PASSING EVENTS.

New Zealand Mail, 27 August 1902, Page 37

PASSING EVENTS.

History i» pnllosopliy teaching by ex—Thucydides. Although the drought in Australia in if broken up and pastoralists have £ a * n 'riven a hope of improved condiE “the menacing attitude of shearers a the nature of their demands must f* e a depressing effect upon lu:u iy Koivners non- on the verge of bankntrr if not already ruined. But there* ’is fight in the pastoralist, and £ demands of the shearer fire the ° r i n his biood. When the pastoralist Affirms that he lias fewer sheep to shear mlless money wherewith to pay wages, SJ &St i,; effect w . that Urn boss must pay more for the sheep lie must have shorn. The weakness of the shearer’s position is that when tliere fewer sheep to be shorn there are ■ more men available for tl.e work and so it hapiiens that those responsible tor the shearer to fignt the pastoralist’are ready to accept a compromise if “the boss’' is willing to talk. Confronted with the deplorable and disastrous effects of the drought the pasforalist is desperate. He is inclined to fi „ht the shearer to the bitter end. Peremptorily he says: “That’s my price, * take it or leave it.” The position of the men is, however, in many parts of Australia strong. The sheep must be shorn and the creditors of the pastoralists are clamouring for the wool. ’While the flockowners are determined not to depart from the stand taken circumstances may cause some of them to yield. It would appear, however, that the tension is somewhat relaxed, and that shearers uninfluenced by men who trade upon their gullibility are agreeable to commencing operations. The leader of the shearers in Australia is a capable man, and knows liow far to play the game without losing his influence over the men. He doubtless realises that the shearing difficulty is

due to some extent to his efforts. He has met a rival workers’ union supported by shearing contractors, which is being fostered by the pastoralists’ union to checkmate the shearers’ union and

defeat Mr Spence’s attempt to bring the dispute before the court under the Arbitration Act of New South Wales. The existence of this union is recognised as a successful counter-move to the aggressive demands of the shearers’ leader, and when shearing contractors come between the flockowners and the men the situation is more complicated. The refusal of the pastoralists to concede a rise on the old rates, is taken by the shearers influenced by the leader named to be a declaration of war, and so Mr Spence is making an appeal to a body of men to stand Icyal to their union and defeat the “unholy combination of squatters, shearing contractors and bogus unionists.” This Workers’ Union, as distinguished from the Shearers’ Union, is the bane of Mr Spence’s existence, and to circumvent its operations is what he aims at. Meantime, however, in the other states of the Commonwealth the breaking up of the drought has enabled pastoralists to start shearing at the old price of twenty shillings per hundred, and even in New South Wales shearers are finding it impossible to hold out. much longer. While it is a pity that this conflict should be waged, the shearers ought not to have selected so inopportune a moment to demand higher pay. The need of the squatter is perhaps the shearers’ opportunity; hut surely the moral influence of the public will be with tne pastoralist in his extremity, and that will doubtless turn the tide of battle in the flockowner’s favour.

Difficulties arising out of the war in South Africa are not to he easily solved. Statesmanship of a high order will be required to modify racial hatreds* adjust local differences, and hold the legislative authorities to the work of good government. Our cablegrams this " eek inform us that the Cape Parliament has been opened for the transaction of public business. The GovernCr s speech intimated that ■'lndemnity Bills would be introduced for the purpose of covering the operations of martial law and ratifying unauthorised expenditure. Should these measures be rejected by the numerical strength of the Africander Bond, then the question of suspending the constitution and conducting the public business of Cape Colony as other colonies are administered under the Crown will have to be considered. _ The Progressive members are, of opinion that Sir Gordon Sprigg is m error in not promising legislation clealmg with the repression of sedition the importation of fire arms: but e chief object of the Government is • e P ass age of indemnity bills, and having passed these Parliament might be •allowed to adjourn sine die. But the members of the Africander Bond in Parliament are desirous of having a colonial commission appointed to enquire into the operations of martial law and assess and award damages done, iius course is not likely to be acceded ■.• Ti ’K'ould do no good, and would certainly excite much racial hatred. amS a ? ritish Commission has been PP nted to enquire into the operations of martial law, AH the Bondi

members have to do is to pass the Indemnity Bill and the adjustment of damages may he allowed to proceed in the ordinary way. Meantime it- is gratifying to learn that settlement is progressing, although it is manifest the labour problem is becoming acute. Native?’labour is difficult to obtain for ruining, and Boer farmers are also experiencing similar trouble in their operations. The importation of Chinese will be resented in several quarters, but the influx’ of celestials would immediately mitigate the labour troubles. The return of Croiijo and a thousand prisoners will fail the rising hopes of the Africander party throughout South Africa. Its members are still ambitious, and the pastors of the Dutch Reformed Church in Cape Colony are ready to influence their sentiments. It is still a religious ideal witn them that tlie Dutch shall have domination over the British, and some have openly declared that “it is the rule of the Lord’s elect that is to replace the hateful intrusion of the British Outlander, Government and people.”. One method of attaining this end is by overwhelming British immigration by the operations of the Dutch birth-rate. How far this important factor will militate against the maintenace of British authority m South Africa remains to be seen. But there is a power—education—the influence cf which cannot be accurately measured in moulding the future of the Cape Colony and the conquered territories. The spread of a sound system cf education in South Africa is certain to enlighten the minds of the rising generation of Boers as to the truth of the whole South African problem; and when the darkness of ignorance so long maintained by the Kruger clique is dispelled, the fears of disloyalty or further insurrection will speedily be removed.

There is a vagueness about Mr Seddon’s reply to an interviewer respecting his future course of action on which his political opponents delight to speculate. The Premier is admittedly astute, and it is not to he supposed that he would he disposed to lay bare his intentions either with respect to this country or South Africa. It is contended that Mr Seddon has been disappointed, .and that this feeling so cleveriy attributed to the ■Premier will find expression in a deflection of support throughout this country at the next general election. It is reasonable to. suppose that the election may modify tlie strength of the government, but if the election resulted in solidifying that strength even into a narrow sound majority,’ government supporters will be ready to admit that no harm would be done to the cause of progressive liberalism in this country. Indeed, the weakness of the Liberal party is its present over-wlielming numerical strength, and much better work in the colony’s interests would he accomplished were the government party solidified and tlie opposition strengthened by the addition of more vigorous and strenuous men. But Mr Seddon will return to New Zealand in time to take a share in the political campaign which will occupy the whole of next November. Already plans are being prepared for a great struggle. The Farmers’ Union is Doing minimised and decried by some who wish it had never been created, despite these assertions, this union is going to exercise considerable influence in the elections, and we would not be surprised if as the result of the Union’s organised efforts the farmer was better represented in the next Parliament. VVe do not. believe it would be at all a bad .day for the country were - there fewer professional politicians elected. The representative who is merely a political trader ought not to be encouraged by electors, and the mere delegate, who is bound by the ties certain organisations have imposed upon him to ensure their support is almost contemptible when lie boasts of liis freedom and independence as a member of Parliament. There is certainly to be no dearth of candidates. On all sidefe we hear of many aspirants for political honours. It will not be surprising if there are at least half a dozen for several seats—probably five Liberals and only one Conservative. Under such circumstances, and without a second ballot, the result in any electorate would be certain. Already the Liberal and Labour Federation in its selection of candidates* is experiencing much difficulty. Some Liberals, relying upon their local popularity are ready to defy the resolutions of the members of this organisation and they seek to mar or make their reputation at the polls. The passage of a measure enforcing the taking of a second ballot would simplify matters, and under its operation the. representatives of the majority of the electors would be returned. As it is several members of the House represent minorities, and that fact ought to influence support in favour of the proposed measure. From the presentday standpoint political parties in tlie country are much mixed, but the return of the Premier may help to fuse together their scattered and scattering elements.

The relation of crime .to the social progress of civilised countries is exercising the minds of certain criminal sociologists, and some of their observations are not without interest. In a

country like New Zealand, where criminality is not increasing, indeed, where it is diminishing in proportion: to, the population, it. as astonishing! to find sociologists asserting that -.“the most civilised and progressive ;nations • have the most criminals, and more abundant crime as they ascend higher in the scale of social development.” The experience of New Zealand gives a flat denial to tins contention. But as the author of that statement is Mr A. Cleveland Hall, an American, it is not nearly so wide of the mark when applied to that as it would bo applied to this country. Yet in its application to America it is somewhat astounding. It is nevertheless true that the prison inhabitants of the United States have been growing far more rapidly than the population, and serious men and women in America are endeavouring to discover the meaning of so unlooked for a phenomenon. With all their wealth the Americans are not more moral. With all their education they are not less criminalWith all their progress'they seem to be deteriorating as a nation. And it is tlie conviction of this tnat is causing men to assert that social development, intellectual ascendency and material prosperity are but- proofs of the existence of greater social wickedness and degeneracy. There is no doubt a sense in which this contention is accurate. When, for instance, a law is enacted that raises the gratification of a personal habit into an offence against the law, then it is possible there will be many- more Jaw-breakers than before the institution of sumptuary legislation. We have an example of such a law’s operations in this country; hut to assert that Clutha is more drunken and criminal since prohibition has been enacted because there have been many violations and a regular defiance of the prohibitory law would be ridiculous. While admitting that there is as much liquor consumed in that electorate now as tliere was before the days of the prohibitory enactment, it does not follow that the people are more criminal because the law they set at naught has made them appear so. It is undoubtedly an offence in Clutha to buy and sell alcoholic beverages, but in doing so are the inhabitants more criminal than their neighbours across the river where no law operates against such conduct ? The making of many laws tends to increase offenders in all civilised communities, but not criminals. The drunkard for instance is not per se a criminal, although it is an offence against civilisation and culture to be intoxicated in a public place. We only cite these instances to show that offenders against the law in this country are not necessarily criminals, and that while offenders may increase among us criminality has decidedly decreased. But that is not, however, the case iu America. ‘ While it cannot he legitimately contended that the most civilised are the most criminal nations, America is an exception; and tlirtre, indeed, criminals, as distinguished from offenders in the way we have illustrated, are rapidly increasing. The cause in America’s ease is due not to the country’s advanced civilisation, but surely to the influx of less cultured and more ignorant classes. The migration of criminal classes from the slums of European cities is certainly responsible —not civilisation and material progress —for the growth of criminality in the United States. This is a factor in the social development of the American nation that, its criminal sociologists have overlooked.