AUSTRALIA TO-DAY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17217, 21 January 1918, Page 3

AUSTRALIA TO-DAY.

(From Ocb Own Correspondent.)

SYDNEY, January 9.

There appears, even to-day, to be no reason to modify tho opinion that has been freely expressed since tho electors again refused Mr Hughes's conscription proposal— jiamely, that Mr Hughes's pledgo that the Government would resign in tho event of tho people voting "No" will not provent Mr Hughes continuing in office as Prime Minister. At this moment, tho resignation of the Government is in the hands of the Governor-general, and that embarrassed gentleman is consulting all sorts and conditions of politicians; but tho general expectation is that this political backing and filling will end in Mr Hughes being asked to again lead the same Government.

The pledge given by Mr Hughes soomed to have only one meaning: that if the people would not givo tho Government power to raise reinforcements in the manner required, the Government would no longer accept the responsibility of governing the country. Therefore since " No" was carried ■with such (a substantial majority, any honest and reasonable man could expect nothing less than the disappearance of the Hughes Cabinet. Ho might expect, perhaps, that the National party would have formed a new Cabinet, without Mr Hughes and the other leading Ministers—although that would hardly have been observing the spirit of tho pledge—for the Labour party is in a pronounced minority in this very young Parliament.

But the mass of politicians, with that peculiar sophistry that is bred in Australian politics, are arguing that the Government, by simply resigning and then, after some formalities, resuming office, has given effect to tho letter and the spirit of the Hughes pledge. They argue that tho Government, when it resumes office, will bo free of all pledges—that it will bo a new Government, pure, spotless, and clean. They say that even if such a is composed of exactly the same/ Ministers who resigned yesterday, in exactly the same positions, it will bo free to bring in conscription by Act of Parliament, although the Government which resigned yesterday most clearly and explicitly promised that it would not take* this course.

At tho moment, the return of the Hughes Government into office appears inevitable. But all sense of public decency is not yet dead, and the anger with which these contemptible manoeuvres are being regarded in many quarters may yet prevent tho welllaid scheme going through. One or two newspapers, and notably the Melbourne Age, have been particularly outspoken.* They insist that some standard of honour shall be retained in public life, and even in politics; and they ask if this method of giving effect to a solemn pledge conforms to any known standard of honour.

A general election still appears very unlikely. There is not the least doubt that an appeal to the electors now would give the Labourites a victory. But that would still leave a substantial* Nationalist majority in the Senate, which, under present ciroumstnees. cannot be dissolved. FEARFUL STRUGGLE WITH MADMAN. A terrible struggle between a. man and his demented son took place in Ballarat last Sunday. The man escaped, but the struggle was almost immediately renewed between the madman and the police, and was a rather dreadful affair. Gitsharn, a cab proprietor, had retired to bed, and was awakened by the click of the electric light in his room being switched on. Ho saw a man, brandishing an axe,standing beside his bed, and he gave .an involuntary yell. The man stopped back, and Gitsham sprang from his bed and closed with him. He recognised the man then as his own son, 24 years old. Both are strongly-built men, and a terrific struggle ensued, in the course of which they worked their way out of the bedroom.

Mrs Gitsham, in an adjoining room, had been awakened by her husband's shout. She glimpsed at the struggle in progress, and without waiting an instant, in her night attire, she raced through the streets to a nearby police station. A constable immediately ran back to Gitsham's house, getting another man from the beat as he •went. They found that the madman had dropped the axe, and was prowling about the yard. When the constable approached he backed into a corner and put his hand in his pocket. The constables rushed him,, one on each side, and tried to handcuff him. He produced a keen-edged butcher's knife, with which he slashed at them. Ho attacked each policeman in turn, cutting their hands most severely, and displaying terrible strength. One constable miraculously escaped a, furious upward slash at his stomach, which ripped open his tunic. At last, they knocked the knife out of his hand. By this time the- handcuffs were on one wrist, but the operation was not completed without a most desperate fight. Finally, the constables overcame the. madman, and Gitsham then harnessed a horse and drove them into Ballarat. At tho station here, the {struggle was renewed. It took a number of constables a long time>) and all their strength to put a straitjacket and "kicking trousers" on the maniac, who bit at the rough canvas until his mouth was cut <and bleeding. Two of the policemen had to have surgical attention afterwards, the wounds in the hands of one being serious. It was ascertained that the unfortunate young Gitsham had been for some years in a lunatic asylum, but had been recently discharged as cured. Two doctors had no hesitation now in declaring him insane, however, and he was sent back to close confinement.

THE DISPOSAL OF THE 'KANGAROO.

, Tho State of Western Australia and the Federal Government have been quite violently " in' holts" recently in connectioni with the ownership and disposal of tho steamer Kangaroo. The Kangaroo is a fine, new cargo carrier, 'of 4548 tons, which has been built since tho war started, and delivered to the West Australian Government, which, with Labour leaders at the helm, hoc in th<j past gone in extensively for ship-owning. On December 9 the West Australian Premier received a cablegram from his Agent-general, stating that the Imperial authorities had gratefully accepted the offer of the Federal Government to hand over the Kangaroo, then in British waters. This was the first the Premier had heard of the matter, and. bursting with indignation, he placed himself in tolegTaphio communication with Mr Hwghee. He requested that a cablegram be sent cancelling " this high-htfnded fiction behind the back of tho West Australian Government." Ho added that the West Australian Government had arranged a charter or tho vessel of £250,000, and that £50,000 insurance had already been paid. The angry Premier also cabled London, asking? the Imperial authorities to release the ship, and guaranteeing that she would be exclusively used in the carriage of /cod to Britain .

On December 14 Mr Hughes- replied that he knew nothing about the matter, and , he was sorry such action had been taken without consulting tho*- State Government. Everyone then went to sleep, or became tied up in the referendum, campaign for a fortnight; but on December 21 Mr Hughes v.'ired that ho had discovered that the Kangaroo had been offered to Britain by tho Commonwealth Shipping Board, and that, in view of the urgency of the Empire's needs, ho sincerely trusted that the State ■would consent to tho vessel being handed over.

The Premier replied, insisting , on camcollation, and tho right of tho State to deal direct irith the Imperial authorities in the matter.

That is tho position to-day. Tho Premier is standing on his dignity, and indicates that if the Imperial authorities approach hm properly he will hand over tho Kangaroo—which, so far, has l*en carrvinsr Australian wheat to Europe, while TVTr Hushes say_ he sympathises with the Wort Australian attitude, but " at tho same time the Imperial needs, which are our needs, are paramount, and to these all must bo subordinated." AUSTRALIA AND ISLANDS POS- ~ SESSIONS. Tho general question of tho future of the German islands in the occupation of the Australian Forces is resolving itself into twb main problems—namely, how to get a sufficient supply of cheap fabour to further develop these possessions, and whether the most intelligent and sympathetic rule might be expected in future trom direct British or Australian control.

To deal with the second question first, it may be said at once that the opinion general among the island planters and traders is that the Australian Administration, the sport of every Labour ( storm that blows, "is no good to them." ' There has 1 been a frequent suggestion that Fiji and Tonga should come in, with New Guinea and the Solomons, under a Federal Islands Administration; but one finds the scheme distinctly unpopular in the islands. Men with interests there have little sympathy with somo of tho ideas and quaint ideals that guide Australian politics. The men planting and trading in German New Guinea, who do not want to go back under Gorman rule, are almost as eager to avoid Australian control. A petition, signed by almost, all tho white people in tho Solomon Islands, has just been sent to London pray.ing that Britain administer this group herself, and not hand it over to Australia.

Brigadier-general Sir Samuel Pethebridgo, Administrator of Gorman New Guinea, who lias just been invalided home with malaria,

interviewed, would not discuss the political future of the islands, but ho talked freely about the labour difficulties. Ho said th.it the shortage of men was being felt severely in Now Guinea, acutely in Samoa, and to a less extent in Fiji. He said that the Samoan Germans took 1000 New Guinea labourers to Samoa on a three years' eontract, and that, the contract having expired, they are being shipped back to New Guinea by the New Zcalanders. The latter were anxious to secure another 1000 to take their places, but there were not enough boys available now in Now Guinea to meet local demands. The largo Gernian firms who, by the terms of the capitulation, wero allowed to carry on business as usual in New Guinea, are clamouring for labourers. The position appears to be that during tho past years the coastal section o£ New Guinea had been completely denuded of all suitable labour, both for Now Guinea and various South Sea islands, and tho task of procuring labour now involved a long and expensive expedition into tho dangerous" interior. Such expeditions were not being undertaken in war time.

" The class of men employed as recruiters are, generally sneaking, unreliable," continued Sir Samuel Pethebridge. " They are likely to cause all sorts of trouble with the natives, the consequences of which generally fall on subsequent recruiters. While tho place is under "military occupation it is impossible to provide for a satisfactory system of recruiting; that problem may be effectively grappled with under a futuro civil administration. My opinion is that recruiting should bo a Government concern; but that, of course, means a fairly largo initial outlay for suitable vessels, and, what is more difficult to find, suitable and reliablo men to carry out the work. Under proper management the business could be made profitable to both the Government and the planters, and, what is more important still, satisfactory relations with the natives would be assured."