AUSTRALIA TO-DAY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16917, 1 February 1917, Page 8

AUSTRALIA TO-DAY.

(Fhom Oub Own Cobresfondent.)

~,, . SYDNEY, January 2A. ±ho usual weekly development of tho tangled l'edoral political situation has taken tho form of an invitation to tho Caucus Labour Party, led by Mr Tudor, to join a National Ministry. Had that boon agreed to, tlio l'edcral problem would have been ended for tho time being, and Australia would havo been able to send a representativo to tho Imperial War Conference. But the Caucus Labourites treated tho invitation just exactly as they were expected to do. lhey hayo not formally declined it but they regard it ns of so littlo moment that 'iu° y refused to como together to consider it. Iho treatment it will receive at their hands when it is placed before them at a meeting that will probably bo held just before. Parliament reassembles is shown quite clearly by tho comments of individual members, lhey regard tho matter from only one point of view—their eagenrness and determination to wreck Mr Hughes, and get conof the Government again. The newspapers and public men, of course, are emphasising tho point that a party that places its own selfish aims before every consideration of public convenience, patriotism, and national duty would be a positive public and national danger if it got back to the Treasury benches. While there is nothing much about tho Hughes or tho Liberal parties to win the spontaneous support of tho public, this view is likely to carry a lot of weight. The Australian public, careless and selfish as a whole, is yet not blind to the sinister influences working in the utterly discredited Caoious party; and if it is not carried away by some form of hysteria—to which it seems peculiarly liable at election time, —it is not likely to send the Political Labour League nominees into power again while Australian war contracts and agreements remain to be honoured.

The attacks on Mr Hughes continue, and Mr Hughes, at Geelong last night, thus forcefully replied: " I have been all my public life a member of the Labour party. I was a strong party man, but from the day this -war broke out I put party interests aside and put those of the nation in their place. How far this has led me is known to you all. In order to follow the course which, in my opinion, tho welfare and honour of tho nation demanded, I have severed the ties of a lifetime. I havo broken with the most powerful political organisation ever established in this country. . . . All those who havo supported mo havo earned, as I have earned, the implacable animosity of those narrowminded cliques who now control the machine of the Lalsour organisations—men to whom duty, patriotism, Empire, are but empty words, either meaning nothing or pegs upon which to hand a sneer. . . .

I broki.' with this most powerful party, not because I did not believe in the Labour platform , , but because the Labour movement, which was created to serve a great and unselfish purpose, was being prostituted to the ends of a mean and selfish one. In the supreme hour of national danger it failed to think and act nationally." It looks now as if the political position, which has developed so many interesting situations lately, will remain as it is until Parliament meets. There is still much talk of a Liberal and Hughes amalgamation, and some definite arrangement may still bo arrived at. But that will not alter tho situation—that is, it will not remove the caucus majority from the Senate, and it is by means of that majority that the caucus hopes to foroe an early dissolution. DAYLIGHT SAVING. Daylight saving came into operation at 2 a.m. on January 1, and now, after three weeks, people are trying to decide whether or no.t they approve of it. To the great mass of the people it means nothing except an extra hour of daylight after the evening meal, and he would be a curiously constituted individual who objected to that. The shop and factory workers of the cities approve of the change; their release from the stifling streets an hour earlier during the recent heat wave was greatly appreciated. Objections to jthe system have been voiced, but the only one that is not more or less frivolous comes from the farmers, and more particularly the dairy farmers. These men point out that already, under the old system, they and their families had to rise soon after daybreak during the milking season; and that now, since trains, markets, and everything else start an hour earlier, they too must commence an hour sooner. They do not explain why they do not automatically adjust everything by going to bed an kour earlier, as is being done everywhere else; instead, they are hurling acrimonious resolutions at Mr Hughes, who is generally believed to be personally responsible for daylight saving. Theatre proprietors and showmen generally have a real grievance. People have a traditional objection to commencing their evening entertainment in daylight. The only alternative was to start the performances somewhat later; but as no one wanted to leave the theatres much later than usual, the general result has been a shortening of programmes, shorter intervals, and quicker action on the stage. There has been quite a clamour raised on behalf of the mothers of the community, who say that their children refuse to go to bod in broad daylight, and the mothers' day is thereby prolonged In ' the good dd days" children did what they were told, 'and their retiring hour was selected by their parents. But in Australia even the children display that spirit of haughty independence and intolerance of authority that makes Australian unionism a thing for the world to .marvel at. A RUSE THAT FAILED.

The story of how two Germans were captured recently has probably been cabled very briefly; but it was so smart a trick that -was attempted and it failed so miserably that perhaps details may be interesting.

Just before the Sydney to Brisbane mail train arrived at Hornsby station the ticketseller was struck with the curious character of tho accent of a man who wanted two first class tickets to Brisbane. TJie man seemed to have difficulty with " th" and " f," and under his hectoring manner there was a hint of anxiety. So the ticket-seller detained the gentleman as long as possible, and sent word to the constable on duty on the platform. The constable, having seen tho man, was diffident about interfering. He -was well and fashionably dressed, and tho clothes of his lady companion suggested wealth and taste. But the ticketseller was urgent, and the constable approached the man and asked who they were, and whore they were going. Immediately the man became excited and indignant. How dare the consfcablo speak to them? Tho lady was his wife, and they were going to Brisbano, and what was wrong with that. But the Teutonic accent was marked, and tho constable was struck by the fact that while the lady glared, she spoke no word. Looking closer, ho decided that there was something peculiar a'boufc the lady. So he took a risk. Ho reached out, seized tho lady's hat, and. jerked. The hat came away, together with a veil and a wig, and a. square, close-cropped German head was exposed. " Gott in Himmel" said tho "lady" softly—and the two surrendered, and went quietly to tho police station. They proved to bo Knoff and Kruse, two Germans who recently escaped from the camp. Krusc's disguise was perfect. Ho wore a. grey skirt, whito blouse, white shoes and stockings, a trimmed Panama hat, with a gossamer, and all tho usual underclothing, including corsets. His breast was padded, his face powdered, and his lips Toddened.

Theso escapees had obviously been helped by someone, and this aspect of the matter is now being -very closely inquired into by tho police. CABLE v. ELECTRIC CARS.

The cable car system of Melbourne is being taken over from the company which has operated it for many years by a public board, and the occasion, has been seized upon to reopen the old controversy about the relative merits of tho cable and electric car systems. Practically the whole of tho metropolitan area of Melbourne is served by cables, while separate electric systems are to bo found in most of the suburbs. It is claimed on behalf of the cable system that it is cheaper to operate. The cars themselves are lighter, and the weight is better distributed, so that there is not the same wear and tear. It is said that careful comparisons made recently in Edinburgh showed a difference of one penny per mile in favour of the cable cars, and figures show that the Sydney electric service costs 50 per cent, moro than tho Melbourne cable service.

The Melbourne cars are perhaps not so fast as the electric cars, but they are not so noisy. Two of the noisiest car services in Australasia are those of Sydney and Auckland. In Queen street, Auckland, or in any of the Sydney main streets where cars are constantly passing, it is impossible to carry on an ordinary conversation. Melbourne people, accustomed to the comparative quietness of their own streets, are always unfavourably impressed with tho noise in Sydney; and on that basis there has grown up one of tho strongest reasons for the opposition to the introduction of the electrio system to the Victorian capital The electric system will come to Melbourne in time ; no doubt, but it does not look as if it will be an early innovation.