OUR SYDNEY LETTER

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 313, 2 May 1911, Page 7

OUR SYDNEY LETTER

A FREE FERRY

Quite a storm of mingled protest and approval has been aroused by the circumbtantial announcement tliat the Government intend to enter into competition with the Sydney Ferries, Ltd., by running a virtually free service across the harbor. Th© idea is that, instead of stopping at Circular quay, the penny tram section shall end at Milson's Point en one side, or at Blue's Point on the other. Of course some one would have to pay for the service, but, as • long as the cost can be ■ passed on to people who have not the wit to see when they .are being fleeced, or who lack the spirit to protest when,they do «cc it. that consideration would be negligible. Whether, m this instance, the protest or the approval will finally prevail, can only be determined by the ballot-box. The suggestion is certainly a fair challenge to those who believe that a Government cannot be worse employed than m endeavoring to supersede its own,.6ubjects m the ser- ! vices which they rendery.to one another,' services of which,' m their aggregate, the general prosperity consists. There is at i the outset a conflict of statement as to the J: efficiency of the present service. All the "advocates of .Labor Socialism maintain that it is wretchedly inadequate, and that the company has shown itself blind to .-obvious wants, and deaf to reasonable repre- ; sentations. On the other hand, to an outside observer, arid to occasional users, the service seems an excellent one. The Mayor of North Sydney, who would hardly be likely to favor a private company at the expense of his ' constituents, styles it '' a splendid service." Of course there is a rush m tho mornings and- m the evenings, when people are going 'to their work on the other side or departing from it. But, -imder Lhe circumstances, it is hard to conceive of any provision which would entirely remove this feature. The real crime of tbe company is, first, that it is carried on by private enterprise,' and, m the eyes of a -certain school, private enterprise, al r though they live by it, and on it, is anathema. Secondly, it is a- prosperous private enterprise. Thus, the promptings of envy are added to "those of political and economical prepossession. As a Minister pointed out the other day : " The railways and tramways of the Government, on , either side, simply bring cash into the coffers of this "private monopoly." Could : the " Gospel •of Grudge " be more con- i cisely stated?, SHORTCOMINGS. Assuredly, the directors of the Sydney Ferries caimot be exonerated from serious shortcomings, and these will undoubtedly be so exaggerated and distorted by their opponents as to cause many simple people to believe that they ' are not entitled to ordinary fair play. Had they been wise m their generation, seeing the rapid advance which has recently been made by socialistic fallacies, and the certahityi that, if only to save their own faces, the Labor Ministry would make some attempt to carry them into execution on so tempting a mark, they would have been 1 careful to i let their determination to meet all the

reasonable requirements of their customers become much more conspicuous than their desire lo pay dividends. Tho reverse lias been tha case. They have made such enormous profits that, instead of disti'ibutirig them m the ordinary way, they have'madS fresh shares, and distributed thenrtotlieir shareholders. This, m itself, is no crime, jirovided all other obligations have been fairly met. This, however, is just the point which, very unwisely, they have allowed to come into, dispute. Their arrangements for receiving and discharging passengers, and for vehicular traffic, are still of a very primitive and unsatisfactory character.

NATIONAL DEFENCE

" We have gone ac far as public opinion would allow us," was the reply of the .Min inter for Defence to a deputation of enthusiasts' who endeavored to impress on him the advisableness of providing an adequate supply of arms and ammunition for :.n adult male citizen force, and of establishing compulsory adult training next year, 'ihere was immediately a chorus of "No, no." Evidently the section of the public to which the Minister looks fer an authoritative expression of " opinion " differs widely from that m which his interlocutors move. If military training can be made compulsory upon anyone else , the Labor Leagues will cordia'ly endorse it. It is compulsory ou the schoolboys already. If it could be made compulsory -upon capitalists, landowners, and employers of labor there would be unanimous approval from tho Leagues. Lut to apply compulsion to them — why, one might as well attempt to compel them, to dceist from .^striking against tha industrial law m that case made

and provided, or against an irksome award of a Wages Board, or of the Federal Arbitration Court. Undoubtedly Senator Pearce knew the kind of public opinion he was talking about. The deputation wanted to apply compulsion impartially,' assuming, apparently, that there is not sufficient public spirit among the community to voluntarily provide for its own defence. The Labor men, now as ever, are • willing to apply compulsion to everyone except themselves*; But there is a third party, which believes that rt one volunteer is worth a dozen pressed men," and which resents the idea of compulsion as altogether unworthy of this young nation.

THE THIRD DESTROYER

The launch of the*- Warrego, 'the third destroyer of the infant Australian fleet, was .well attended, and considerable enthusiasm was shown. The value of that enthusiasm for purposes of national defence is strictly limited, of "course, to the amount of personal self-sacrifice which those who showed it were willing to devote 'to so worthy a cause. This is "a which ' there are no nieans'of accurately estimating. | Criticism, however, waa painful, frequent, j a.nd free. "Comparing tho minuteness of the vessel with its cost, many cf- the spectators openly 'scoffed at the idea of reflectively protecting Australia or any other country by any such"' means. Others, more technical, considered that we should get better value for." our money from submarines than from, this particular form of fighting ship. However, it is impossible to please everybody, ancl most impossible of all to please those who are setting themselves up to judge m ■ matters .which, through lack of knowledge and experience, they are quite incompetent to decide. It it something that the duty of making some provision for our own defence", is very generally admitted, and that as yet there iX no revolt against the 'cost.. Even among advocates and friends, .however, there is an evident undercurrent of,- 'doubt 'as to whether, the best -. course is really being adopted. The ships, if built m Australia,^ will certainly cost a- great deal more than ] if built m the Old' Countiy, and the' ext'ra- (- money might advantageously, be, laid oufcin railway construction. It is already noted that Ministers decline to \iin th'evnsefyes to the execution "of "Admiral Henderson's suggestions. *.-•:,'

THE ALL NATIONS FAIR. .

The All Nations Fair ■ was ■ very successfully inaugurated on Wednesday, and dv' y received, the Viceregal blessing from -Lord Chelmsford.^ Gorgeous stalls,- f aricy dresses, unheard of bargains, and last, but by no means' lea"st; tho corps df^some' of tlie nicest' young ladiSHn Sydney, 'helped to-make-up the enthusiastic gathering .at --the -Town' Hall." There are representatives of all na- i tions, and w _tl_ey are. carefully dressed m character "from models m actual liffc. If the hospital could only realise the amount of the cost of the dresses, and place it to.

its banking account, it would no longer have any difficulty m housing its nurses. However, it is doing very well. Nearly £1,000 was taken or "m "sight" the first day. The study of the costumes of different countries and of different periods of the same country is of itself interesting and instructive, but m some cases it was noted that greater interest seemed to be taken m the study of the fair wearers. The object is to raise £5,000 to erect Suitable accommodation for the nurses* at the Prince Alfred Hospital, who are now carrying on their work under considerable difficulty. The credit for the inception of the idea, is due to Mr Epps, the secretary of the .institution. April 7.