AUSTRALIA TO-DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3278, 10 January 1917, Page 24

AUSTRALIA TO-DAY.

(From Our Own CobbespONDENT.) SYDNEY, December 12. PATRIMONIAL HOAX. \ somewhat extraordinary story of a matrimonial advertisement,, an eager, savina woman, and an unprincipled swindler ccrncs from Melbourne. The woman, w.jo had been employed in a drapery estatwshxncot for many year,, and had saved £472, ww an advertisement, in which a respect; able widower, of steady and sober habits, sought a wife, and she answered it. Iwo day, later a man called on her. He praised her charming manner and sensible conversation. They agreed Jo mairj lie man, after an absence of two 01 thiee day* said he had been to liull.irat and sold some mining shares, and had mace £6OO out of the transaction. lie said he was sroinc to make the wedding ring from Specimens taken from the BaHarat claim. He said he would pay Ids £3OO into her banking account., and for that purpose he received the trusting woman s bank book, which showed a credit of £472 Then the swindler suggested that if the woman would withdraw £2OO. from the saynigs bank he would add his £3OO to it, and they would place it at fixed deposit in the Commonwealth Bank. She agreed to do this when they were married. He B aid ho was making his will in her favour, and then he took her out to West Brunswick, whero he asked her opinion of a house which he said ho proposed to buy for £7OO. . .... The marriage was duly solemnised in a suburban church last .Friday. At the last moment the man produced an ordinary ring, saving that the special ring he had proposed" was not yet ready. After the ceremony they went in a taxi to the bank, where the man, in accordance with the arrangement to which the foolish woman had agreed, cashed his "wife's" cheque for £2OO. Then they drove to a house in Drummond street, Carlton, which, he said, was to be their temporary home. Arrived here, the man suggested that they pledge their future happiness in a glass of wine. The liquor must have been drugged, for immediately after taking it the woman fell into a deep sleep. When she awoke some hours later the .man and the money had disappeared. . ... The police, who are investigating the Case, say that the methods employed arc similar to those of a middle-aged mart who, two years ago, played on the credulity of matrimonially-inclined women with means, and, after going through the form of marriage with them, manipulated their bank accounts and disappeared.

TOTALIS ATOR CONTROVERSY. The propositi to introduce the totalisator in New South Wales as a State monopoly and revenue-producer has aroused a controversy not by any means unknown in New Zealand. There have been letters in the newspapers, the usual resolutions by public, meetings—couched in the usual interminable and involved sentences, —and earnest deputations to responsible Minister*. But the only announcement by Cabinet is that the Bill is being gone on with without loss of time, and it is expected to pass both Houses. Mr James, the Minister of "Education, who is in charge of the Bill, says thnt ho has been inundated with correspondence from all sorts of people and associations conveying protests, suggestions, or approval. He was remonstrated with by a large deputation of bookmakers, who insisted pathetically that they shrould not be robbed of a means of earning an honest livelihood; he has seen men who represent bodies opposed to gambling in any shape or form, who alleged that the totalisator would demoralise the community and plunge the rising generation into a maelstrom of gambling and vice; and he has met" the representatives of the bookmakers' clerks, who asserted, without any preamble, that the Bill, unless amended, was going to put many of them among the unemployed. Mr James, when interviewed, Paid quaintly : " In the circumstances. I feel that I am going to do some good, for I have received protests from all sides." At present New South Wales and Victoria are the onlv two States which do not operate the totalisator. In most of the others the bookmaker is allowed to callthe odds beside the machine, but there is » strong movement, notably in West Austo bar out the bookmaker altogether. Ho will die hard in New South Wales and Victoria, if ever he is abolished, for he and his satellites exist in incredible numbers in those States, and, by reason of their great wealth, they oan exert great influence. They are behind the determined opnosition that has been shown to proposals that the extraordinary number of racing days be reduced, and the introduction of the totalisator is quite evidently the compromise: if racing is to continue as heretofore, the State will get (he benefit of it. Mr James says it is not proposed to set up a standard machine which all clubs must

adopt. Tho clubs will simplv be asked to install machines which will have a capacity equal to the greatest demand made upon them, and which .-hall bo of proved accuracy. December 20. As wus expected, tho Hughes Ministry Supply Bill, providing f unci's [or three months, having been passed through the House of Representatives with tho aid of the Liberals, met with opposition in the Senate, where there is a large anti-Hughes majority. Tho Seriate recommended that tho amount of supply be eoneiderably reduced, so that Parliament would have to meet again early in the New Year. Tho House was inclined to fight the matter, but the Senate was obdurate. While negotiations were going on, the payment ot salaries all through tin' Civil Service, was field up. This is a development that is known in many countries as the result of aggrieved persons holding up supply, but it i:> a development that never gains in popularity. There were subdued riots in many Federal Departments on Saturday' morning when no pay envelopes were forthcoming. " By this time it was known that a comprom se had been effected, and the Supply Bill passed, but official information in that direction had not been received outside of Melbourne, and Red Tape had to have its way. The majority of employees waited until .Monday, but certain belligerent classes of men -tile Sydney let-tor-carriers for one—-threatened an immediate strike if wages were not paid forth with —and the wages were paid ! The; House of Representative- accepted "recommended " by the Senate. No other course was open to the Cabinet. Therefore, Parliament will aasemblo in February or March, and it is supposed that almost immediately thereafter there will bo a dissolution and a general

election. By that time, as stated elsewhere, the demand for conscription will probably have been revived, and the election, quite, probably, will be fought on that issue. A victory for the. Hughe3 PartyLiberal combination would then mean an introduction of conscription by proclamation. A victory for the Polit : cal Labour Leagues would certainly result in the discouragement of recruiting, and, possibly, tho reduction of the Australian forces abroad and the initiation of a peace agitation Those who know him best believe that Mr Hughes has far more confidence in the result of a general * election than he had in the recent conscription referendum. Such an election will bo intorestin in that it will make clear the real meaning of the referendum vote. ANXIOUS PREMIERS.

After haying spent four days considering their financial straits, and in interviews with tho Federal Prime Minister, the State Premiers ended their conference last week-, and dispersed, still preserving secrecy with regard to the details of the new agreement entered into with tho commonwealth. It was, for them, a trying week. All are m financial difficulties, and all feared that the summoning of the conference by the commonwealth meant that these difficulties were to bo increased. In this, they were not disappointed. After their first interview with the Federal Prime Minister and Treasurer, the Premiers admitted that tho position was serious, that they would have to do some deep thinking, and that sweeping economies would have to be effected. Five of the six States arc content to allow tho commonwealth to raise the loan moneys they requiro for public works, and these States were acquainted with the amounts they are likely to receive next year. New South Wales, which stands outside the agreement, nevertheless sent representatives to find out if thp new offer was sufficient to induce it to join in. One glance was enough for it, and as a result the State" intends to make its own application to tho London money market. All of the other Premiers were seriously concerned by the statement made to them by the commonwealth Ministers, though none of them would admit anything. Tho Premiers were given confidential information that is disturbing, if not actually alarming. Tho necessity, for vigorously conducting the war means that there is very little money available for public purposes. The Premiers, however, prefer to keep their information secret for the present. Everything points to the fact that if it were disclosed, the cause for immediate and rigorous enonomy would become unanswerable. This conference, by the way, approved of a resolution which infant, in effect, that I.W.W. agitators and others of that ilk should bo summarily dealt with.

AUSTRALIAN FINANCES.

It is estimated that the total war expenditure of Australia as on June 30, 1917, will bo £136,386,000. In the unlikely event of the war having ended by that elate, that would not by any means represent the total war bill. There would have to be added the deferred pay duetto the soldiers (about £10,000,000), the Various huge sums due to the British Government for maintenance and equipment of Australian troops abroad, the cost of bringing the Australian troops home again, and so on—all items, that will add millions to the total. The directions in which the money goes ore indicated by the. following items taken from the detailed Australian accounts for the period from August, 1914, to November, 1916: —Pav and field allowances, £34,000,000; rations, £3,300,000; uniforms and kits, £5,852,000; harness, saddlery, accountrements, £4,472.000; transport, hire of ships, refitting, victualling, £15,300,000. From this total there may bo deducted £4.300,000 received for carrying goods and other services performed by the transports. Of the money required, £81.000.000 has been borrowed in Australia and £50.000,000 in Britain. A sum of only about £10,000.000 is being provided out of revenue • for war purposes, so that the interest and sinking fund for that huge war bill is going to fall directly on the taxpayer.

Seeing what is coining from the Federal taxing departments, the States are making attempts to put their houses in order. Their efforts have been somewhat puny so far, serving but to emphasise the gloominess of their financial outlook. New South Wales is in a slightly worse position than any of them, yet tho State is typical of the others. The State's debt is now £130,000,000. Much of the total is the result of wild orgies of borrowing by recent Labour Governments. The expenditure of the money has involved the employment of some thousands of men on public works of various sorts, and among these the "Government stroke" has not . been unknown. The new State Government, acting probably as much under the dictates of common sense as according to the necessities of war conditions, has announced a reduction in borrowing and a curtailment of public works. Immediately there has come a long, loud wail from the Labour unions, which think they see an insidious attempt to remove their privileges, and to force them by unemployment into tho ranks of tho arm v. The Government lias replied, in effect.' that 75,000 "able-bodied men have loft tho State, bo there should lie no unemployment; that an abundant season has provided plenty of work in the country; and that unless borrowing is icduccd new taxes will bo necessary, to ho puper-added to the inevitable new war taxes levied by the Federal authorities. ANOTHER CONSCRIPTION CAMPAIGN. Jur-i before the war Or Ward, the wellknown editor of the Sydney Daily Telegraph, retired into, private life. The other day. it was announced that the virile old gentleman ho is neatly 70 was going north to edit the Brisbane Telegraph. Speaking at a Journalists' Institute gathering, lie explained thai at this time- lit l wanted to do something for his country. The rejection of conscription by Australia had affected him greatly, but lie foresaw that the mattecould not rest where thoughtlessness, selfishness, ami disloyalty had now placed it. Presently, there would be another cry for compulsory service, and he wanted to be in a position to add his voice and influence to its successful prosecution. So he had come back into journalism. Dr Ward voiced a belief that is raoidly growing in Australia. The Federal authorities are doing everything possible to get. the men required by the voluntary system—but it is generally thought that the effort will fail. The method so loudly advocated by the anti-oonscriptionists will be given a perfectly fair trial. When it is proved ineffoctiaS. the demand for compulsory service will again arise, more insistent than ever. That will perhapa be three or four months hence*

Somewhat sharp criticism of the manner in which Mr Hughes guided the recent effort to introduce conscription suggests that different methods may be employed next time. Mr Hughes has been told thai ho made a fata] blunder in calling up men for training before he had the power to send them abroad; that he spent. £600.000 and accomplished nothing beyond greatly irritating the people affected. And it ha? been said, also, that conscription should have been introduced by proclamation, and not by the vote of the people. The latter argument, is scarcely fair to Mr Hughes, who could never have got his then Cabinet to agree to such a proclamation.

The Southland grain traffic, which totalled nearly a million sacks in 1909, dropped to 327.022 in 1914, and recovered to 868,037 sacks in 1916 (says the Southland News). On .Saturday, 30th ult., while playing at a small creek near Silverton Battery, Waihi, a two-year-old son of Mr J. J. G. Carnes fell oft' a j'lank used as a private bridge into a pool 20ft deep, and was drowned. A patriotic woman, living less than 50 miles from Gore, was to be seen one day last week looking round her husband's flock of sheep, and knitting socks for soldiers at the same time (states the Wyndham Farmer). " The great hope of the future of education in New Zealand is the dissatisfaction which exists with it at present," so said a delegate at the conference of women teachers of Now Zealand on Friday (says the Post). Girls- are quite as useful as boys on a farm. The other day a young girl was to be seen disc-harrowing at Hedgcnope, while another was to be observed mounted on a roller, and carrying out the work with her two-hrosc team as capably as any man (says the Winton Record) One of the recruits of the 24th Reinforcements, who enlisted at Feilding, is Mr G. Smith, tho well-known athlete, rider, and shot. His record for shearing is 260 sheep, for the hop, step, and jump 44ft 9in. and high jump sft 6|in. At the last Palmerston show his services as a rider were in such keen demand that he rode eight out of 14 horses in one competition, anrl throughout the jumping contests he rode over 296 fences without accident.