OUR MELBOURNE LETTER.

Woodville Examiner, Volume V, Issue 458, 1 April 1889, Page 2

OUR MELBOURNE LETTER.

VICTORIAN ELECTIONS. LIBEL REFORM. BAD MISTRESSES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) The election campaign is being prosecuted vigorously, an 1 from present appearances it is scarcely likely that, in the metropolitan and suburban constituencies, at least, any candidate will be fortunate enough to secure a walk-over. The political atmosphere has undergone no material change, no new question of importance Jhas hem br. n rht prominently before the attention of tl o deeti rs or anything else calculated to complicate ti e issuess which are to ba decided at the ballot-box. So far as the G ivernment is concerned, its supporters throw their lot under the Coalition banner. There is absolutely very little opposi’ion to the existing policy under which the country is governed. Conservatives are agreed that it would be unwise to disturb the present Protective system, and are quite prepared to work loyally with the Protectionist, party in legislating in oth.-r directions for the general welfare of the community. On.the other hand, however, there are a few of the out and out Liberals,led presumably by Mr Munro, who declare that the time has come when a Liberal and Protec’ionist Government, pure and simple, should be returned to power. In a general way, tlierelore the fight will be between Coalition sis anti extreme radicals. There ae of course, a number of side issues to b i determined, prominent amongst which is that very vexed question of the stock tax, concerning which the Liberal party is divided, though the Conservatives to a man denounce it in nnmistakeable terms. The temperance faction will also make a vital question of the principles of Local Option without compensation, whilst opposed to them are the Licensed Victuallers’ Association, the members of whom are prepared to accept local option with compensation, provided polls piay he taken for increasing the number of public houses in a district as well as decreasing them. Altogether the situation is considerably mixed, and we may look forward to no little excitement on election day. Whatever view the public may take of the matter, I am sure that journalists generally and newspaper proprietor particularly will be pleased to that the reemt “ Amendme it Libel Act "in England operates in the direction of protecting newspapers against malicious prosecution. Formerly the mere publication of a faithful report of public, or quasi public proceedings was attended with legal risk ; since if a journalist were served with a writ of libel for doing so, it lay upon his shoulders to prove that the report was not only actually correct, but that the proceedings were of public concern, and that the report was published for the public benefit. The plaintiff had to prove nothing at all. He merely made a statement, which went as fact, unless distinctly and distinctive.lv disprove 1 by the defendant. Now, however, all this is changed. The defendant has merely to show that the report challenged gives a true account of what actually took place. The plaintiff has to bo at the trouble of proving that the proceedings were not of public concern, and that .the report was not publishe I fir the public benefit; which is a valued instalment of uiucn needed libel reform.

No class of persons come in for mure general abuse than the domestic servant girl. It is the cry of the mistress of the house that she is unable to get a girl to do the honseuold work unless under stipulations regarding nights and Sundays off, putting out of washing, no children and other conditions too numerous to mention, which in effect place the employer at the mercy of the employed. The subject has furnished good material for the comic illustrated papers to work upon, and so long have they harped on the same old string that we have given up Sarah Jane as absolutely incorrigible. Wo believe all the things said of her are true, but as there are two sides to every question, I, for one, cannot shut my eyes to the fact the case against her is ridiculously exaggerated. That there are bad servants I admit, especially in Melbourne, many very bad ones, as there are bad parsons, doctors, and,ladies; but the possibility of the existence of a bail mistress never seems to have occurred to most people. John Ruskin who has, or rather had, the gift of condensing a volume into a sentence, once said, in a letter on this same subject, that in order to be well served yon must first render yourself worthy of being well served. And this is the whole question in a nutshell. How few mistresses ever consider for a moment the feelings and human nature of those who toil for them. On the other hand they regard them as hewers of wood and drawers of water, as Leasts of burden, as automata th it should never grow weary from morn to night and that should never evince a desire for pleasant companionship, or for the fresh, pure air of heaven. Whether in the suburban villa or the struggling tradesman’s house, the life of most of (hem is a continual drudgery. Although a great proportion are stupid and careless, the majority of servants are but as clay in the potter's hands, and the mistress can mould then for evil or for good. It may seem hard tp believe that they possess human sensitiveness and pride. If trusted and treated with loving care, respect, and tenderness, they will repay our gratitude and die old in our service, but used sometimes worse than horses and dogs, it is no wonder if they learn to cheat, to drink, to hate and despise us,