded, a shilling ■a_ week seems neither here nor there. When it is a question of 4s or nothing, however, other considerations come in. The present likelihood is that the Government will carry the Bill at 4s. This is as liberal a rate as is fixed in any State in the Commonwealth, half a crown Wing the r, 6 ual minimum. Only in South Australia is a4s rate fixed. New Zealand, however, "has tho 5s rate, and no doubt loaner or later that is the figure which will be fixed here. THE AUDITOR-GENERAL. The affair between tho treasurer and the Auditor-General has been amicably settled by tho exchange of mutual explanations and a half-hearted kind of apology from the Treasurer. Mr Vernon explains that he had no intention of reflecting injuriously on tho Treasurer, and that his comments, from a professional point of Hew, on the policy pursued by the Ooremment had been allowed to pass without objection in previous years. Therefore, he had no reason to believe that he would be transgressing by adopting a similar line ibis year. Obviously, however, this is a line which may easily be overdone. The idea was n<W to set up the Auditor-General as an irremovable, irre«ponsiblo critic of the Government—a position which would almost certainly make him a most valuable ally of the Opposition—but to got the benefit of his knowledge and experience in his report on the manner in which tho accounts were presented. His error, however, was not so grave as that of the Treasurer in referring, in insultingly opprobrious terms, to so valued and responsible an officer. Here, again, party considerations operated powerfully to prevent members from expressing their real convictions. WOOL. The commencement of the weekly series of wool calcs last week disclosed a state of affairs far from encouraging. There was a largo attendance of buyers, and competition, within limits, was as fierce and keen ;.s usual. But tho limits were from 25 to 50 per cent, lielow those which were ruling at this time last year. The dip itself, moreover, has suffered from the untoward season. Short, badly-grown wools are in excessive supply, and threaten to go still lower. The realisation of the wool clip is the chief controlling factor of the prosperity of New South Wales, and it seems only too plain that for some time to come it will be anything but favorable. However it is not in the nature of waves, whether in tho ocean or in the to be always rising. Sooner or later the reaction comes, and it, in its turn, prepares the way for future recovery. ’ Only fixed charges show a tendency to increase continuously, and this feature may cause trouble. THE UNIVERSITY. There can only be one answer to the question; Ought tho university to take its proper place at tho head of our national system of education Ditto tho kindred query: Must not its methods be immensely popularised before it can do, in fact ar*l m deed, that which theoretically it ic supposed to do? The thud question, as in tha case of the belling of the eat in tho fable, is that which presents difficulty: How is it to be dono? A deputation waited on the Minister tho other day with a categorical answer to this crucial question, pointing out several modes in which improvement could bo effected. Unfortunately, perhaps the deputation is not the Senate of the University, and, has no voice on that body. On tho other hand, concorvatism, in tho persons of a number of life members, is pretty strongly entrenched. ’ October 12.