AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10478, 29 April 1896, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY.

Press Association—By TolcErapli—OopyrlKht. Sydkhv, April 20.

BXB H. PARKIN,

Two topics, which engaged the publio mind daring tho waek ware tb« poadibljiiica or otherwise of n strike at Newcastle and the serious illness o? Bir H. Parkes. The veteran statesman in making a great fight tor life, and at his age his vitality ia simply wonderful. At the time of writing tho troubla affecting his luugfl is abating, and tho only foar by his physicians is from weakened heart action. Cullers from all ranks of tha community invaded Kanil worth during the week. Premier Raid's vijit of reconciliation mikes tho possibility of seeing a retiring vote for Sir H. Parken on the Estimates next session, 'J'hsra should b« few who would grudge that which enables a man who has devoted his life to the colony's sorvico spending hw fow remaining y«ats removed from worry for tha necessities of life. THE COAT, MINERS' DISPUTE. Naturally the coal difficulty is a matter that !ia viewed by the Newcastle folk with anxiety. j Your representative vinited Co&lopolis during the week., and tfvti a scene of greater activity auaorij the shipping tban lias been witnessed sinco the last great striko. The Hunter river I was covered with a forest of maais, and there 1 ws.s not a craaa but what was pouring coal- • ladfin trucks into the Urge ships and steamers night and day, while vessels of every nationality lay in the stream waiting for victories at the staitho. The business people were beginning to take haart at the fuct that the trade which had been lost to Newcastle wris beginning to flow back again. Over 70 vessel* are lying in the river as the prewnt time, sggieg&ting close on 100,000 tons. Should the strike occur the bulk of these will trip thoir anchors and fly, and such | a contingency wonld induce them it give the i place a wide berth in future, and still further throw the trade into tho hands of J*pan and j other conl centres. During the past week 63,500 tons were exported. THE BOOT.TKADB DISPUTE. There is every indication that the beginning |of next week will ec«> a general strike in the t boot trade. This difficulty has been brewing for a long lime. Three months ago the Operatives' Union submitted a report to the SUnufaeturera' Association complaining that the statement, of wages (mutually adopted by the two bodies as a result of the strike two years ago) w*9 being set aeide in a number of factories, the weakly w?.ges »yatern being substituted ; that boy labour was being inircd'iced to au unreasonable exieul; and recommending that the iit&tement be reopened with a view to amendment. The masters objtctod to the proposal to draft.a new agreement, while a larga mimbtr of employers remained outside tha j E-Ksociation and continued to work on non-union lines and pay wages balow those fixed by the ststemsot. The union undertook to induce the Eon.asjooiaAed misters to fall into line by accepting the new statwusiit. The secretary of the union obtained what was considered satisfactory promiafs from the majority of the non-associated masters ; but the I Employers' Association were not satisfied wi'h i the guarantees, and notified the union of their intention to caase to,reeo#nis!-. the statem'-nt. Tbe uaicm: replied by holding a m::63 mef tiag, | and declaring their intention of adhering; to the I dieting statement until a new one on simil-.ir lines w»s substituted, and calling on all employees in all factories to cease work ccst Tuesday. The peculiar feature of the difficult? ia that both sides are aiming at the sr.rna [ object—viz., the establishment of a uniform rate of wages. Th« association claim that whst they want is the e?(.»bli6bment of a fair uuiI form statement, which will no!: placa tfcem lat a disadvantage with non-associated employers as the present statement does, s,cd they have takan action ia order to cempel the union to adopt d^fiauo methods by forcing the bands of thosa outaid'3 tbe uuiou; while the union men cUim that the masters are making the statement a sijalkin:: horse, as an excise fur lowering tbe wage*. They state that a large reduction has already been marie, or io pending, ia eeveral factories. If the strike eventpafces about 3000 hinds will be affected. The union's funds are at & low ebb, but the I officials allege that the co-operative factory, | which was established at the time of the lftat strike, and which is union property, and proved a greU success, will absorb most of the | strikers. .They also reckon on there being a I want of unanimity among tho masters, a iiumber of them having receded from the association and promised to maintain the ss&temant. "IiKLEODESii, April 26.. DAIRY PRODUCE Kr SJacEwsn, the New Zealand cheese and butter expert, has been enlightening the producers in the Watraaraboil district on the methods pursned in New Zesknrt, whste the Government, he said, did not interfere with business arriugements, but saw to tfee grading and freezing of butter, and generally worked on more educational lines than otherssisp. He was not ill favour of the Government continuing to freezs and grae'e batter, but considered that th«y should gradually withdraw from these I branches and givj greater assistance to dairy i men educationally.

CHAFFEY BfiOTEERS.

The report of the liquidator* of Chaffer Bros. (Limited) has btxn ctrap'tited. The liquidators will tell the shareholders that all Che free assats of ths company hove been assigned to debenture-holders by a comprehen«ve deed. Attention will be drawn to the fast that Uia liquidators _ appealed | Rgainsfc the Supreme CourV« decision which pUces these debenture-holders in such a privileged position. A most eahaustive acoonct will be given of the revenues of tba company from iaeepMon, and how tho receipts were disbursed. From this it appears that enormous payments were made to individuals for such works as the flotation of loans and other services, which, it is alleged, wme not I alwHyo psrfornjc:!; that guarßntees were given in money transition? which were not enforced ; and, whether int«utioo»!ly or otherwise, that the affairs of ths company were made subservient to tha private interests of certain persous; whilst the report points to the fscS tbaft the shareholders b»ve a right to look for redress to several well-known persons for the iniDwnsu losses incurred b_y the company through the reckless niaaageuieot which permitted sneb a stetn of effairsi. The report also indicates that; obese percons' estate 3 will not realise .inybbisig worth considering, although in sour: instances tfee wives of these men are koowu to b^ uusssai ably well provided for. MISCELLANEOUS. Visitors at the last me;tiug of the Victoria lUoing Club were ttmted to one of tha moat remarkabla sights over seen at Fiemingtoa. Iv the. Sfaepl-xihase there wero only four s'jKiit'rs, but bisfora tho race was completed nil had fallen, and tivic9 aothiag was fltncdiug up on tha course.

The Intercolonial Conference of Librarians produced a nici) liitle squabble msr the burning question of the opening o? public libraries ca Sundays. Tha assistant librarian at Sydney in a paper advocated thfl wisdo;n of the step, which brought forward a reil-hot cbampioc of (he other view in the person of Professor Riaitoul; who resented thn remark made by ono of tho supporters of the paper that the chief cause of the opposition was to be found in systematic theology, nob iv true religion. Professor Kentoul thought that tbi opening of libraries wes perhaps » rmall thiug in itsoif, hu'4 it was only the beginuing of a movament ta encroach on thci day of resb. After a good deal of steam hiui b»fn lot oft" the proceeding terminated.

Adelaide, April 26.

THE ADELAIDE HOSI'tTAL,

The last phssa of the Hospital Bo^rd dispute is the offer of the honorary medical staff to attend emergency caies until the end of April. In refusing it the board acknowledged the kindly spirit which prompted if., bat thty deemed it nwessniy thist regular arrangements should ba m?.do; they therefore teemed tlie services of volnnteors 'ponding tho appointment of a permanent staff. This has led to fnrfchor r.cimplicstious. Ths Premier has announced that the Gori-rntnent had beiui advifeii that tho members of lha Adelaide medical profession h&d cabled to thsir colleagues in London to aidthera in stopping Guy's Hospital men from coming to Adelaide as p»id officers. Dr Haywood (late cb&irmnn of tho honorary staff) states tbat tl>o cablegram was sent by a doctor practicing in the oountry, bnt admitted that it wa< sent with tho knowledge of mor« th»n one member of tto )ata staff. He nts.ted that it was to th«i pffict tbnt tlie staff hsd resigned owing to Gsvernnisut interforonce, and no local men could bo s<f cured to fill their places. THE ELECTION. To-day brings to a clone tbo election campaign uudor tho Ret, aua thn weavy constituents will be given 4S bonds' reip'te from tha hcr.ingueß of caudidatis prior to polling day. During this interval no doubt the elector is sn<>i>noed to make np his mind on the views of tho v»riou» Candida'ol »nd vdta accordingly. 'A'ue Electoral Act makf» the way of the candidate <wsy, even limitiug the expense to which he *hall be put in the cxntmsb ; hen<o, with tho tempting bait of £200 a. year end no rifk by w.iy of deposit', the fnir crop of onndidatea produced. Hato favours tbo l'rerater, hie opponent finding himself in s lunntio asylum instead of lit tho hustings. Political excitement unhinged tbo man's btain.

As might; be imngmwl, the gubmisdon of tha question of Biblo-msciiug ia tho State schools to % referendum brought forth & deluge of letters to the prcst on win vered eubjeot. '

The «o!idicy. of th» Labour party in fchn last Parliament wa» resfKWiaiute for tho activity of the National Defcccn Lesjrue, whioh Djoajfb!; oat a crop of cbu&v&os. The only ««at lilEsiy to oocaaion excitemea); is Mount Barker, where Mr Monlden (forroeriy Attorney-goners.!; B?gts to oust either Dt Coeksrarn or &?r Laodsaa;. vr'io have represented the distort for 21 ye7,re, Tha influence of tho wonwa's vote is almost certain to be felt. The letest returns thow tbst the granting of tt» fraucuiio to ths v/omen has increased the voting utienjth of tho oolony £tom 73,020 (the number oa the roils »t the lasteleotioas) to 136,839. ' ,