OUR SYDNEY LETTER

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13486, 13 May 1907, Page 7

OUR SYDNEY LETTER

[FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] .Sydney, May 8. NEW SOUTH WALES AND THE FEDERATION. The Premier of New »South Wales, Mr. Carruthers, has more than once made known his dissatisfaction with the 'treatment his State has received under federation; and now that he is about to undertake an election campaign he definitely announced, in a speech on Monday -evening, that he proposed to give the people an opportunity of expressing their 'views on this sujbect. The Federal capital fiasco, and the fact that the Commonwealth Parliament calmly continues to sit-in Melbourne without making any determined effort to settle this question, is of. course the great grievance of New South- Wales; but there are other causes of complaint as well, judging from the Premier's speech. -Mr. Deakin, for instance, appears to have been saying too much in London about Melbourne, or not enough about New South Wales.. Anybody reading the proceedings which had lately been going on in London, - said air. Carruther.s, would never know there was such a place as New South Wales. It had been obliterated. .- They would come to the conclusion that Victoria was Australia, that Victorian statesmen, represented the whole of Australia.. New. South Wales might, just as well be a dependency of the Commonwealth, just as Norfolk Island was part of New South Wales. He would give the people'an. opportunity in the near future* of showing whether, they were content to continue to accept this state of affairs and permit New South Walejs to be -further denied what she was promised when she entered •into the Federation. * • REDUCTION OF TAXATION.' In his speech the Premier foreshadowed important legislation, which is to form part of the future programme of his party. The Budget of Mr. Carruthers last session granted certain concessions in school fees, and he now intimated that as the Liberal party recognises the importance of a' progressive educational' policy, proposals will be made to put the system on a broader basis' The reduction of taxation is another direction in which the Government policy will extend. People were asking for a diimmition.of taxation, said the Premier, and he . quite agreed that the demands on their pockets should be lightened if this could be done. Therefore, ' they could feel sure that the party would make proposals which would' further diminish the burden taxpayers now had to bear. . ; . DESTRUCTION OF RABBITS. The experiments of Dr. Danysz, the Continental scientist .about whose work so much vehement discussion went on when he arrived here appear to be • very successful so far in proving that his virus is fatal to rabbits, whilst innocuous to other animals and to man. Dr. Danysz,' who came here at the request of the Pastures' Protection Board of New South Wales, to test' the possibility of killing rabbits by means of disease., has conducted his. bacteriological experiments since October last at Broughton - Island, . where .a supply of rabbits was sent . from the mainland for that purpose ; and In a. report now submitted by him to"the Board he shows that in four experiments which he selects, 72 rabbits, to which the virus was administered, 'were placed - amongst : 307 healthy rabbits, either in enclosed paddocks or in cages, with the result that not only did the 72 •themselves die, but they communicated the disease to _' 193 - others. This appears ''to establish the claim of Dr. Danysz that .JJie "disease is'.contagious . amongst,^rabbit 3 as freely in the open- as -when the animals are shut up in cages. It is yet to be . proved = whether equally, effective results will be obtained on the mainland, over the great stretches of pastoral country where the rabbits are -working such havoc ; but Dr.' Danysz is inclined to the- opinion that the disease -will be even more contagious there than on Broughton; Island. The all-import-ant question, however,- is, Will, the virus prove dangerous to other animals or to man? All kinds of. alarming predictions concerning this phase of the subject have been uttered by the man in the street | ever since the visit of Dr. Danysz was projected, but the scientist himself has declared that there will be,no,danger whatever, exoepfc to the rabbits,"' arid, one' 'interesting experiment made at Broughton Island unquestionably supports thin, claim. Five sheep, a horse, and a number of cattle, and I other animals, were tested, ' some of these being inoculated with the virus, and in no case were any unfavourable symptoms exhibited. . Nay, more, one of the sheep was killed, and the people on the island ate the mutton* without: feeling the- least illness. There's a test for you! Fancy the breezyconfidence of these potential martyrs -to science, who sat down and ate freely -of the flesh of this sheep. 'The rabbiters who are protesting so loudly that Dr. Dan/sz will end by killing all the flocks and herds of- the Commonwealth, can surely have very little to say now. To give the virus jan exhaustive test for one year, so that : its action may be observed in all conditions ! and seasons, the experiments at Brougliton i Island will be continued till next October." | Then will arise the question of a trial on the mainland. I; - - • I HOW SHOP Assistants live. Some evidence given in the Arbitration Court on Monday is interesting, as revealing the conditions of life of those who are employed as shop assistants in this city. One map, who has been -working in a drapery establishment ; for ,10 years, sauf he' started at £2 a'week, and worked for that sum for about eight vears, when lie was givqn an additional 2s 6d, and latterly he' received another rise of 2s 6d, so that his present salary, after 10 years, is £2-55., .He is a salesman, and his average takings over the counter amount to £40 per week. A statement prepared by the witness for the information of the Court shows how he comes out at the end of the week, by the exercise of commendable _ thrift. 'His maintenance, and that of his two children is a widowerabsorbs £1 13s 6d. ' Then there is Is for the church, also one shilling for insurance, 3d for the union, 6d for tobacco, 6d for tea on Saturday, sevenpence for papers, 3d for each money-box of the children, and Is 6d for sundries. This leaves 5s 8d for clothing and other necessaries for himself ana the children. The witness naively informed the Court that lie did not see much opportunity for advancement in this shop— that,: in fact, he supposed lie had reached his level. Another witness, a saleswoman, started over nine years ago in the same house, at 12s 6d per week. Five years later her wage was raised to 15s 6d, and now she is paid 17s 6d. Her commission on sales, like that of the other witness, is about Is - a week. • Her average 'takings over the counter are £26 per week. Yet this shop is admitted by, the officers of the labour union themselves to be one of the best- in the city so far as wages are concerned.

THE COAL STRIKE. \ . Matters affecting the coal strike have not advanced materially this week, but on Wednesday last a disturbance which appeared at one time to be „ of a very serious character took place at Circular Quay, several of the free labourers being attacked by the men, on strike, some of whom were arrested. One man, a non-unionist, on his way to work at the coaling of the steamer Priiiz Sigismund, was pursued by a, howling mob, and as he outdistanced . them blue metal was thrown after him, one missile hitting him in . the head and another in the back. Another young fellow was hurled violently to the ground and kicked unmercifully, : being rendered unconscious, whilst his companion was pursued and struck in the mouth, losing several of his teeth. ' Some' of the men attacked stood their ground and fought; indeed, at one stage fights were proceeding in a dozen different places at the one time, road

metal' being also- freely used. One of the non-union men when Set upon drew a revolver, and this had the effect of keeping the strikers at a distance. There was danger even for those who expressed sympathy with the victims. „ 1n...0ne , instance a. bystander who appealed for fairplay, for a young man who was being treated was himself set upon, receiving a blow in the ear. He ran otf, but was pursued and thrown to the ground. Fortunately the police arrived at this stage, and protected the man from injury. Several women, apparently relatives of the strikers, took' an_ interested part in the disturbance, vigorously hooting " the police. The men arrested were brought be* fore the Court yesterday, when two of them were sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour; one to a month's hard labour, and a fourth to seven days' hard labour, .whilst the fifth was fined £2, with the alternative" of -a ' month's hard labour.