AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY

Otago Witness, Issue 2210, 9 July 1896, Page 13

AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY

Special— By Telegraph— Copyright. Sydnbi, July 6,

PARLIAMENTARY.

Motions for adjournment to consider this, that, and the other grievance were the order of the week in the Assembly. Considerable time was consumed in discussing the woes of municipalities, ma.py of .which (to judge from members'speeches) were in financial straits. One has already the bailiffs in possession.* Tho chance was too good to miss for twitting the Government with the want of a Local Government Bill. One speaker affirmed that out of every £1 raised in one municipality 10s went in payment of interest. Another speaker's panacea was that the Government should arrange for the municipalities to borrow at a low rate of interest. The Premier said that that was easy enough, bnt the Opposition, would ask him how he proposed to meet the chargi-8. If the 'Opposition always pursued an honourable course there would have baen a Local Government Act in force long ago. The Government propossd to introduce a bill to en&ble municipalities to get fair rates. There were all sorts of evasions of payment of rates, and they intended to deal with theso evasions. It was the duty of the Government to, arrange foe the guarantee of municipal loans where sound precaution's Were taken for their repajment. In' the Council an effort was nude to give the police and military the electoral franchise, but tbe'second reading of the bill was hucg up for a fortnight. , ■'

•THH SHEEP FAIR.

To the men who work amongst aheap this and the eutuing week present great atf>r&clnn«. No le3S than 3700 country visitors arrived in Sydney by rail this week to witness tho show and attend sales. At Both fixtures Now Zealand will nob be so largely represented as eho was last year. This is easily accounted for by the severe blow which breeders received last year by the ridiculously low prices thai then ruled. Miny remember to their cost the disastrous result of their pilgrimage to the sheep Mecca in 1895. On the present occwion, however, what is lacking in quantity is made up for in quality ; so that, with tae prospect of a good season ahead of us, those who lent shipments are likely to receive a decent price for their stock.

DUNMYISM.

Had the Mereadool ones been heard separately the evidence would have formed a decently-sized library. As it was, with 11 or 15 cases taken together, the evidence ran into 2092 pages of closoly-written manusoript, while the letter?, plans, and other exhibits number 2374, the whole filling two large travelling trunks, each weighing 3-Jwb. Nineteen days yrere consumed in taking evidence, another 13£ in hesring counsels' addresses, and for over three weeks the members of the Land Board had a Herculean wrestle with/the documentary mountain before they brought forth their verdict, When it did oorrii, however, it expressed in no uncertain terms that the board were satisfied t.a to the fraud of the prinoipal conspirator*, and that; the appliccnte knew when taking up the land that the present atatioa-holdera found none of the money, which the selectors put into their selections. The board coald not too strongly express their detestation of the oonduot of Mo<srs K. M. Young, D. J. Peele, and Millar Wright, also-with that of Mr Dale (solicitor) and MrDruett (bank manager), who wore mixed up in business positions, the tw6 last-mentioned being specially reprehensible. The board held that the actions of those concerned had prevented desirable settlement on some of the best Crown lands in the ooloay, and added that the 37,000 acres comprising Meroidool made it a very valuable estate. The Firobraue Company and the Assets Realisation Company wore only used as an instrument to divert attention from the real prheipuls, whatever might have been their motive. Mr Richardson, through whose instrumentality the matter has been brought to light, has placed the honestly-disposed section of the community under a debt of gratitude to him. The ohairman, in delivering the vordiot of the board, hoped that tho result would be that steps would be taken, without regard to the positions of the persons affected, bnt simply in the interests of public morality, and that all attempts of a similar kind in f nture would be impossible, so that the unolean thing might become a matter of the pait. There are nine grounds upon which the defendants will appeal, and these practically traverse the whole subject involved in tbe trial.

Melbovjhnr, July 6, POLITICS IN VICTORIA;

Proceedings in Parliament are quite devoid of outfide interest. The question of the nomination of a colonial jadge to the Privy Council was meutioued, but Premier Turner gave the Assembly to understand that, the Government will do nothing till a conference of the colonies has been held for the dissuasion of that and other subjects. Anxiety- is felt regardiug the rumour that a reduction of, the nnmber of members of the House is contemplated. A member questioned the Premier on the subjeob and elicited the reply that the Government intended to deal with the constitutional question as a whole, and the Home would then have an opportunity to express itself as to the advisablenesß of reducing the membership. Attorneygeneral Isaacs took occasion to vindicate Mr Lormer's position on the bench. The Government did not consider that magistrates who are total abstainers are necessarily biassed and unfit to adjudicate. No evidence was forthcoming that Mr Lormer had ever given an unfair or improper decision. Good progress was made with the Companies Bill in Committee. An attempt was made by private members to apply the measure to mining companies, but the representatives of the mining communities so strongly resisted it that eventually the idea was abandoned. As Mr Turner was not prepared to satisfy a member as to whether the Government intended to introduce the referendum proposal, Mr Outtrim gave notice of a bill to give effect to it.

THE BONUS/SYSTEM.

The principle of granting bonuses to assist the wine industry is meeting with strong opposition from the temperance and religions organisations. A large deputation waited on the Minister for Agriculture to protest against it, and suggested that the money might be pub to better use in finding work for the unemployed; They stated that vinerier which rivalled those of Italy were paying low wages, the labourers in these vineyards receiving as low as Is per day. They urged that, on moral and financial grounds, the bonuses should be discontinued. The Minister entirely disagreed with the arguments of the deputation. There was not a better class of people in the colony than the wine-growers, who wore using the gifts of God to tbe best advantage. The people in wine-drinking countries were the most sober and industrious in the world. He believed that Australians would bo stronger and healthier if they drank good wine instead of eolslia.

Adelaide, July 6.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

In the Assembly good progress was made with the Early Closing Bill, which was read a second time by 30 to 15, and taken into Committee. The Treasurer, in moviug the second reading of the Licensed Victuallers Bill, explained that it provided for the regulation of publiohouses, clubs, and the liquor trade generally being remitted to the popular vote of the electors, including the women. Tbe Government intimated that they would oppose the motion for an inquiry into tho workiog of the railway and public works department.

THE PASTORAL INDUSTRY.

The decline of the pastoral industry was the burden of the depressing story which a deputation representing the Chamber of Commerce had to tell the Minister for Lands in making to him suggestions in connection with the new Pastoral Bill. They stated that since 1887 five Pastoral Bills had been passed, but legiilation had failed to resuscitate the industry, which was becoming worse. 1% was necessary that the term of occupation and security of tenure should be supb. that pastoralisfcs could obtain financial assistance. Since 1834 the area of land under pastoral lease had shrunk from 226,000 to 113,000 square miles. Vermin were rapidly reducing the carrying capacity of tha country, aud it was necessary thai; these pests should be properly dealt with. The Minister admitted that the pastoralista were overburdened with high rents. The Government could not give them all they wanted, butwould provide what they considered fair legislation.

FAULTY BOILERS.

Sinoe the accident to the Wendouree'i) boilers they have bseu examined by the Government expert, who reports that tho iron is faulty, with the exception of lha longitudinal stays and the new crown pieae. He also found that, out ot 49 boiler tubas, only eight are strong enough to stand working conditions.

Brisbane, July 3. THE TICK PEST.

The Diseased Stock Bill, wbioh is promoted to stamp out the tick pest, met with almost unanimous support, the only matter in dispute being tbe assessment by which the Government sought to lower the levy not exceeding 2s per hundred head of horses or cattle, but the House fixed the levy at half a crown. The compensation for animals destroyed was fixed at one-half their/ current value. The bill passed through Committee. Mr Donaldson, the member for Logan, wfcdss eltoMon wai opposed, resigned his v seat »» the ipeediest ' method of overcoming the difficulty.

FEDERATION.

An important feature of the week was Sir Hugh Nelson's speech, in moving the second reaving of tbe Federation Enabling Bill. The Government intended to accpt no dictation in the mvtber. If tbe House accepted the bill the colony was committed to nothiug, except that it desired Federation if the terms proved suitable. If the delaga>e3 who wuuld go down to the Federal Convention discussed the one man one vote, woman suffrage, and all the rest of it, then it would be bftter that they ahould not be sent. Queensland was quite nble to deal ,with these things for herself. The people who i desired to ditcuss these things did not want Federation : they simply wanted to promulgate! their owa particular notions, and to force them down, other people's , throats, whether they j wanted them or not. He did not attach such importance to the convention that some people did, because there was already machinery for ' drafting a constitution for submission to Parliament. In the debate which followed only one voice was raised directly agaiusb Federation. j

HIGH SCHOOLS ttOYERNORS. -

The monthly meeting of the Board of Governors of the Boys' and Girls' High Schools was held oa Thursday afternoon, and attended by Messrs J. F. M. Fraeer (chairman), J. R. Sinclair, G. G. Russell, and Drs Brown and Stenhoose.

Accounts and^ salaries amounting to £445 11s lOd were passed for payment.

Mr R. Hardie wrote asking the board to pay an account of £6 due to him, stating tb&t the work had been authorised by Mr H. S. Fish when that gentleman was chairman of the board. — It was resolved to a*k for further details regarding the work done.

It was decided to engage Mr Sheriff as mechanical drawing master at the Boys' High School for one hour a week, and alio to try and obtain the services of Mr Hutton onco a week.

The following •• round robin " waß received from the board's tenants at Ardeo :—

We, the 'undersigned settlers of Strath-Taieri, tenants of your honourable board, do respsctf ully pray you to take into your favourable consideration the advisability of reducing the excessive rents we are called on to pay for our holdings. "We took up the land when things looked bright, and favourable to farming, but in consequence of climatic influence— vis , high winds, especially in harvest time, we are unable to save our crops. We find by experience these winds are annual, and may be looked for to a certainty ; consequently we must give up grain growing, and we need scarcely s»y that the rents are too high for grazing in such a dry climate. We would suggest that one or more of your members visit the locality and personally inspect each of our holdings, and we will give every facility and information respecting same, for we feol quite sure the rents cannot be taken out of v the land, no matter •ho the t ~<t

.o -*o tenants are. ) - After some discussion it was decided to defer consideration of the matter.

An application was received from Mr J. S. Kenwick, lesiee of sections 1 to 23, blosk XXI, township of Arden, asking for reduction of rent.— Declined.

A report was received from the secretary regarding Mr J. Brown's application tor remission of rent on leasehold sections in Arden. Tbe board decided to accept surrender provided Mr Brown paid up arrears.