SYDNEY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6552, 1 August 1899, Page 3

SYDNEY.

♦- [Fbom Ottr Correspondent.] Jidy 10. rADLUJIEST. Before the present letter appears in print Parliament will liave assembled. In the Assembly the advocates of the Bill, it is generally recognised, will be in an immense majority. Members who were on the fence have, promptly recognised that that is the winning side, and are now prepared to support it •with even greater enthusiasm than some of its more consistent supporters. On the other hand, some who were its determined opponents have arrived at the conclusion that it is now bound to became law, and that it would be folly to endeavour any longer to resist the inevitable. With the exception therefore of a small band of sturdy dissentients, the minority of 82,000 noncontents will be virtually unrepresented. "He who wills the end," the French say, "wills also the means." Therefore, no attempt to displace the Government before the introduction of the address to the Imperial Parliament praying that the Bill may. become law, is likely to succeed. In the Council resistance will be stouter, but it is questionable whether it will be able seriously to do more than to delay the passing of the address for a comparatively brief period. I slxall be much surprised, bowever, if tbe addresses are voted before the Queensland referendum is taken, and if that should be hostile, it will, of course, furnish matter for serious consideration. THE IMPERIAL VIEW. The next stage on which the Bill, will figure will be the Imperial Parliament, into which it is to be introduced in the. spring of next -year. Strong efforts are being mane to induce Liberal and Radical members to take up the cause of the New South Wales Constitutionalists. It is argued that even allowing the majority in favour of the Bill to be perfectlj*- genuine — which, by the way, is in some quarters disputed — it only amounts to one-twelfth of the electors, and this is a very small fraction to decide upon so important, and irrevocable a change. However, the Imperial Government is so strongly in favour of the federation of the Australian colonies that it is not likely -to scrutinise too closely the terms and conditions, on which it is to take place. The majority secured at the referendum gives it a technical right to go on with the Bill, and it will proceed accordingly, thg protests of the. Constitutionalists notwithstanding. THE MINISTRY. Following the lightning change .shuffle of portfolios, which Mr Lyne unamiably declares was a mere trick to evade responsibility for previous errors, Ministers have been scattering themselves over ihe country with great enthusiasm. • Mr Reid is at Coonong, in the Riverina, where he has betaken himself in- order that ho may have an opportunity of studying intended legislation without interruption. Please don't say "Rats," or make any other demonstration of incredulity. Mr Young has been piloting the Governor on a visit to the north-westtem plains, and hais. been addressing the selectors in terms calculated to make himself "solid," if possible, with other sections of the community. Mr CaiTuth<?rs has been in the north, and has once more discovered "the finest district in the colony." How mamy districts glory in a similar Ministeriallyconferred distinction ? Mr Crvok has been to Wyalong, which, henceforth", is likely to dispute the honours of "the finest, etc.," with the northern rivers. Mr Lee's travels, I think, have been confined to tho Ultimo Power House. He has been duly primed by his official -advisers wtt'h a new version of "the explanation of the delay in execute ing the electric tramway. It was to have been opened in October last year. Those who are best informed — a" very select cirole— doubt very serious-ly whether it -will be running this year. The old story was tha* the heavy ironwork which had been contracted for in America had been delayed by the Spanish-American war. We are now gravely informed, however, that it is owing to a change of* plan which was made before the contracts were accented. Tt was onpinaHy intended that, the Rushcwtters' Bay Power House should be 'used. | Ihe officials have now confided to Mr Lee, ! who has communicated ilfc to the confiding reporters, that the change to Ultimo must :ba held responsible. Considering that aill this is ancient history,, the public are not | much enlightened. Nevertheilcss, it is irij teresting and instructive to note that prominent officials are. gifted with sudi admirable command of countenance. TJNEAST TENANTS. New South Wales is justly proud of its land revenue. But the gentlemen who do us the honour to administer it would be all the better for the services of a small boy to jab them with a pin occasionally, to keep them from going to sleep. The . leases of about twelve million acres of I pastoral lands in the Central district are | just about falling in, and the lessees waited ■ on the Minister to know what he meant to do about it. The poor man did not know what he meant to do. He had only been sworn in that day, and if his predecessor had left any policy behind him he hadn't been able to discover it. But he would make inquiry and consult his colleagues, and go through all the rest of the weary time-worn performance. VVhilst he is inquiring and consulting the leases will expire, and several million head of sheep and cattle may be looking for j pasture. All the intrairing ought to have l been done months ago, and the intentions of the Minister ought to have been announced long before tbis. Perhaps they ! would have been if " Panjandrum " Eeid-had not had the fear of the Labour Party before his eyes. However, now Mr Barton ha£j3eai_*^tlffi._Labo^ *

ous task of bolstering up the- Government, perhaps -something may be done. THE EFTHGOW KEKEEB. Another member of wha,t may be called thie "Skimpole" Minisbry, Mr Bogne to Avit, has suddenly woke up to the fact that there is a strike afc Lithgow. As a matter of fact the trouble originated many weeks ago, and at its commencement the exer- j cisc of a little tact and coneffiatoriness might have been attended with the happiest results. The Minister is now trying his best to bring the contending parties together. But the gxdf between tliem has be- | come so vride and deep, and iso much obstinacy and ill-feeling have been manifested that it is doubtful whether his efforts will be crowned vdth snecess. Coahniners at some of the Newcastle pits, as well as those afc Lithgow, are also on strike. The recent " Aveighing " regulation has evidently not operated in the interests of the men to the extent that was expected. SAVEATING. A deputation waited on the Minister for Labour last week to ask his intervention against sweating. The usual platitudes on both sides were exchanged, but nothing was done. It is A r ery doubtful Avhether anything can be done so long as there are halfa dozen eager applicants for any vacancy that may occur, even at starvation rates. As long as this is the case it is the interest of the employee as Avell as of the employer to condone any breach of the law, because dismissal means desperation. Neither the representatives of labour nor those of the people seem to have mastered that elemen-tary-truth, which may be metaphorically described as the folly of hammering on the buckle. If a Avorkman 'bias to take a " buokle " out of a plate of metal, he does not hammer right on the bulge. He knows that to do. so would make it worse. He hammers round and round the edges, and in due fcime th. pressure is relieved, and the desired flatness is attained. So long as there are one hundred applicants far every fifty positions, it is almost useless to attempt to ameliorate the lot of labour, for tho savage competition' for a. chance 'to earn a crust placesthem all at tbe mercy of the>-employer. The only remedy is to ensure that there shall be as many openings as there are applicants. Then the natural independence of the workers wiH assert itself, and they Avill refuse to work except under fair conditions. By many such counsel as this is regarded as Utopian. But it ought nofc to be. so in a country capable of supporting with ease ten times its present population. If there are not sufficient openings to employ the comparative handful of people, who are here, ifc is because there is gross and indefensible monopolisation of natural opportunities. It ought not to be an insuperably difficult task to induce the dogs-in-the-manger to quit. •