AUSTRALIA TO-DAY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15668, 22 January 1913, Page 2

AUSTRALIA TO-DAY.

(Fnoit Ode Own Corbksfondent.) SYDNEY, January 11, Whether tho Liberal cause has really suffered a serious loss by the retirement from political life of Mr Alfred Doakin, Leader of tlie Opposition in the federal Parliament, ' is a matter upon which there is not unanimity. It is recognised, however, that his retirement means tlio removal of a muchliked iifiure from the political arena. Very able but unstable, eloquent [.hough often unoonvincing, Mr Deakin has, in recent years at any rate, been as much pitied or blamed for the big things he has faiilcd to do as ho has been admired for his intellectual gifte and oratorical endowments. Ilia retirement is in fulfilment of a wish entertained by him for a considerable fcimo past on account of tie serious effects upon his health of tho strain of responsibility. An immediate reason may be found in connection with the selection of three Liberal candidates to stand for the Senate in Victoria at the coming Federal elections. Threo Liberal organisations took part in tho selection. Ono of them persisted, in the face of decided expressions of disapprobation by a strong section of tho Liberal press and others, in putting forward Mr 6. Mauger. This gentleman's political record and his extremo views on certain questions aro described by the protesters to bo such that his selection as one of tho approved trio of Liberal candidates is likely to bad. to tho rejection of the whole ticket. There has bean a lot of friotion over the matter, and Mr Deakin has como in for severe criticism on account of bis partiality for Mr Manger. A tribunal of Federal and Stato members of the Liberal party, presided over by Mr Deakin, was called upon to doal with tho situation. , As apparently tho least disagreeable ivay of disposing of a difficult question, it,/was decided that Mr Mauger, who said ho would stand in any ease, should bo allowed to remain on tho tiokct. Renewed protests and more criticism of Mr Deakin. The effects of worry caused: his medical advisers to insist with additional emphasis upon- tho sevorance of association with the Oauses of nervous strain that was breaking him up. So the Parliamentary reporters will now be troubled no more by the Dear kinesque swift streams of nervous eloqucnoc, which sounded well, but. no matter , how accurately reoorded, left the reporter with an inevitable feeling that what really mattered had not been set down. Qualifications within, qualifications, parentheses _ within parentheses, all in the most polishod language, but expressmg nothing satisfactorily definite. It seems to be taken for granted that Mr Deakin has not gono out of publio life and 6ervico, although he has stepped off the politioal field. There is an expectation that before long we shall loam that he is going to take a seat on either the /High Court Bench or the Inter-Stato Commission. . SCIENCE CONGRESS. What a broad range of subjects is being dealt with by the 400' delegates to the fourteenth session of the Australasian Association for tho Advancement of Science 1 Already there have been discussed Antarctic exploration, wheat yields, tho relations of capital and labour, tho geography of Papua, pure bread, poisons, conservation of water, leather production, universal military training, meteorology, the characteristics of the Australian and numerous other things. Probably tho average reader of the newspaper roports of the proceedings has been most interested in the bread and butter topics dealt with in tho section of Social Science. The Bishop of Tasmania (Dr Mercer) haa contributed a couple of thoughtful papers on "The Transformation of Competition " and " Labour as the Basis of the Social Question." Particular attention is being given in the press to such papers, and tho reports thereof are being scanned closely by our many politiciansprofessional and amateur—for instruction as to the trend of thought on scientific minds on subjects generally dealt with in a crude and rough-and-ready fashion in everyday political warfare. Happily, some of tho scientists aro able to clothe their thoughts in language which appeals to tho man in the street, and booksellers tell of a pronounced increase in the demand for cheap editions of the writings by authorities cited by members of the Congress. So it can bo said even at [this early stago that tho Congress is doing good work. ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY, When recruiting was begun for tho new Australian navy a couple of months ago it was feared that difficulty would bo experienced by tho Commonwealsh naval authorities in securing the number of men required in the tune aliowed. For the ships already completed and those nearing completion about 2000 men were needed. However, these fears have proved groundless. An improvement in the conditions of life in the ltoyal Australian Navy, as compared with those which ruled in connection with' the ships of the Imperial Navy, is held to bj largely responsible for the absenco of difficulty in getting enough of the right type oi men. TQie first flagship of the Royal Australian Navy—the battle cruiser Australia, of, 19 iOO tons—will arrive hero early in April next. When tho vessels now provided .for aro oompleted the navy will consist of the Australia, four protected cruisers of over 5000 tons cadi, including tho Encounter, lent by the Imperial Government, six torpedo-boat destroyers, two submarines, three naval reserve trainingships, one boys' training 6hin, and two tor-pedo-boats. A bright instance of' determination to 6ervo in tho Royal Australian Navy has come to light during the week in Victoria. A young fellow of 21, living in a country town, made up his mind that lie must join. He submitted himself to examination by a local doctor, who pronounced him fit. Then, full of enthusiasm, he started off on a tramp of 120 miles to Melbourne. He arrived at Melbourne four days later, tired, but as enthusiastic as when he set out, and found his way to the Naval Depot, where he was promptly accepted. TASMANIAN ELECTIONS.

At tue Duguwmg nailers were rather quiet in connection with tno general parliamentary elections in Tasmania. But now they Uavo been livened up in earnest, and .Liberals and Labourites are stirring up themselves and everybody else in a manner whicn has raised hign leehng in tne island State to a mgh pitch. A lot of personal bitterness, usuady associated witii 'tno closing stages ot a campaign, has already been shown. kuch epithets as "Liar" and

'"Trickster" are being treely hurled about. Sectarianism has been miported into the fignt, the appointment of Mr Ellison Macartney as Governor being made the pivot. Tno Labourite are using tno appointment as a weapon against tho Liberals, and tho Catholic Arcnbisnopt of liobart has joined the fray, claiming that the Premier is responsible for an ex-Grand Master of tho Orango Society' having been chosen for the viceregal office. If the Tasmanian election temperature keeps on rising at the present rate all .manner of exciting happenings are possible. THE AUSTRALIAN BOY. Some irank comments on the Australian boy and girl have been made m an address beioro tlie Science Congress by Mr L. A. Aaamson, iVi.A., head master oi \Vesley College, Melbourne. Tins gentleman stated tnat wnen no came to Australia first no, rather feared and disliked the Australian boy. However, ne had now learned that wnat lie has mistaken for want oi respect was in most cases a dtsiro to bo friendly and comnyinicative, But the Australian youth was too otten lacking in chivalrous rc6pect 'ior girls. The explanation was that the girls did not expect it of him, Thcro was proceeding a rapid breaking down of tho old formalities ot intercourse between the 60xes. During adolescence it was almost always tho girl who began tho casual acquaintanceship mado in public, if not by actually accosting the boy, then by what might bo callod "the look of encouragement." These remarks show that even a student of mental scienco and a philosopher can seo what goes on in tho streets. There is no lack ot writers and speakers who point out that it is hardly fair to maintain that the " look of encouragement " and what it signifies is an Australian characteristic. The reminder is given that a majority of tho daughters of Eve have through all tho ages been acquainted with the art, and that it is part of their natural equipment all over the world. It is admitted that thero is a great deal of what is termed indiscriminate " mashing," but Mr Adam6on is told that ho cannot say that this affects all classes, and that it may be due to tho narrowness of life and want of social opportunities in certain circlcs. Anyhow, it is an entertaining topio on which many pooplo have a lot to eay. BADGE OF MATRIMONY. Another aspcct of tho rolations of tho sexes and flirtations is being freely debated, especially in Melbourne, whero folks are writing yards of letters to tho press around tho question, " Should married men wear a wedding-ring?" Women constitute tho big majority of those who maintain the affirmative. They contend that thero is full reason for tho adoption of the German custom of a married man wearing a ring and thereby proclaiming to all and sundry, particularly to flirtatious fair ones, that ho is not free to give or accopt attentions of a character excusablo in an unmarried man, pprhaps. Also it would 'have a restraining influence on tho man when tempted to show himself unduly appreciative of tho charms of someone other than his wifo. Somo women who havo been deserted by their spouses declaro that for men of the

land to wthich t'nev have been mated an appropriate distinction would be ■ a ring through the nose. Others contend that it would be eimplv fair if men too were required to wear emblems of their marital condition. On the other side, it is maintained that rings aro a. nuisance to the average man, One writer declares that for years ho woro a rinfj associated with his marriage. It was a valuable ring, and looked it. He finds therein an explanation of DW fact thai ho has been twice garrotted and once waylaid. There is also tho assertion by another correspondent that " nino married women out of 10 value their wedding-ring chiefly bccauso it gives them a handy racans of daunting a supposed superiority in tho faces of the other cats who have not got husbands. Tho fact _of Uho matter is that it is tho man (married or 6mgle) who needs protection, not the woman. It is tho woman who does tho hunting." A good deal of the matter written is quite irrelevant, but is decidedly interesting. CRIME. If tho year 1913 is characterised throughout by serious orimes in proportion to the number which ihave marked its beginning ii will be known as tho criminal boom year. Not only is thero an ahnormal number of offences, but the gravity of some of tho evil deeds placed on record within tho first fortnight of 1913 is also exceptional. Worst of all is the case of a commercial traveller and collector in tho 6ervico of a big firm of confectioners, who was murdered in his bedroom at night in sight of his wifo and child. One of a oouple of masked burglars cold-bloodedly shot him through the head with a revolver whilo tho victim's child' was pleading, "Don't shoot daddy." Tho murderous pair made off with a bag containing over £200, which tho murdered man had under his pillow. The perpetrators are still at large. A new form of criminal skill is being diligently exercised in Sydney. A gang operating thero has made a practice to tamper whenever possible with the strong-room locks in buildings in coureo of erection. This has been brought to light principally through the robbery of £2300 in notes and gold and silver coin from a suburban branch of a bank. In this case the gang had found it possible to remove tho. strong room lock mcchanism, file it down so as to allow of the lock being picked easilv, and restore the mechanism without any suspicion being aroused. This i/was done ero the builders had finished their work. On the night of the first day on which tho new premises wero open for business the gang broke in during the temporary absence of the assistant manager, who alone slept on tho premises at the time, and carried off a rich _ swag about 3001b. The police aro still making inquiries. THE LIMIT. That even a Labour Premier may imitate tho worm and turn upon tormentors has been shown during the week in Western Australia. A deputation from the Railway Officers' Association waited upon Mr Scaddan, and asked for an eight hours' day, the fixing of minimum salaries, and other things, and' let it bo understood that it was his duty sb a Labour man to give an organisation of workers what it belieyed it ought to get, or as near to that as he could go. Mr Scaddan quite took away the breath of the deputation by his reply. He said the railway officers wanted to take everything and give nothing. They already got better terms than people outside of the service. If he lost his political job he would at onco take a billet in tho railway service and would be able to do " on his bead" tho work required there in return for a good wage. He had no patience with men w4io, if they did not get 100 per cent, of what they asked for, considered tho \yhole of a Minister's answers unsatisfactory. The .Government had done all it should do, and perhaps more. The Railway Officers' Association has not yet recovered its collective breath. When it does Mr Scaddan must bo prepared, for a demand that he be thrown out "on his head." OIL TRUST. Wo havo practically mado up our minds that the American Meat Trust is making a start here, and are waiting from day to clay for fiuther revelations regarding its designs on the Australian moat industry. Now it is reported that the great Oil Trust of the United States is about to extend its tentacles Australia in view of tho possibility ot this country becoming a producer of oil. For some time past a syndicate has been working over an area of about 90 squaro miles on Kangaroo Island. South Australia, whero thero is believed to be an oil field ot much potential value. Private experts have written glowing reports, but the Government Geologist of South Australia has somewhat discouraged, enthusiasm. What the American oil magnates havo learned is suggested by the definito statement that the Standard Oil C&mpanv of Melbourne, which represents all tho American oil companies, is negotiating for an option oyer the Kanlraroo Island territory. This report, whether well founded or not. will at any rate have the effect of directing further attention to tho Kangaroo Island field. Investigations on a more extensive scale are to bo made bv sanguine individuals, some of whom hope to locate something which they can sell at a good profit to the Oil Trust, or whoever else makes a satisfactory offer.