OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3229, 27 May 1911, Page 10

OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

PARLIAMENT'.

ITHOM QUB OWN COBBESPONDENT.] SYDNEY, May 16

Parliament meets to-day. Unfortunately this letter has to be posted! too early to give any acount of the proceedings. The session is bound to be a remarkable one, if only for the evenness with which parties are divided, in the first place, and the number of reforms of the first magnitude which the Government- has set itself to accomplish in the second. The question of ways and means is certain to arise in a very aggravated form ; first, ways and! means of placing the proposed legislation on the statute-book, and secondly, ways and means of providing the wherewithal to carry it into practical effect. It- is impossible to direct attention to any department of the public service—and even private enterprise, rightly considered, is part of the public service—without seeing opportunity and need for sweeping reform. The natural impulse of generous youth and callow inexperience is to endeavor to do everything at once., when, yet, as a matter of stern and inexorable fact, only one thing can be done at a time, and it is far better to do one thing well, than to make a pretence of doing many things, and doing them inefficiently. Almost any one of the measures to which the Government has committed itself would cover with distinction the session, or oven the Parliament, which should succeed in placing the subject with which it deals on a satisfactory -basis. The prospect of dealing efficiently with so large a number is, therefore, slender in the extreme. Then there is the position of parties. On many matters it is only the operation of the “ironclad pledge,” which binds rnebers, on occasion, to vote against their convictions, that will give the Government a majority of any kind. But enforced support of this nature is vitiated at the root, and will be relied upon as little as possible. The outlook, therefore, is that the “Independents” will virtually control the situation, as the Labor men themselves were acustomed to do when they held the balance between the opposing forces of Protection and Free Trade. TAXATION. Increased taxation is looked for as a matte-r of course, and, as the ActingPremier has announced that it is the intention of the Government to place it on “the shoulders best able to bear it,” the Assembly will have to be on its guard lest it should be inveigled into enacting anything of an inequitable or spoliatory nature. In this connection it is not reassuring to learn that it is intended to reduce the exemption from Income Tax to £2oo. That men in receipt of £3 •or £4 a week should be exposed to the inquisitorial annoyance of this form of taxation does not seem very much like putting the load on the shoulders best able to. bear it. Mr MeGowen, before he went away to see after the Coronation, gave us to understand that the exemption would not- be lower than £3OO or £401). In any case the amount derived from the taxation of small incomes is very trifling in comparison with the trouble and privation which its collection imposes on these who have to pay it; and the Income Tax itself will only be a drop in the bucket in comparison with the money that will be needed to carry the projects of the Government into effect. The Opposition will do -what it can to keep expenditure and taxation within bounds, but the probability is that New South Wales will enjoy a. bad pre-eminence as the most heavily taxed of all the States. THE SABROAN. The announcement that the reformatory ship, the Sobroan, is to be disposed of and the lads sent elsewhere, has given a great shock to philanthropic conservatism, which saw in the move another instance of the misguided iconoclastic tendenciesi of the Labor Government. Dr McKellar, however, lias come to the rescue with some solid reasons in favor of the change. He points ot that, owing to the beneficial effect of the Neglected Children’s and Juvenile' Offenders’ Act, the establishment of the Children’s Court, and the immensely improved supervision of the children whose playground is the street, the number of juvenile offenders has so notably decreased) that there are not sufficient to warant the upkeep of an expensive establishment like the Sobraon. He shews, further, that boys herded together on board ship, and guarded by officers in uniform, are under very unfavorable conditions for moral and -mental development. They must always fed as if they were in gaol and “doing time,” and they are deprived of the ameliorating influences of family life, to which, at their youthful age, they are entitled. If these considerations are sound —and it sems difficult to fault them-—the Government in this instance is cntilted to credit for having followed wise and humane counsel. The change seems to be in accord with the principals advocated by Captain Neitenstein. FOOTBALL.

The football season is how in full swing, although the weather is still rather warm. It is gratifying to note in influential quarters, a growing determination to require competing teams to 'play the game,’ and to shutdown on rough and brutal tactics. In this connection the most valuable reform that could be accomplished would be the conversion .of a large proportion of the “barrackers” into actual players. They would then understand things better than they do at present. Coronation Day, June 22nd, is to be signalised by a matcih between New Zealand and New South Wales. It will be played on the Sydney Cricket Ground under the auspices of the New South Wales , Rugby League. RACING. With the exception of Tattcrsall’s meeting at Randwiclc which brought out some good racing, and a big crowd of

people, iracing in this State on Saturday was confined' to country gatherings. In Queensland, however, the- Brisbane Thousand) was -run for, and'was won by Destruction by two lengtlis. The winner, together with Precious, which finished third, was favorite. Four horsesfell in the race, and two- of them. Lord 1 Lova.t and Nelson’s Lady had to be destroyed. The four -jockeys escaped without serious injury. CYCLING.

The amateur cycling season was opened on Saturday afternoon- by a big “run” to Coogee, twenty-six clubs and nearly 300 riders taking part. The “wheels” in most cases were nicely decorated, whilst the miters- wore the colors of their respective clubs. The proceedings) Were wound up with a dinner, which was so ■ well attended that the guests had to sit down in two divisions. It was noted' that the Sydney Club, the oldest cycling association in the State, was missing for the first time. This .is accounted for by the fact that nearly all its members have joined the ranks of the motor-cyclists, and motors were excluded from the precession. Prizes were given for the. best club display, the best- decorated machine, the most original turn-out, and for other distinctions. COMMEMORATION. “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” is accepted as an immutable truth. If that be so, Sydney University would seem to be in a. perilous condition, for on Saturday the undergrads declared' open way on- the Chancellor. His residence was invaded 1 by a ceaseless procession. Loads of wood and coal which Dr McLaurin had never ordered were presented for delivery. The street was thonged 'With motor cars and other vehicles, carrying students, whoi, with ribald -songs and uncomplimentary remarks, endeavored to convey to the official head of their Alma. Mater their supreme aversion and contempt. At last it -became necessary to appeal to the police for protection, and the nuisance was abated, though not -without difficulty. A kind l of mock. Commemoration was held in the Town Hall, accompanied, of. course, by the usual bizarre and grotesque buffoonery. There was not much harm in the -display, if the young fellows like to spend their money and time in getting up a gratis entertainment of this kind. But- there arc obvious- advantages in dissociating the grave and 1 sedate University from any responsibility for the proceedings. Two points have evoked remark, first that the revolting students should have been able to obtain the use of the Town Hall, and secondly, that Mr Made should have taken part in the proceedings by making the principal speech. . It may be that there have been faults on both sides. Still, in a controversy between students and the governing body of their University, it seems more fitting that the former should show some willingness to give way, than that the latter should -be asked to recede from a very reasonable requirement. Had an undertaking been given that- the speeches in the great hall would not be interrupted in the unmannerly way | which lias been customary of late years, it is understood that there would have been no objection to the procession. The hatchet will now, presumably, be buried fc-r another term. But such incidents are not readily forgotten, and they depreciate the estimation of the University in the public mind.

MANUAL LABOR. No p'asage in the report of the Scottish Commissioners has received more general endorsement than that in which they state that, everywhere, both in town and country, they found the demand for manual, workers unsatisfied. It is no reproach to any one that he prefers a position which requires little manual exertion to one that requires a groat -deal, provided that lie is qualified t-o make the exchange. But the fact has a potent influence, apart from praise or blame, on other, facts. It is a fact that Australia can only be. subdued to the service of man -by means of manual labor. It is also a fact that il manual labor cannot be obtained the work that it needed cannot be done. It follows that progress is being hindered by the shortage. But there are thousands of sturdy, strong-backed men, who would jump at the. chance of doing just such work at the current rates of wages. Is there not sufficient patriotism and statesmanship among us to bring together the work which- needs doing, and) the men who -would be eager to do it? There is a strong under-current of timid opposition to contend with—opposition as -shortsighted and misplaced! as it is unworthy—from those who desire to keep the labor market a close preserve for themselves, and who, like the Perth Labor Council, fear greatly that any considerable- influx of immigrants would reduce wages. But the question is, whether these selfish and timorous counsels are to be allowed to arrest the development of this grand country.