AUSTRALIA TO-DAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15169, 7 December 1912, Page 9

AUSTRALIA TO-DAY.

THE FEDERAL CAPITAL.

IS IT REALLY' NEEDED?

[FROM Oril OWN COItRESPOXDENT.j

Sydney, November 30. Mr. O'Malley, Commonwealth Minister for Home Affairs, is determined to achieve immortality as the man who pushed the Australian Federal capital into being. Now that inter-State bitterness over the matter of the site of the capital has died down there are signs of increasing doubt as to whether there is really need for the building of such a place at the present time, when so much genuine developmental work still remains to be done. But Mr O'Malley has no doubts. He is enthusiastic over a report by a Departmental board upon the four designs selected by a special committee from the many competitive propositions put on paper by architects and engineers in all parts of the world for the benefit of Australia. The Departmental board says it cannot recommend the full adoption of any of the designs submitted to it, and it has itself prepared a plan for the layout of the capital city. What pleases Mr O'Malley is that the board has embodied the cream of the competitors' schemes to ensure magnificence. Its plan makes provision for a capitol, boulevards, a casino, grand drives, an opera house, cathedrals, a splendid Parliament House, and the very latest thing in swimming baths. The whole is on lines suggesting magnificent spectacular effects and opulent comfort, on a scale calculated to dismay those unimaginative people who want to know what necessity there is for a " capital in the bush." It may lie deemed proof of either genius or of a Departmental spirit to "give him what he likes " that tho board's proposals afford Mr. O'Malley great satisfaction. In a special memorandum he expresses warm appreciation of tho successful labours'of tho board, and states that a city laid out in accordance with the board's views will be beautiful.

Students' Excesses.

There is more proclamation of the academic prowess of Australian students than _of their accomplishments in • the direction of extravagance of language and conduct such as arc traditionally associated with bodies of students all the world over. This 16 quite right, no doubt. However, recent happenings in Victoria deserve mention as evidence that Australian students can at least hold their own in matters of excess. The Melbourne University authorities have found it necessary to adopt disciplinary measures in relation to a magazine published by a committee of students connected with the medical school. It is held that .some of the matter printed has gone quite beyond the bounds of propriety. At a meeting of the council of the "Working Men's College in Melbourne, Dr. Bride, a member of the council, presented a rather surprising report on the college discipline. He recounted the bringing of miniature bombs into the class-rooms. One bomb on being handed to the chemist was found to contain i}oz. of gunpowder, sufficient, said the doctor, to cause serious injury to persons and furniture. So unruly had the conduct of some students become that for one class a man had to bo engaged to keep tho students in order while the instructor continued the lessons. ( The presence of this man was objected to by the students, who went on "strike" until the "policeman," as they termed him, was withdrawn. "However, the year ended peacefully','' added Dr. Bride.

The Beef Trust.

The Commonwealth Minister for Trade, Mr Tudor, states that the American Beef Trust will very soon bo actively at work here. He says he has it on the best of authority that the trust is about to attempt to envelope the Australian meat industry. It is well known that the American packing house of Swifts, Ltd., is erecting works at Brisbane. According to statements made here by Mr. Malkow, the Australian representative of the concern, before a Royal Commission on the food supply, Swifts intend to apply themselves in the first place to the export trade. At the same time ho acknowledged that they were out after business, and might extend their operations to other branches. But he pooh-poohed the suggestion that there was such a thing' as a meat trust or combine in America. Apparently Mr Tudor has got wind of movements showing that the trust is about to enter upon an Australian campaign. Meanwhile the Minister for Agriculture of Victoria, Mi' Graham, has launched out upon a local anti-combine campaign in relation to the meat supply. He is emphatic on the point that a. "ring" controls the operations of the meat, market in Victoria. Some livestock owners and butchers have shown strong resentment of his assertions. Mr Graham says lie. will withdraw nothing that he has stated, and he maintains that " The cap must fit somebody or else there would not be so much squealing."

Plague Precautions,

Knowing that what has happened before may happen again, the health authorities of Australia, especially those of New South Wales, are much concerned over the present epidemic of bubonic plague in Noumea. An outbreak of plague here some years ago followed closely upon a disastrous visitation in Noumea. Although the Noumean authorities maintained that the plague had probably been brought to them from Australia, thero was good reason to believe that tho reverse was the case, and that tho disease was brought on to Australia from Noumea with a cargo of rice from Saigon, which was accompanied by plague-intected rats. Ruthless and relentless war against rats is being urged. It is pointed out in the press that even very rigorous inspections of ships and their human complements cannot be looked upon as a complete safeguard against plague being spread by parasites on tho furtive and elusive rat. Much depends on private and individual efforts. Waterside Sydney, irregular and congested, presents special difficulties in rat extermination, and despite official assurances about unremitting care Sydney harbours legions of rats. It is doubtful whether anything short of a repetition of the dread experience of twelve years ago will really stir people to an all-round whole-hearted war upon the rodents.

Picture Censorship.

A rigid moral censorship on picture shows is being instituted. Some people say it may be attributed to pressure brought to bear by proprietors of big theatres who find the picture shows to be serious competitors for the shillings of the multitude. Others Say there is behind it a desire to attract the votes of a censoriously minded section of the community. The New South Wales authorities are first in the field. The essential feature of their new regulations is that they set up a censorship over every film before it is exhibited, and delegate this censorship to a non-commissioned officer of police. There is much contention over these regulations, and deputations of picture show proprietors have protested. They put it 'that in country towns especially, the proprietor will have praeticaffy no appeal from the decision of the policeman. The discussion extends over all the States in anticipation of demands by some people that the example of New South Wales will be followed. Tho Melbourne Argus, which is one of the_ chief of Australian newspapers, is giving a considerable amount of attention to the matter. It states in a leading article :— The sum and conclusion of the whole matter seems to be to realise the high educative possibilities of the picture shows : prosecute for indecency any proprietor who deserves it; do not take too namby-pamby a view of what is bad for youthful morals? and fight shy of censorships, which iire re_pugrj&nt to Jhp s£irit..oi ajree jpeoj?Je.'i ■