AUSTRALIA-TO-DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15885, 3 October 1913, Page 3

AUSTRALIA-TO-DAY

(Fkoji Odb Own Cobrmpostosnt.) . • SYDNEY, September 27. About the most prominent matter in our dailies at the present time, outeide of reports of parliamentary strife, relates to the arrival 01 the flagship H.M.S, Australia, 01 the new Australian beet, and to receptions and entertainments organised to mark the occasion. At the first port of call—Albany— the people ol Western Australia have, according to press accounts, manifested much enthusiasm. .Rear-admiral Sir George Patey has been obliged to listen to many nice things of approbation said about his appointment to the command of, the fleet. At the same, time, there lias been in the speeches made so far in connection with this event 'fairly frequent reference- to the aspect that the Australian tlect may be regarded as something independent 01 the British navy, A typical remark was that by the Premier of Western Australia when ho said he trusted that there would be no clashing, that the Australian navy would always work hand-m-himd with the British navy,'- and that Australians would, in future be as loyal as they were at present It was significant that an Australian Premier found cause for the deliberate expression of such sentiments. Sydney, or part of it, intent on showing how things ought to be done when tho first section of the Australian fleet unit assembles, in Sydney Harbour and is formally welcomed, 'the. Commonwealth and State Governments and a Citizens' Committee are co-operating, and there is no lack of announcements in tho press regarding what will and should be done. However, there have so far been but fca indications that the general publio is stirred as it was when tho Great' White Fleet of the United States visited us. This, may be accounted for by an Australian in elination to regard Australian affairs in a matter of course way.' But, in addition, there is ft persistent strong aversion on the part of many people to share in the joyful celebration of something' that to them appears part of a definitely planned movement in the direction of outting Australia away from Great Britain. By the way, it is reported' that matters are not quite satisfactory as regards the relations between the officers anct men of several,of our warships. It is said that a, great deal of insubordination has been dea.lt with on .one ship/Australian bluejackets are alleged to have been the chief offenders, and it added' in explanation' that some officers seem, disposed to act as if they held that it was essential to make the Australians of their crews realise on every occasion, including specially improvised occasions, what naval discipline really means. Some of our Jack Tars are said to complain that they are not given a fair chanco to nettle down to this discipline, which is new to them, and that they are unduly harassed. Some go so far as to assert that the officers make them feel that Australjans are not wanted. They 'are English officers, of course. STAMPS. Very soon—perhaps at the time these notes are put into print—we shall have an instalment of. automatic stamp-selling machines. The Postmaster-general (Mr Wynne) is very keen over these machines, and is urging his departmental officers to hurry up as' fast as they can with the installation. It is found possible to make uso of the ordinary red-painted pillars for the purpose by fitting tho selling mechanism into the upper part of the pillars without interfering with the letter slot. Melbourne is to have the two first machines, and distribution throughout the rest of Australia is to follow as rapidly as can be. Some figures got out at' the special request of the Postmaster-general show that the number of postage stamps of all denominations issued in the course of 12.months reaches a point which probably very few people dream of. The average annual demand for one penny stamps reaches 400,000,000, while the sales of stamps of other denominations brings the. grand total up to 426,000,000. Truly a great aggregate. RECRIMINATION. Business in the Commonwealth Parliament is held -up because of the too close parity in party numbers, which does not allow the Government to go ahead, and members are concentrating action and speech - on things designed to influence electors at the repeated general elections which the present state of affairs seems to make inevitable in the near future. At the same time the New South Wales Legislative Assembly is being made the scene of a great deal of personal attack and recrimination, with an eye on tho State general elections, which are to take place about November. Much soiled linen ia being washed. Some of it has been washed so often that it requires to be most carefully handled in fresh places lest it should fall to pieces altogether. Mr Wade, the. Leader of the Opposition, and Mr Griffith, Minister of Works, are still at their duel, and are sparring aa to how and when and where there should be a thorough public investigation of allegations made' by Mr Wade against the Minister in connection with transactions in land expected to bo enhanced in price as the result of .public works. In his searches through records of the Lands Department Mr Wade has come into conflict with the Minister, of Lands. Mr Carmicjiael, Minister of Education, has also been held up about an unprofitable venture by him into farming before he became a member of Parliament. Mr Carmichael is' very wroth, and has in retaliation overhauled Mr Wade's political and private career for incidents which. may, if skilfully presented, be made to look decidedly unflattering. If matters keep on at the present rate many rents and gaps will be. made in reputations which it -will take much effort to repair in a manner satisfactory to electors. ( THE EPIDEMIC.

Impatience is being exhibited by tho Government and peopio of tins State over tne continuance oi ine quarantine proclamation covering (Sydney which was issuea by tho Federal authorities in consequence oi tho smallpox outbreak. Urgent representations are being made- with tho view of securing _ the removal of the restrictions which will, if maintained, keep away from Sydney many persons who would like to "begin a holiday here at tho tnno of ttte fleet reception celebrations. The main line of argument used in endeavours to get the proclamation an. nulled has been that the diseaso is not becoming more virulent, and that as the adjoining States havo hod compulsory vaccination for years, no harm can result from removing the quarantino which now 60 seriously affect Sydney as a holiday and tourist resort. The Prime Minister (Mr Cook) is not prepared to take the responsibility of directing that the desires of the Sydney peopio bo complied with, while in the face of insistence upon tho retention of the embargo by tho Commonwealth quarantine officers tho Minister who controls this department contents himself with saying that he is seriously considering the matter. It is pointed out that tho people of New South Wales,, if they must be angry wih someone, ough to bo so with the State Government, because it is practically certain that the disliked proclamation would havo been lifted long ago if the .Premier had carried out the avowed intention of the Government at the beginning of tho outbreak of enacting legislation making general vaccination compulsory. Apparently the Premier ''abandoned the intention becauso eome of his supporters told him that their constituents would make too much noise about compulsory vaccinatum. A considerable portion of the population of Sydney has not undergone vaccination, to which the health authorities attach almost absolute value as a preventive, and the present attitude of the Commonwealth officials and of other States does not encourage the hope that the proclamation will be set aeido on tho plea, not that the diseaso is under control, but that it docs not matter. THIEVING. Business men of Sydney and Melbourne are telling newspaper interviewers that shoplifting has increased to such an extraordinary extent that it is a matter for earnest consideration wJujfcher prices shall not be increased to honest, paymg customers in order to make up for tho groat losses sustained through thefts. A gentleman specially cmployed as a detective of sihop-liftors at one of tho big Sydney emporiums says no less than 1500 actual oases of Shop-k'fting havo como under his own notice. Tho Police Court reports abound with cases in which detected shop-lifters havo been dealt with, hut fines do not b»ei se effective deterrent, sad magirtratea are not inclined to tend

women to gaol unless they are habitual offenders. Practically,all the shop-lifters arc' women. It is a remarkable fact that very few of them belong to the poorer classes. Most of them are in quite comfortable circumstances, and do not lack money to speed on reasonable requirements. Some of them are rich. The usual plea in defence is that of having yielded to a sudden impulse, even in oases whero there is ample evidenco that the thieving was deliberately planned. This shop-lifting c'pideniio seems to parallel, tho wholesale thieving of cargo which takes place at the wharves. In connection -with oargo pillaging an incident of a few dav* ago calls for mention. While a steamer was being unloaded policemen went aboard tho vessel and arrested ei:c men, wharf labourers, who were at work in the hold. All the other wharf labourers employed at the vessel, .numbering about 100, thereupon ceased work, and refused to resume unless their comrades were released. They continued tiheir strike next day, when the arrested men were charged in court with having stolen from the cargo a dozen pairs of boots. The accused were remanded. Ittook a lot of persuasion to get the strikers to go back .yesterday, even when it was pointed out that they were putting themselves in a. very peculiar pesition bv refusing to work because some of ilheir number were being proceeded against for alleged pilladng of cargo which they were all handling.

COMMONWEALTH BANK. Sir John Forrest (the Federal Treasurer) is disposed to deal in a bnezy, optimistic manner with financial matters, but he had an uncommonly apologetic air when he tabled in the House of Representatives the first annual balance sheet of the Common wealth Bank. True Sir John had nothing to do with tine establishment of the Commonwealth Bank, whioh is the creation of the late Fisher Government;, but he does . not care about having to associate himself with something that ig far from boiruj.a booming success. As the result of its operations for the year ended on June 31) tho bank, shows a loss of £46,000. Tho Auditor-general, in his comments on the balance sheet states that, allowing for certain inter-departmental adjustments and other items which might reasonably be taken into account, the deficiency would be reduced by £7000. Howoyer, this would still leave a substantial debit balance to carry forward. The managers of private banks seem to be reluctant to make comments on the first year's record of tho Commonwealth banking venture. But the manner in, which some of them decline to comment may be interpreted as meaning "We told you so," or " Wait, and you.will see more." OUR CADETS. When federation took place there wero in Australia scarcely 26,000 men trained in •the use of arms. Last Saturday some 18,000 cadets, all of them resident in Melbourne and its environs, took part in a grand parade and march past the Governor, general. They were young troops, mere boys, but they made a brave show. They marched with a fine swing, and bore themselves in a manner that won the hearty admiration of veterans. One who had seen a previous march past, on a smaller scale, a year before could not fail to be struck with tho, great improvement in carriage and discipline of the lads on! this occasion. There was no talking in the ranks, no looseness in bearing or formation. The lads, the youngest 14 years of age and the oldest not 18, seemed all determined *to make as soldierly a show as any troops of their si?e could possibly do. There was seven miles of the cadets; seven miles of uniformity, not only in appearance but also bearing and precision. Amongst tho 90,000 spectators who lined the route of the march in the city were members of. the British Parliamentary party now visiting Australia. What they ihad to say by way of comment was unstinted praise. Oho of them exclaimed enthusiastically: "You could not see a sight like this in any other part of the world."