OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3252, 24 June 1911, Page 3

OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

THE WORM WILL TURN. [I 1 BOM OUB OWN COIUIEI3PONDENT.] ' SYDNKi, June id

At a meeting of the Shopkeepers’ Defence Association last night, somv.Die utterances were significant. Recent restrictions on the hours of trading have brought ruin to many small shopkeepers whose only chance of serving the public was by offering them the goods which they need when the larger establishments were closed. They know, therefore, just where the shoe pmcli.es. The president declared that in no country in the world is there so much restrictive legislation as in Australia. He says it is “up to” the people to let Parliament know, in unmistakeable terms, that they will not put up with these ' interferences with their liberty. From sound principle, as well as from monetary considerations, the protest is amply warranted. In time the. people too will wake up. But at present, the’ shoo merely pinches a minority, and the majority don’t care. Possibly, when the effects of restriction make themselves felt in industrial stagnation, they will take a worthier view of the matter. It is a very curious development that, whereas Australia is probably the most prosperous country in tlio world, she is also the country m which, among those which enjoy democratic institutions, individual liberty is least valued. Our forefathers had to fight for their liberties, and they valued them accordingly. Ours came to us without trouble, and we consider them worthless. In the old country Parliament regards itself, or at any rate, was wont to regard itself, as the defender of the people’s liberties. In Australia the chief employment of Parliament is to curtail them. What is the explanation? Is it on the principle that Satan finds some mischief still, for ide hands to do, or that having no conception of the proper scope of legislation, Parliament resorts to all sorts of wild and 'chimerical schemes, each attended by its own measure of oppression and spoliation ? Whatever the explanation; legislation, as Mr. Fisher recently put it, has resolved itself into a matter of “experimenting” upon the body politic, instead of enforcing simple ' and well-tried principles of equity and justice. The inestimable privilege of tlie elected person, let him call himself by whatever name he may, is to make these experiments on the “vile body” of "the public, which has been placed at liis mercy. Curiosity, to see what will come of these freaks, is one of the factors which has led the electors to tolerate them. Ignorance, which fondly lioiies that some good may possibly come out of senseless restrictions is another But tlie most potent of all is the indifference which is begotten of selfish preoccupation in one’s own affairs, and which refuses to bestir itself on behalf of the general welfare. The shopkeepers’ are within their rights m protesting. But their chances of receiving attention, and still moie so their prospect of obtaining redress, are 'of the very slenderest.

COMPULSORY NOTIFICATION. Mr. Flowers, Acting-Chief Secretary refuses to countenance tlie agitation for the compulsory notification of consumption. This ; is a sign of grace. There is scarcely a household which is not directly or indirectly affected by the menace of this insidious disease, and, in spite of the tall talfa o the deputation, it is extremely doubtful if modern medicine lias any cure for it. To make notification compulsory would subject a very large proportion of the households of the State to medical espionage, and to limitless opportunities for the exercise of ruthless and cruel tyranny, with very slender prsopects of relief.-

GOVERNMENT HOUSE. It is becoming more evident ewij dav that the sudden determination or the State Government to inflict a snub on the incoming Governor-General was a very ill-judged move. It has intensified opposition, and has not aroused any enthusiasm among supporters. \Ve were just beginning to hope that the new' Governor-General would make it convenient to make longer stays in Sydney than his predecessors have made," and this means a great expenditure by which a very large number ot persons directly and indirectly pio.it. Mr. Holman talks about the expense of maintaining Government House. But it is as plain as it well can be tnat the expense is repaid over and over again during such periods as the viceregal Court is held in this city. It anything can prevent his Excellency from taking any interest in Sydney it would be this brusque and un provoked intimation that he is not wanted. Over and above tins consideration, there the the claims of old association and sentiment. Why should these be trampled in'the mire"because Labor happens to have a majority of one in the Assembly? Surely a little modesty and caution would be more appropriate than this hasty rush after the unexpected, which is only one of many other similar illjudged escapades. As for those who ■ are looking tor “Socialism in our time,” who are the real strength of-the Labor movement, they can’t, for the life of them, see where they come in. if they must fight a desperate battle, they would rather fight for something more immediately connected with tlieir own objective. How is the millennium to be hastened, or the “uplift of humanity” promoted, by irritating pinpricks of this kind? Dissidents are agitating for a public movement to disavow all complicity in the graceless'scheme, dean d despite his victory in the Assembly, Mr. Holman will find that lie lias brought a nest of hornets about his ears with absolutely no compensating benefit to bis cause. It would appear that, although the Federal Government professed to' he taken by surprise at the announcement that the lease of Government House avou ld not he renewed, Ministers are not sorry to have the opporunity of having a slap at the representative of Royalty. “Let the Gov-ernor-General take a cottage, as General Grant did, if he wishes to reside away front the seat of Government,” is the pronouncement of “Kink” O’Malley. who, as Minister for Home Affairs, is charged with the duty of providing for his Excellency’s accommodation. This is a curious sample of statesmanship. EARTHQUAKES.

The earthquake at Mexico sent the reporters off, “liot-foot,” to our seismic authorities for information as to mu' own chances of drawing an earthquake in the lottery of happenings. So far as scientific conjecture can throw light on the problem, it appears that wo are pretty safe.- The Mexican earthquake is thought, to he, in effect, an effort «f Mother Earth to settle herself after tao convulsion which proved so' disastrous to San Francisco. Professor David, indeed, goes, so far m to say that the Mexican disturbance ; was predicted by one Dr. Friedlander, whose speciality as the discoverer of a process for manufacturing small diamonds is apparently held to constitute him an authority on the subject. The prediction does not appear to have been taken seriously by any one. As Mexico' City is in the line of fire—that is to say, in the line

of geologic faults—from San Francisco, it did not require any great proficiency in the. art of making precious stones to surmise that there would probably be a shaking in that direction. THE HOSPITALS'. On general principles Mr. Flowers expressed determination to place the hospitals, likewise the 'fi'rb brigades, on a better looting ‘‘at all hazards,” is of course to be highly applauded. Not until the intention assumes concrete shaps will it be open to criticism. There is ample room for reform in both these institutions. Seeing, however, that it is authoritatively stated that the real Chief Secretary, Mr. D. McDonnell, will be able to resume duty in a few days, one rnigh fairly fancy that 3.its “locum tenens,” who is merely an “acting” Minister, would postpone some of these matters till the arrival of his chief. Among Ministers, as in the football field, there is scope for leaving it open for one’s mates to score, instead of endeavoring to monopolise all the limelight for one’s self. Mr Flowers may, of course, he quite innocent of this failing. Nevertheless, the practice of conferring portfolios' on Ministers by the vote of the caucus, instead of by the personal selection of the Premier, seems to favor an ultra-individu-alistic attitude. Each man, instead of looking to his chief for guidance, is finder strong inducement to light “for his own hand,” like Hal o’ the Wynd, in order to make himself “solid” with the party. There was so solidity, however, about the aspiration of Mr Flowers that the diminution of the death rate in the hospitals might make up for the decline in the birth rate. The birth rate deals with thousands, where the hospital death rate only deals with tens, to say nothing of the difference between the relative value to the community of young and vigorous life as compared with that of invalids. It is given to no one, not even to ActingMinisters, to be always wise.

IMMIGRATION. The Imperial Conference has been instrumental in bringing out some highly interesting information respecting immigration. Sir Joseph Ward expressed himself as satisfied with the results of the system pursued in the Dominion, which aims at giving reference to Britishers. Mr. John Burns, president of the Imperial Local Gcvernnio-t Board said that 80 per cent, of British emigrants are now bound for countries flying the British hag. Best of all, it was affirmed that, in the first four months of the current year, Australia received 10,000 more immigrants than in the. corresponding period cf the previous year. This goes to sliriw that Australia is beginning to move on at last. Certainly no difficulty has been experienced in absorbing all the desirable workers who have arrived. Even if there were some difficulty in this respect, it would behove the'powers that be to inquire into the arbitrary and cruel obstacles that are sometimes put in the way of such absorption by misdirected unionism. It would appear from the Labor press that many men regard the engagement of a ‘new chum’ by an employer as an unpardonable personal injury, which calls for the bitterest denunciation that their printable vocabulary can supply. Assuredly this is not the way to commend unionism to intelligent Australian electors, wiio, if they are seized of anything, arc seized of “the necessity of peopling our big waste places with all possible speed. If restrictions on employment were removed and reasonable assurance given to capitalists that they would not be unscrupulously raided if they laid it cutin improving the country, we could do with ten times the number of immigrants that have as yet arrived. _ The “If.” however, is a most significantword. Me may rest assured that the waste, places will be filled some xuiio, and we shall be wise if we fill them with our own folk, while we have the opportunity.