AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2497, 10 May 1909, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

iDOWN WITH THE FIRST-CLASS

Some- of the democrats of tlie New South Wales Labor Congress entirely fail to see why there should be firstclass compartments on the railways, and one of the delegates accordingly sought to have this division of classes abolished. He struck a responsive chord in the hearts of all present. Indeed when lie proposed that this revolution should be brought about by easy stages—in short, that it should first be tried on suburban lines—the others were quite unable to understand why half a loaf should be demanded when they desired the full two pounds. Hence they promptly decided to ask that there should only be one class on all the railways. The grievance voiced by the majority of the speakers was that in the second-class cars passengers are frequently “stuffed like sardines,” while the other compartments are practically empty. One delegate related that when he travelled recently to Newcastle under these conditions of overcrowding, he strolled along at the station,. impelled by curiosity, as far as the first-class car, and saw that it only contained one man, and that he was a member of the Parliamentary Labor Party. The point sought to be emphasised by one speaker after another was that the workers were really the people who enabled the railways to pay big profits. “Well, the capitalists are able to pay for the luxuries they enjoy,” declared one member, who was nob willing to go the whole length of his comrades, “and if these luxuries .are abolished, the workmen who are employed in supplying them will suffer." To this another man immediately retorted that the capitalist did not pay for the extra privileges—that these were really paid for by the second-class passengers in their proportion of contributions to the railway revenue. A strong point made in the debate was that serious accidents sometimes occurred through over-crowtfnig in the second-class ori suburban lines. Incidentally, a Broken. Hill representative informed the congress that so deeply was his union impressed with the right of its delegates to travel under the best conditions when on unionist business that it had been decided to pay first-class fare for them, “because,” as he explained, “they, are entitled to as good accommodation as any plutocrat who ever travelled.”

THE BROKEN HILL TRIALS

The news that Rosser and Lyons were acquitted on charges of having maliciously damaged the railway line running through the Proprietary and Block 10 mines at Broken Hill were received with great enthusiasm. Soon after the news "was posted groups of men could be seen wildly cheering at the Trades Hall, and along the picket lines there were demonstrative expressions of approval at the result of the trial, and the opinion was freely expressed that after Rosser's acquittal none of the other accused would be convicted. The jury brought in a verdict of nob guilty. The foreman said that the jury did not think the evidence was strong enough to convict, and! gave the accused the benefit of the doubt.

Rosser was discharged, and on leaving the Court was carried shoulder high down the main street. There was a lot of cheering. Lyons was retained in custody, he being a prisoner undergoing a sentence for assault.

TWO MEN WHO LOOKED ALIKE

At the Narrabri Police Court, a young man who gave the name of Patrick' Murphy; pleaded-' guilty to a charge of a serious character, and was sentenced by the Police Magistrate to four months’ imprisonment, in Tamworth Gaol. In connection with this ease, an extraordinary development occurred. The police arrested, and brought before the court, two men. who in general appearance, could hardly be told to apart. One was a complete stranger to tile town, and thd other well-known locally. They were dressed almost exactly the same, even to wearing white boots. Both were positively identified by two females as the person guilty of a serious offence, on April 10. Finger-print evidence convicted Murphy, the other man being discharged.