OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

Evening Star, Issue 15139, 22 March 1913, Page 8

OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

ME M'GOWEN. > ' Tlio storm o£ angry r.s«ntmenf, which tch upon the devoted liead of the Premier because he called on the citizens to do, all in their power to restore the supply ot' gas, and promised ample police protection to anv who would assist, has proved t.lie " last straw which lias broken the back of Jus et durance. Ho now announces thai he ».*.- retire from the Ministry at the end of the present Parliament. According to one report, this decision is subject to tho approval of the party According to anotlier, it is definite and finaj, and was accompanied bv a. definite undertaking that he would never arum accept, a Ministerial portfolio. Whichever may be nearer the truth, ibe ruling principles are pretty obvious. Mr M'Gowen is one of tho best men in the party. His conscience permitted him to sign the ironclad pledge Bui it balked when lie was required to trample underfoot the first duty of a man responsible for the government of the State. The men who are howling him down consider that th* city and suburbs should have been left to the tender mercies of tiro strikers. Thev were men'who had broken their own at-rcc-went. They were causing immeasurable" clis-trc-ss, inconvenience, and loss. Rut (hev w«re sinkers. .Therefore, it was argued a •Labor ' Government ought to have backed thorn up. It. was "treason" to attempt to strike a blow on behalf of the long-sufferin-public The men who wero revolting agaiuM, all established authority should have, been aided and abetted by that vcrv aut.horit.y ltself! Mr M'Cowon could not, or could not, as yet accept (hat view. Therefore he was hounded down. His sympathies for his class arc still so strong ihat he will contiinuc lo work politically to advance their fa.ne.ied interests. When he issued his famous proclamation, which will stand to his credit wlion most of his other achievements are forgotten lie saw pretty clearly that the greatest boon that can be offered to anv class is good government, and that, good government must, be. firm and strong, and not allow itself to be trodden in the mire by ' the governed The question now i R , whether he will stand to Ins gum YASS. The Yass election is not, quite done, with yet. It seems that a certain polling place was gazetted, but, no poll was held there but it is stated that; a poll was taken at a place which was not gazetted. This is a very serious irregularity, for the "labor" majority was so small that it is- hard to rav wbat might, or might not. have been the rrsull if the official programme had been adhered to, or if the electors had had duo notice of tho place where the votes were actually recorded. There, is no provision in the Act which enables the Governor to validate any accidental non-camplmice with tho letter of the law. But it is always open (o argument whether such non-compliance has vitiated the purpose of the election. Meanwhile, "Labor" is in possession. And possession is, proverbially, nine points of tho law. THE GAS STRIKE. Tho actual settlement of the gas strike differed from the account which was given of it by the senior morning journal. It said definitely that the m<m wore to gel the extra shilling a day for which they struck, and that the companies would be at liberty to raire tho price of gas in order to recoup themselves for the extra cost of production. But tbc terms of the settlement, as published, say nothing of these matters, but, leave everything wi the Court, which is to be empowered by special Act of Parliament to hear tbc claim and adjudicate upon it. Tt is generally considered, however, that the 'Herald' is right in substance, and that., when the award is given, it, will be found to hi in pretty strict accordance with its forecast. Some, of tho men are said to be kicking themselves because they did not demand a rise of t.wo shillings a day instead of only one. THE STORM. By a curious coincidence, the close of the pan strike was marked by one of the most scTere cyclonic storms which have ever visited the city. Overr seven inches of rain fell, and at, one time it came down at the rate of 900 points per hour! In some cases,' by the fall of posts and other mishaps. localities which had the benefit of electric lighting were reduced to darkness. Loss of life was also occasioned by electrocution and by drowning. " Live" wires, severed by tho disturbance, made horrible death-dealing, traps for the unwary wayfarer The streets were running like rivers, for the sowers and stomiwaler channels were quite unable to carry off tho immense volumes of wafer which descended so persistently and pitilessly. The engineers say that if five pipts had been three times their present calibre they would equally have failed. That means that, tire city will remain liable to similar visitations whenever they may occur. Rcofs wero blown off buildings that had been fondly believed, to be ablo to witlistand any gale that could possibly blow. As for "jerry-building," it recoived merciless exposure. 'There was loss of life. too. in the harbor.. An oil launch foundered at. Manhv and Mr Waters, the proprietor, was lieard for some hours calling for assistance which could not be rendered. Xothintr lias been heard of him since, and there is no doubt that he has been drowned. Mr Moore was lost from tho yacht Thelina. which was frying to make for home under very grave, difficulties after sailing a friendly match with the. Savonnra. The yacht went asboro on Dohroyd Point, and sank. She cost £2.000. and was one of the "institutions" of "our beautiful harbor." Since, the Nemesis gale in 1904 there has been nothing so destructive, and many of us may not, live (o see another like it. THAT HERESY HUNT. The committee who were appointed by the P.Tj.L. Conference to inquire, into the nllejrod betrayal of the "Labor" cause by the Parliamentary Txibnr party prns-ontod their report, to the adjourned meeting of the conference Inst night,. Every care was taken to exclude the Press, but it has leaked out that tho committee recommended the expulsion from the party of three. Ministers—Mr Carmichael. Mr Griffith, and Mr Trefie—and of throe members—Mr Black. Mr M.'Gnrry, and Mr Lynch. Tbo immediate effect, lias been to cause moderate men to begin to inquire, whether these gentlemen do not possess somo virtues which had hitherto been overlooked. The proceeding!* were of a very exciting character. About half I ho. members of tho conference were in favor of confining tlto proposed "discipline" to a censure. But, the others wished to "go the whole, hog" and "purify" the movement. Airainst the latter course was the contingency that flierc might, in that case, be very little left lo purify, for it was pointed out that there was a. strong probability that if any members of the Mini istry were ostracised they would all re-.iVn. Th<) chief crimes alleged against the gentlemen named were that they had thrown overboard the loaselmlfl plank of the "Labor" platform, and has shown themselves, at Iho Bhyuey election, more willing to chnmoion M" Booby than Mr Johnson, the accredited candidate of the party. Tbc chief instigator of tlx> "heresy hunt ' is said to have made a great, point of tlio attempt, of the Government to restore the gai supnly in the recent strike. Prom his point of view it is " a Government who support ' "scabs." ** Yorv soon we shall all be included tn tbc "scab" eategory. But, the greater tho number of those who are thus stigmatised |,he smaller tho reproach. The conference meet again tonight, and it is thought that the motion for expulsion will be. negatived, and that even the censure will be considerably toned down. PARLIAMENT. Parliament, according to l.be agreement with the strikers, is to meet before the ond of next week hi order to all*r the Industrial Arbitration Act in such a manner ns to enable Judge Heydon to hear tho claim of (,lm men for the shilling a day which is tho substance of their demand. A salutary provision in the present Act, prohibits tho Court, from reopening existing agreements. As tho agreement of the gasmen with the companies has a long time to run, it might be expected that the Government would have stuck to their own Act,. But in thoso days it is tho law which is made to givo way, not the lawbreakers. It is said, officially, that nothing is to be dono at this special session but. tho making of provision to carry out tho behests of the strikers. But tho Minister of Works assures us tliat some mueh-noeded railway works are only awaiting parlia.mentary sanction lo be immediately started. The" Opposition seem to bo band and glovo with tho Government in tlic matter, so that, the session ought to be sometlting like a " Imppy family party." March 11.