AUSTRALIA TO-DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15858, 2 September 1913, Page 6

AUSTRALIA TO-DAY

(Fnoii Ona Own Cobrespondent.) „ SYDNEY, August 23. Let all thoso people in New Zealand who bear the name of Taylor be warned. Credulous persons of that namo have for years past been mado to contribute to the income ot enterprising "inquiry agents" in connection with the periodical revival of the story of the fabulous Taylor millions. Suoh. agents are again advertising in Australian pupere offering to assist claimants of the fortune. Possibly the same is being done or will bo done in the dominion. A circumstantial and romantic legend is associated with the supposed Taylor. millions Portions of it are to the effect that Peter Taylor, of Falkirk, Scotland, who left that place in the year 1800, is eaid to have left at his death a fortune of over five millions to a nephew, also a Peter Taylor,, living in Holland. A provision was added that in tho evert of tho nephew dying without issue the fortune should bo held for ICO years (sr that a disliked brother of the original Peter Taylor might not benefit) and then divided amongst tho next-of-kin. The nephew, it is alleged, died 90 years ago, leaving no issue, and the millions arc now distributable. The Taylors in Australia are receiving letters from inquiry agents, wiio ask for a foei of £1 for tho supply of information and particulars of tho unclaimed estate. Owing to the huge sum alleged to be at staki- groat numbers of the Taylor clan throughout the world put in claims, and the British .and United States consulates at Amsterdam were besieged with inquiries by solicitors and others asking for information. Lloyd's next-of-kin agency in Australia has made inquiries, and is satisfied that no such unclaimed estate exists. Tho British Consul-general in Amsterdam, Mr W. A. Churchill, has issued a circular letter, which is being reprinted in the Australian ]aress. In this Mr Churchill makes it known that " foe execution of the Law of Limiia tions, 1852, disposed of all unclaimed estates in Holland prior to 1852, and it is needles to moke further inquiries." We learn, al6o. that warnings, have been given by tho authorities ill Holland cautioning peoplo against, the "perfect folly of spending time and money in tho collection of what a,re known ns old Dutch estates." From the terms of tho warning siven by the authorities the mythical Taylor, millions are apparently not the onlv old Dutch estate wWli has been put on the inquiry market by agents. It seems quite plain that, if the Taylor estate ever existed, it oamo within the provision of the Law of limitations passed by the Dutoh Parliament in 1852; by whieli all unclaimed inheritances were irrevocably escheated to the State after tho •lapse of five years.

COST OF LIVING. , In the administration of the industrial legislation which in practice already covers a very wide area in this State, uncertainty and conflict in relation - to the important factor of the cost of living have proved a perpetual source of difficulty, In order that there may be set up a basic standard in this connection for the guidance of. tho numerous Wages Boards and Industrial Court, the .Tud~?e of the court (Mr Just ice Heydon) intends to hold a special inquiry. To this he haa invited representatives of the organisations of employers and employees, so that the matter may be properly gone into. The Employers' Federation of New South Wales has decided to assist as much as it can at this inquiry. The Trades and Labour Council yesterday intimated to Mr Justice Heyden ihat _ it favoveu the investigation of the question on the cost of living by a tribunal wit« very much wider powers, such as a Royal Commission. However,. his Honor pointed out that there need be no fear about his inquiry being too .restricted in scope, because his court was vested with sufficient power to arrive at a working result. The inquiry is to begin on September 22. Its outsome should be of,considerable interest to you in New Zealand, as well as to those here who are concerned with industrial problems of the-day. In the course of preliminary discussion, Mr Justice Heydon. remarked in court: " A might live on ten shillings a week. He might 6lcep in tho' Domain every night, and go barefooted; and, for that matter, if he was alive at the end of the year he might be all the better for it. But that standard would not bo a reasonable one. Wo must have a reasonable standard." * FAIR RENTS. . Wrapped up in the question of the coei of living is the matter of rent, which has to be paid for housing accommodation. This matter is now prominently before tho people of New South Wales in consequence of the introduction by the Government of a Biil for the establishment of a court for the determination of what are fair rents. This is in accordance with the platform of the Labour party, which asks " that a competent tribunal be appointed to fix a fair rental for all dwelling places, security of ■ tenure, and rights in improvements effected by a tenant." ' Something of what is aimed at may be gathered from the following observations by the general secretary of the 'Political Labour League: 'I look forward with pleasure to tho prospects of landlords who comc to their victims every Monday morniifl* demanding increased rentals with a regu'arity not approached by the best timekeeper.' As tho Bill stands, it is proposed to limit the operation' of the law to houses with a rental of under thirty shillings a week, apparently for the reason that there is no ne&l to-bother about fo'k who do not live in the cottages occupied by these who give the Labour party its majority in Parliament. POVERTY AND EDUCATION. This paragraph does not relate to schooling for the children ol the poor. It deals with the latest, and a very sinking, case of J a supposedly poverty-smitten person being found at deatn to be possessed of much wealth, which' wealth in this case is nearly all bequeathed to a university. William Robbie, an aged figure in Ballarat, Victoria, died recently. The old man lived in what was obviously a state of extreme poverty. He lived alone in a decidedly frugal and friendless fashion until lately old age and ill-health compelled him to reluctantly secure the services of a trained nurse. His ex- ' treme frugality 6eem6 to have agreed with him, howevei', for he reached the age of 91 years. It has become known that Robbie was worth abdut £30,000, the bulk of it being money deposited in banks. . By his will ho left £650 ito relatives, none of whom reside in Australia. Old Robbie was a native of Scotland; iind in his will showed that his heart was still there. Apart from what he left to relatives and £50 for the Ballarat Hospital he directed that his money should go to the Aberdeen University for the purpose of establishing scholarships in chemistry, mathematics, and natural philosophy. Although lie lived the life of a poor recluse Robbie was a wide reader, and a man'of extensive general, knowledge. There are people in Ballarat, no doubt, who wish they had known that old Robbie was so well to do. and very likely he was thoroughly appreciative of this fact and saved himself a lot of bother by letting it bo believed that ho was on the verge of indigence. . RACIAL INTOLERANCE. At the dictates of the Miners' Union, one of the most powerful trades organisations in Western Australia, the Soadden Ministry, is pushing through the Legislative Assembly a measure wjiich, witnout concealment, • proposes to drive Italians out of the mines of Western Australia, where many of them have tor years been employed. The Italian miners axe to dispossessed of the right to earn a living in tho land of their adoption. On the first reading _of the Bill various reasons were advanced' in favour of the exclusion of Italians from the mines, but they were in the main quite unconvificing 1 . References as inaccurate as they were discreditable were made to the conduct and characteristics of, the Italian race as a whole. ■ Obviously the West Australian Government is inviting 1 for itself trouble of an international character by its readiness to comply with the demand of tho Miners' Union that Italians should be prevented from earning an honest living in this country. It is alleged that (serious danger to life is involved ,in the employment in mines of men who do not properly understand warnings or directions given in English. But it is pointed out that safety cim be secured in this' regard by more' or jess rigid enactments to the effect that an adequate knowledge of English must be possessed by every worker in or about a mine. Besides, docs one not infrequently encounter a native of even Great Britain who speaks and understands only English that is almost as foreign to Australians as is Italian ? Tho Italians in all parts of Australia are 6aid

to be very wroth over the matter, and the Italian' Government has already been r.sked to make emphatic protests to the British Government before the West Australian anti-'ltaliaii : law is presented for the Royal Afisont, ' ,

SMALLPOX. It was believed, or hoped, a fortuight ago that the smallpox epidomic had nearly died uway. Tiie number of fresh eases went down, to one or two a day in Sydney, whoro the epidemic is at home. But tno disease appears to have taken a fresh lease ot life, and wo aro back again to the stage of between 10. and 20 new cases daily.' This is very disquieting to the businoss people of Sydney, who are losing tremendously over the bad advertisement which their city ha« received. It will give eome iclsa of the loss to the State that since tho

outbreak began the reoeipts for the Sydney electric trams have fallen off to the extent of a thousand pounds a week. This is •chiefly on account of the . great decline in tho number of visitors to Sydney for holiday or business. It indicates the extent to which Sydney benefits through money spent by visitors, not only from the country, but also from tho other States and further abroad. l Tho big city hotels find that they are getting only about half of the visitors' patronage ■which they normalW receive at this time of year. Tho country order business, which is a big section with a number of largo Sydney establishments, has, taken all round, fallen away by about 75 per cent, Restaurant keepers tell of dccline in trade to the extent of 50 per cent or more. It is estimated that the theatres and picture shows liavo between them suffered a loss in revenue of well over £20,000 during the past six weeks. The spring shows of the drapery and millinery establishments are proving a frost. ' Altogether Sydney concerns are the poorer by many thousands a week. Tho epidemic has not yet killed a single person here, but it is killing a ldt of business. SOCIAL INSURANCE. During the Federal election oampaign, and more reoently, since taking office, leaders of tho Liberal party have proolaimed their intention to eulimit to Parliament a scheme of social insurance designed to improve the conditions of the masses in times of stress and hardship. The promise has already been redeemed to the extent that the Prime Minister has included in his policy statement a'paragraph to the effect that inquiries are being made with a view to tho formulation of a comprehensive scheme. As the Minister who has the matter in. hand is Mr Glynn, it may. be taken toi' granted that matters are moving m the direction of conscientious performance. Mr Glynn thinks that the working of the Imperial National Insurance . Act, and the amendments now being made by the Bill before the Imperial Parliament, as well as tho experience of the working of insurance in Jiuropean countries, should afford sufficient guidance.

According to the Prime Minister's statement, tho maternity allowance of five pounds a head which tho B'isher Ministry made available for everybody will be limited to necessitous cases, and it is considered that all other cases would be better and more economically provided for by the scheme of national insurance whioh it is intended to put forward. This matter of the maternity bonus or allowance and its proposed modification is already being made much of by those associated with tho Labour party, which believes that, in view of the almost general extent to which Australian parents are availing themselves of the allowance, action in the way of "pauperising" the allowance will affect many votes adversely to the' Liberals at the next general election.

. A COLOURED DOCTOR. We have some very keen watchdogs for the White Australia, policy amongst our legislators. During the voyage out fftm London of the Orient Company's R.M.S. Orontos, that vessel's doctor becamo deranged, and he was put ashore at Colombo. It was very difficult to find another medical man at Colombo to step into the breach for .the remainder of tho trip to Australia.' None of the European doctors at Colombo were prepared to iill the gap, but the company was able to secure the services of a doctor with a dark skin. His professional credentials are said to bo of the highest. But here wa6 an opportunity to show a section of,the electors how alert and thorough are some of the members of. the Commonwealth Parliament. Ministers were plied with questions which gavo plenty of advertisement to the questioners. Also, the Orontes brought on from Fremantle a letter of protest from the secretary of tho Trades Hall of Western Australia. It haa now been explained that the Orient Company had no wish whatever to depart from the condition of white labour only on its vessels while it gets the mail subsidy, and that the coloured gentleman who made his services available at a pinch would leave as soon.as his place was taken at Adelaide by a permanent "all white" doctor. But the fulminations against the company have not yet quite died down, and some of the " White Australia" extremists continue to demand that the Orient Company shall bo punished for having had a coloured doctor on the Orontes, never mind any special circumstances.