OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10278, 2 November 1896, Page 5

OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER

[BPKQI4L OABL.B WRBSAGI*WJiR W®* • , „ ■ , r ABSQQiATION.], ~ , . , ? U; :,(■ '.'■■k,% ':. Swm, October 31. ; | ODTCRY AGAINST LAND VALUA- "-. TIONS.' f "'■ ■ -;■ -> Loveks. of justice 'and- the very aggrieved taxpayer,-'' arid'' others ,'of' that ilk have flooded the dally press with abuse of the land tax assessments which saw the light of day this week. Parliament by every convenient motion of adjournment took up the tale. One venerable councillor declared that the Commissioner of Taxation made him appear wealthier than he was, Another mournfully complained that the law allowed the Government to resume- land Jon- tho taxpayers' valuation, bub did nob compel the Government to resume on their own valuation. The Premier said why nob rosorb to bhe Revision Court, where a.fair a"d equitable revision. could be arrived at between the baxpayor and the Department. The initiation of a direct tax was bound to cause difficulties and apparent hardship. FRANCHISE EXTENSION. When the Franchise Extension Bill left the House it proposed to' confer votes on the police, soldiers, and sailors,' but the Councili thought the army and navy could do with out just now aha gave the boon to the civil force alone. The father; of the Bill urged the House to accept the measure as an instalment, while another honourable member let the House into the eeordt that his blood was boiling because the women wero not given votes. , The House, however, was callous, and accepted the provorblal half; loaf. The Council -struok out voting by post in the Parliamentary Electors Act. Amendment Bill, and the desire of the Government to accopt the amendment led the labour member, Mr. Hughes, to attack them, He declared that twenty thousand persons were disenfranchised by such * step. Ultimately the Bill was referred back to tho Couuoil for further consideration. THE REFERENDUM. Tho second rending of the Referendum Bill produced an interesting debate. The Premier explained that under the system there must be a minimum polled of 100,000 electors, while a six-elevenths majority whs necessary. The relations of the two Houses were unsatisfactory. The Council remained oub of touch with tho spirit of progress, and the experience of Victoria, with an elective Upper Chamber, was even more, anomalous than a nominee House. The choice lay between the referendum and a single Chamber; oho or the other must come about. Mr. Copoland favoured the idea, bat thought a joint committee of both Houses should consult.on the matter. Mr. McMillan said the Council would beaome a mere puppet under the referendum. Ib practically abrogated the Upper House. Tho seoond reading was carried by 51 to 3, ' TEMPERANCE AGITATION. A large gathering of local optionists was held under tho presidency of tho Primate to mark their approval of Mr. Cook's Bill. As usual on such occasions, the movers and seconders of motions were arranged beforehand, a practice which produced a disturbance. A gentleman named Hall rose to move an amendment disapproving of compensation. The Primate ruled him oub of order, because the meeting was only called to support the Bill. The amonder insisted, bub eventually was prevailed upon to sit down, A temperance zoalot objected to putting by for two years the sweeping away of tho hotels. All bhe. money in tho colony was not, ho Bald, worth one soul. Uproar ensued, and the Primate was frequently interrupted. Ho asked those who were baking the extreme Bide—he would say the enthusiastic side, to understand that they were doing their own cause injury by refusing to accept the fellowship and help of moderate men, who were as true to temporanoe, and as desirous of chocking drunkenness as any Rechabite in the country. PLUCK AND PERSEVERANCE. A tale of pluck and persoverance under heavy odds, is the story how the enginoers of the steamer Oakbranch replaced her lost propeller in mid-ocean. Th • Oakbranch is a turret steamer, and in Int. 7' south, long. 15' east, the tail of the shaft broke. The propellor dropped off next day, and a heavy gale sprang up. The nnweildy vessel rolled frightfully. The sea anohor of canvas was gob out, but the sharks destroyed it. A second one had better luck, and kopt the vessel's: head to sea. When the woather moderated, the after ballast tanks were emptied, and the forehold and forepoak filled with water, sending the vessel down by tho nose. Then the engineers essayed the difficult task of lifting the tunnel casing and drawing the fractured shaft, and after eight days' unceasing work a new propeller was fitted, and the vessel resumed her journey. She drifted 120 miles to within 25 miles of the coast of New Guinea. A VICTORIAN MINING BILL. The Minister of Mines moved the socond reading of the Mining Aot Amendment Bill in tho Victorian Parliament, . Ib is a comprehensive measure consolidating the mining laws, facilitating mining operations, and providing for, compensation. The debate wag adjourned. HELP FOR DISTRESSED FARMERS. Tha Premier of South Australia gave notice of a Bill, authorising the advancing oi teed wheat to distressed farmers, WHITE 7. COLOURED LABOUR. Mr. Noel Buxton, a son of the Governor, has just returned from a trip to Queensland. Us made exhaustive enquiries regarding the sugar/growing industry and the coloured labour question received special attention. Interviewed on the matter he said he had no idea a part of the tropics could suit Englishmen go well us North Queensland evidently did, with the exception of the Coast, Whites could do all classes of work, and evon.on the coast many did very hard work. The white population was rapidly. increasing. Sugar oould be produced by whites, but the industry would bo reduced to small dimensions if only whites wore employed, Assuming the chief desideratum was for. the country bo support as many whites as possible, apart from the Interests of capital,'it might be a good policy to get rid by degrees of nil coloured immigrants, but at present, till the whites multiplied, probacy the employment of coloured labourers enabled the country to ' support more whites than ib otherwise would, while the development would be much slower with whites only. Questioned as to introduction of coloured labour in the Northern Territory, he said that he thought that Japanese and perhaps Indian labour; should, be allowed, under Strict contract. Many 'whites could.! be employed in the industries, which might grow up as in Queensland, and if afterwords they could be carried on with, white labour only the importation of coloured labour could be stopped. The Japanese were the best to introduce because they were obliged to return homo after threeyears. So long as Australia was part of the empire tho idea that immigrabion would help a Japanese invasion was absurd. Perhaps the alarm about the flood of Japanese was unfounded, Less than 1800 were working on Queensland plantations, hardly any at extra industries, . DISCOVERIES ( IN NEW GUINEA. Sir. William Macgregor's discoveries in New Guinea are most interesting. Tropical New Guinea oan boast of a temperate region. At 11,000 feet above the sea the explorers found lake buttercup daisies and other plants of mild climates were found. A white bird resembling the 'English skylark was Been and heard,. Somoof the party Buffered severely owing to, the;very cold weather. ■ . ~. i -' k,", .'. "...