AUSTRALIA TO-DAY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17504, 21 December 1918, Page 8

AUSTRALIA TO-DAY.

(Fbom Odb Own Correspondent) SYDNEY, December 5. There is a growing number of persons in this country "who profess to eeo in the increasing organisation of the Roman Catholic community a very rep.l menace to the wellbeing of the State. It is a kind of bogey often paraded in Protestant countries, and tile tendency is not to take it very seriously. No one, however, can doubt the activity of the Roman Catholics in this country, both in politics and other social organisations. The State Premier, Mr Holman, is the latest to speak out on. the question. In a public address the other night, and dealing with tho possibilities of the newlyadopted proportional representation, he expressed a fear that the system would allow a sftong pro-Catholic party to appear in Parliament, thus introducing a most dangerous element into our political life. He pointed out that in the Monaro election the Catholics threw their weight against the Nationalist candidate, although he was a Catholic, and elected the nominee of tho Labour Party. By inference, Mr Holman meant that, as usual, the Catholic influence is on tho side of the disorderly, Bolshevist, anti-British elements.. .Mr Holman did not say much, but he said it plainly, and already the Catholic community" and press are calling down the fury of the gods upon his head.

Last week the flagpole in the grounds of the Catholic Church at Bathurst carried a green flag of Ireland at the peak aiid tho Union Jaclk beneath it—an arrangement which could only be regarded as deliberate and provocative. A deputation immediately asked tho Mayor to take action, but the Mayor quibbled and refused. Thereupon the deputation went to the Catholic dean in charge. Ho argued with the deputation, but the latter pointed out that the Union Jade, as tho Empire flag, should go on top, and tho flags of the individual British countries beneath. "Tho Union Jack is not the Empire flag," said tho dean. "History relates what Ireland has done in the present war and not only in the present war but in a! England's wars. Then, who did the most in the foundation of the commonwealth?" He said that tho Irish flag would remain where it was—and there tho matter stems to have ended. NEW ELECTORAL SYSTEM. After a hard and somewhat bitter fight between tho advocates of proportional representation and of preferential voting, tho former won out, and the National Party is now committed to tho system so far as this State is concerned, and the State Government has promised to bring the new electoral system into operation in time for the next election.

Since this was decided on about half the population of New South Wales has been cither suffering headaches or engaged in wild and fruitless argument. The trouble lies in the difficulty of explaining proportional representation. The average man can quickly see that the system is a fairer one than the "first-past-the-post" arrangement, but he cannot see how the admirable result is arrived at. The thing that is difficult to understand, of course, is the single transferable vote. The basis of the system is "oto voto one value." If any candidate gets more than the number of votes necessary to elect him, the second preference votes on the surplus ballot-paper are distributed among the other candidates. If any of them are thus given a surplus, the third preference votes in the surplus are distributed, and so on. If this does not elect the necessary number of representatives the man lowest on the list is wiped out. and his second preference votes distributed, followed by hiß third and fourth preferences if necessary. Thus, no vote is wasted. This bare outlino is hard enough to follow, but to attempt an understanding of the details, with all the complicated calcnln tions necessary to ensure absolute fairness, is a horrible experience. The duties imposed pn the returning officers by those calculations are ahaost enough to

sen d tho majority of officials fleeing 1 to tho woods; or, if thoy would be thoroughly Australian, to bring about a strike. It is expcctcd that a commission will bo sot up to build up out of the States bU single-member electorates a series of three and five-member electorates. It is calculated, on the figures of last election, that if system ha<l been then in operation the Nationalists would still have been in command, though with a majority reduced by about half.

A SERIOUS MUTINY. Details have now been made available of a very serious mutiny which occurred on the high seas early i n the year, aboard a large vessel bound for Australia. There had been many alarming rumours about this affair, to which the exeroiso of the censorship gave unwarranted significance. The steamer was a new vessel of 15,000 tons, and she left •London on her maiden voyage to Australia with a large number of invalided Australian soldiers aboard. Some difficulty was experienced in getting- suitable men for the stokehold, and eventually 62 Liverpool Irishmen wero taken on. They were a weedy lot, and wero not accustomed to long-dis-tance voyages. They mostly did four and live day trips, with a spell of two or three days between each. The voyage to Australia meant 40 days' continuous work, and the Irishmen soon began to get restive. At first, they a good pressure of steam, but as their tired feeling grew tho steam pressure became less, and the ship went more slowly. Matters became serious in the Ited Sea, where the officers threatened and cajoled, and tho men were sullen and obdurate. A few days out from Bom-' bay, the men refused work altogether, and mutinied.

The position was critical, the Irishmen seeming to promise trouble, and every available man on the ship being wanted for stokehold work. By the strenuous efforts of the officers the ship readied Bombay, where the mutineers were handed over to the authorities, and brought before a court for trial. The circumstances of tho mutiny—-parti-cularly in view of tho war and the shipping situation—wore seriously regarded by the court, which ordered the 62 men to be imprisoned for the duration of the war and for six months thereafter.

The steamer, after some trouble, shipped a stokehold crew of Cingalese, and completed her voyage.