OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

Evening Star, Issue 13145, 29 December 1908, Page 5

OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

CHRISTMAS. What are we doing in Sydney? Very much what you are doing in Dunedin, only, as Sydney contains the greatest agglomeration of people in Australasia, we are doing it on a large scale. In short, we are preparing to keep Christmas, and the preparation is an important part of the " keeping." Everyone is wishing or receiving the compliments of the season to and from everyone else, and said " compliments " are in myriad cases assuming a pleasing tangible form. Family reunions are being actively organised. Schools are having their gatherings for the close of the year, when the diligent receive the recognition of their industry, and the shortcomings of the idlers are mercifully passed over in silence. Even in politics there is a disposition to bury the hatchet and to say things that are pleasant and not absolutely unchristian. Those who wish to destroy the established order of things, the fruit of ages of effort and experience, and, without any experience at all, to 6upply us with a brand-new one, " made out of their own heads," are hobnobbing with the old, crusted Conservatives, who maintain that all i* for the best in this best of all possible worlds, and with the Liberals, who while they admit the possibility and desirableness of changes for the better, still question the wisdom of making a clean sweep, and who have no faith whatever in the ability of the men who desire to wield the broom to carry out their contract. The Christmas tide is running strong. There is money in it, too. The shops which have beautiful and useful kni»k-knacks in stock are doing a big business. In this connection it is significant that the children are being catered for more lavishly and more intelligently year by vear. The toys are often more costly. But. as to their general character, they are becoming more useful. It is well known that the character of a child's toys exercises a very appreciable influence on that of their owner. Those that will stand a fewmonths' hard wear are the best for this work-a-day world. All the better if they will last till Santa Claus pays his next visit. I might extend the list of modes in which the- Christmas spirit is showing itself almost indefinitely. They range from the simple wish to the costly present, from the congenial meeting of equals on equal terms to the breakfasts and dinners which are being provided for the poor. And the activity is stimulated by bold advertisement. No wonder that the morning papers swell out to twenty-six pages, or that the proprietors have the wherewithal to be liberal. Finally, as the bearing of these observations lies in the application of them, I also take the opportunity of wishing my indulgent readers a merry Christmas and a happv New Year, and to express my gratitude "for their generous appreciation of these humble efforts to add to their gratification bv throwing such Usht as may 1m practicable on current happenings. PARLIAMENT.

The State Parliament has followed that of the Commonwealth into recess. It has a much ionger record of Bills passed than has the former. Industrial legislation is by far the most important subject that has been tackled. But very sedulous care has also been displayed for the minor morals of the people. Certain modes of drinking and gambling which have become popular have been severely checked, and certain other modes, as a consequence of the same action, have received additional impetus. It is easy to criticise, and it would be ungracious to forget that the gentlemen who passed these measures were actuated by a sincere regard for the public welfare. Nothing else would have induced them to incur the odium which has been so unsparingly showered upon them. Nevertheless, the working of these measures will not be affected in the smallest degree by the intentions of the framers. The chemist may be a philanthropist or he may be a demon of wickedness. But if they use the same reagents, the reaction will be exactly the same. If these measures are adapted to the present state of those whom they are intended to affect they will work well. If not, they will work 'ill. In neither case will the good intention affect the issue. A conflagration started by the carelessness of an innocent child may be just as disastrous as if it were deliberately kindled by a foul incendiary. It follows its own laws, not theirs. Hitherto the maxim '" Do minimis non curat lex" has been applied to legislation. It may be freely translated : Look well to the great matters of public morals, then the minor ones will take care of themselves. HoweveT, members can go into recess with the consolatory reflection that they have not been idle, and that they have added substantially to the number of measures already on the Statute Book. THE A.J.C. The Australian Jockey Club may be considered as an independent Parliament in the world of sport. Its rule is sometimes grumbled at. But as no one, or no dub, need be subject to it unless it pleases, and as all the best clubs do please, it may be inferred that its Tegulatory work is found to be beneficial. There is now evident in the club some appreciation of the benefits of Federation, for at a meeting last week it was decided to join ioices with the other leading racing clubs in the several States, in order to take united action to check undesirable practices. At present it appears that a horso which had been disqualified in one State might be smuggled into another, and allowed to run without let or hindrance. It is also proposed to take united action to bring out the Stud Book. Mr Yuilte, who has carried on this useful publication for many years, is now desirous of giving it up. The clubs themselves will have to take the work in hand, for it is too valuable to be allowed to drop. It seems eminently desirable, therefore, seeing that it will be an authoritative document for the whole of Australia, that the leading clubs in each of the States shall bear their share of the expense and have a voice in the management. Federation of this voluntary type secures all the benefits, without any of the petty tyrannies which attend federation of the compulsory description. THE SYDNEY LABOR COUNCIL. The ambitious scheme which is before the Sydney Labor Courcil has been a long time in incubation. It is a wonder that it iias not been brought to a head before. The idea is that as a workman surrenders nis individual liberty in certain matters when rw joins a union, so the unions on joining the Council ahull surrender their power of saying whether their members shall strike or not. It the Council orders them out, out they must go, and ,stav out until th= strike is called "off." Strikes fail because of disunion. It might be added, aso, that, strikes sometimes fail because the demands of the strikers are inadmissible. But that, is only a detail. The assumption in that if all unions acted unitedly they could always enforce their demands. The further assumption is that a formal union of the kind now proposed would secure this unanimity. But would it? The very word "unanimity" means agreement of "minds. There would be as many different modes of thinking among unionist aa there were before. Some would approve of the action of the Council if called out, and would go out willingly, and stay out staunchly. But others, equally honest, would disapprove I hey would probably go cut with tnu rest. .But it would be unwillingly, and ai-ainsi their btet judgment. When their wives and families began to feej the pnieh their disagreement would strongly assert itself all the more so because the grievance in respect of whiebnhey were bemi; victimised would be one about which they had never been consulted. U.iumism is veiy powerful t-o long as it urges men along the path which they wish to follow. U hen it waus u.em to go tome other way it fiuds tliat union officials are set cside with ;is little compunction aa the requirement© o; the la'.v of the land. The scheme is immensely jwpuiar with those who hope to ba generalissimos and aides-de-camp, and with tne section of " levolt " which expects, to gaur distinction m a war against the existing order of things. ( But to sensible men, who xo the danger of jumping out of the frying p.™ into the tire, and to the rank ami file, thu pawns in the game, who will have to lxmr the burnt of the battle without anv share in the glory, it presents few .tttr'ai-tiond. When it is remembered that what is contemplated ifi virtually civil war on a gigantic

scale, and that civil war destroys general prosperity, it will be seen that the matter now being debated is one of great importance. Considering, also, that a strike is an illegal act, it is also significant that plans and preparations which would obviously facilitate the lawless proceeding are being so openly discussed. MR WADE. The State Premier is paying the penalty which has made life a burden for 66 many busy men. He suffers from insomnia. Want of sleep at night puts one at a great disadvantage during the day. Political warfare, however, is pitiless. When an opponent shows signs of' punishment the motto is "Go in and finish Kim." However, Mr Wade ie not finished yet. He is taking a trip to West Australia for the benefit of his health, and it ia sincerely to be hoped tliat he will return "like a giant refreshed." December 24. |