AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2200, 30 April 1896, Page 20

AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY.

Bydnby, April 23. SIR H. PARKBB. Two topics which engaged the public mind during the week were the possibilities or otherwise of a striWe at Newcastle and the serious illncsa of Sir H. Parkes. The vetfran statesman is making a great fight for life, and at his age his vitality is simply wonderful. At the time of writing the trouble affecting hia lungs is abating, and the only fear by his physicians is from weakened heart action. Callers from all ranks of the oommunity invaded Kiuilworth during the week. Premier Reid's visit of reconciliation makes the T'oisibility of seeing a retiring vote for Sir H. Parkes on the Estimates next session. There should be few who would grudge that which enables a man wbo has devoted his life to the colony's service spending his few remaining years removed from worry for tbe neceßßities of life. THE COAL MINERS' DISPUTE. Naturally the coal difficulty is a milter that is viewed by the Newcastle folk with anxiety. Your representative visited Coalopolis during tbe week and saw a sceije of greater activity among the shipping" than has been witnessed • since the last great strike. The Hunter river was covered with a foreat of masts, and there was not a crane but what was pouring coalladea trucks into the Urge ships and steamers nigkt and day, while vessels of every nationality lay in the stream waiting for vacancies at the staiths. The business people were beginning te take heart at the fact that the trade which had been lost to Newcastle was beginning ta flow back again. Over 70 vessels are lying in the river at the present time, aggregating close on 100,000 tons. Should tne strike occur the bulk of these will trip their anchors and fir, and such a contingency would induce them to give the place a wide berth in future, &ud still further throw the trade into the hands of Japan and other coal centres, During the past week 63,500 tops were exported. THE BOOT TRADE DISPUTE. There is every indication that the beginning of next week will see a general strike in tbe boot trade. This difficulty has been brewing for a long time. Three months ago the Operatives' Union submitted a report to the Manufacturers' Association complaining that the statement of wages (mutually adopted by the two bodies as a result of the strike two years ago) was being set aside in a number of factories, the weekly wages system being substituted : that boy labour was being introduced to an unreasonable extent; and recommending that ♦he statement be reopened with a view to amendment. The masters objected to the proposal .to draft a new Agreement, while a large number of employers remained outside the association and continued to work on non-union lines and pay wages below those fixed by tha statement. The union undertook to induce the non-associated masters to fall into line by accepting the new statement. The secretary of the union obtained what was considered satisfactory promises from the J majority of. the non-aesooiftted masters ; but the fitoplojen' AMOQutfoa yrett not MtUfed with '

the guarantees, and notified the union of their intention to ceaße to recogntsi the statement. The union replied by holding" a mass meeting, and declaring their intention of adhering to the existing statement until & new one on similar lines was substituted, and calling 011 all employees in all factories to cease work next [ Tuesday. Tha peculiar feature of the difficulty is that both sides are aiming at the mimo objeofc — viz., the establishment of a uniform rate of wages. The RSjoci&tion claim that what they want is the establishment of a fair uniform statement, whioh will not place them at a disadvantage with non- associated employers as tha proaent statement does, and they have taken eefcton in order to compel tho union fco adopt deCibe methods by forciog the I bauds of those oulsido tbe union ; whilo tho union men chim that the masters »re making the statement a stalking horse, as an excuse for loweriug the wages. They state that a large reduction has already been made, or is pending, in several factories. If tho strike eveutuates about 3000 hands will be affected. The union's funds aie at a low ebb, but the officials allege thut the co-operative faotory, which was established at the time of the last striksi, and which is union property, and proved a greifc success, will absorbmost of the strikers. They also reckon on' there being a want of unauimi'y among the masters, a number of them having seceded from tbe association and promised to maintain the statement. Melbourne, April 26. DAIRY PRODUCE Mr Macßwan, the New Zealand cheese and butter expert, has b«en eolightaoing tho produdera in the Warrnnmbool district ou the methods pursued in New Zealand, where the tJovernnoent, he Siid, did nob interfere with bus r neß» uxr-inguments, but caw to the grading and freezing of butter, and generally worked on more educational lines than otherwise. He was not in favour of the Government continuing to freeze and grade butter, but considered that I they should gradually withdraw from thete branches and givd greater assistance to dairy men educationally. CHAFFEY BROTHERS. The report ot the liquidators of Chaff ey Bros. (Limited) has been completed. The ! liquidators will tell the shareholders that all tho fr<je a c sata of the company h»ve been assigned to debenture-holders by a comprehensive deed. Attention will be drawn to the fact that the liquidators appealed against the Supreme Court's decision which places the6O debenture-holders in Buoh a privileged position. A most exhaustive account will be given of tbe revenues of the company from inception, and how the receipt* were disbursed. From this it appears that enormous payments were made to individuals for euch works as the flotation of loans and other services, which, it is alleged, were not always perf oruiei ; that guarantees were given in money transsotious which were not enforced ; and, whether intentionally or otherwise, that the affairs ot the company wore made subservJent to the private interests of certain persons ; whilst the report points to the fact .that the shareholders have a right to look for repress to several well-known persons for the immense losses . incurred by the company through the recklens management whii;h per- ! mitted such a state of affairs. The report ' also indicatfs that tbese persons' estates will not realise anything worth considering, although in some instances the wives of these men are known to be unsssai'ably well provided for, I MISCELLANEOUS. Visitors at the last meeting of the Victoria Racing Club wore treated to one of the nionfc remnrkable eights ever seen at Flemingion. ;Iu the Steeplechase there were only four ste-.ters, but before the race was completed all had fallen, and twice nothing was standing up on the course.

The Intercolonial Conference of Librarians j produced a nice little squabble over the burning question of tbe opening of public libraries on Sundays. The assistant librarian at Sydney in a paper advocated roe wisdom of the step, . which brought forward a red-hot champion of the other view in the person of Professor Rentoul, who resented the remark mada by one ot the supporters of the paper that the chi?f cause of the opposition was to be found in systematic theology, not in true religion.' Professor Rsntoul thought that the opening of libraries was perhaps a #m*ll thing in itself, but it was only the beginning of a movement to encroach on the day of rest. After a good deal of steam had been let off the proceedings terminated; Adelaide, April 26. TH2 ADELAIDE HOSPITAL. Tbe last phase of the Hospital Board dispute is the offer of the honorary medioal staff to attend emergenoy cases until the end of April. In refusing it the board acknowledged the kindly spirit which prompted it, but they deemed it necessary that regular arrangements should be mxde ; " they therefore cecured the services of volunteers peuding the appointment of a pieman* nt staff. This has led to further complications. The Premier has announced that the Government bad been advised thafe the ir • nbecs of the Adelaide medical profession had cabled to their colleagues in London to aid them in shopping Guy's Hospital men from coming to Adelaide as paid offioers, Dr Hay wood (late chairman of the honorary staff) states that the cablegram was sent by a doctor practising in the country, but admitted that it was sent with the knowledge of more than one member of the late staff. He stated that it was to the effect that the staff had resigned owing to Government interference, and no local men could be secured to fill their places. THE ELECTION. To-day brings to a close the election cam- i paign under the act, and the weary constituents will be given 43 hours' respite from the harangues of candidates prior to polling day. During this interval no doubt the elector is supposed to make up his mind on the views of the various candidates and vote accordingly. The Electoral Act makes the way of the candidate easy, even limiting the expense to which he shall be put in the contest ; hence, with th» tempting bait of £200 a year and no, risk by way of deposit, the fair crop of c&ndidates produced. Fate favours the Premier, hit opponent finding himeelf in a lunatic asylum instead of at the hustings. Political excitement unhinged the man's brain. As might be imagined, the submission of the question of Bibk-reading in the State schools to a referendum brought forth a deluge of lett'-r3 to the press on this vex'«l siibj^ot Th* Kolidity of thf, L»bour putv in th» Wfc Parliament was reiponsible for the activity of the National Defence Lengue, which brought out a crop of champions. The only seat likely to ooc»»ion »xoitement ie Mount Barker, where Mr Moulden (formerly Attorney-general) seeks to oust either Dr Cockburn or Mr Landseer, who ! have represented the district for 21 years Tha I influence of the women's vot« is almoa 1 ; certain !to be felt. The lntesb return* show that the 1 granting of the franchise to the women has in1 $pq*«ed the voting strength of the colony from

73,020 (the number on the rolls at the la»t elections) to 136,839.