OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3385, 28 November 1911, Page 7

OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

JO CRN A LIST LA ENTERPRISE

'J’ROH OUli SPECIAL COMIESI’ONDENT.] Tiie 1 senior morning journal lias come out wrbii witau purports to be a • ‘scoop' oi the first maguiuuae, be.ng nothing loss iiita-ii- a report ol the Cabinet discussion rvlncli preceded, tlie preparation oi the Budget. It often happens time ridicule is more efficacious m promoting re&rm than is serious argument or deiiiumation. But in this case it is not easy to determne how much is raillery, and how much is sober fact. The report hears an amazing likeness to what may have been imagined to have really taken place. It is quite certain "that the fact that the revenue is “booming” makes it difficult, with any pretence of consideration for the taxpayer. to propose a million of fresh taxation. Still, the plank in the Labor platform which demands a graduated land tax, a graduated income tax, a special absentee tax, increased probate duties on large estates, and doubly increased probate duties on the estates of absentees, still stands good. Tlio Conference of Labor Leagues is to meet shortly, and its business is to see that the platform is duly honored. Whether the money is really needed or not is a mere trifle. If it is not needed, the expenditure must be increased until it is needed. Besides, a great deal can be done with the estimates. If it is decided, for any object that additional taxation- is des:raible, the estimates of revenue will bo pessimistic. Which is just what has happened. Whether the Opposition are justified. in styling the statement of accounts a “'bogus Budget” remains to be demonstrated. * If the estimates of revenue are flagrantly under-esti-mated, and the estimates of expenditure unnecessarily swollen-, it is clear that it does not present an accurate view -of the position. The terms which mnv be appropriately aprfied to “'terminological inaccuracy” will vary according to the culture of the person who arnbes them. One man may describe it ns a “deviation into error.”

- bilst another will unhesitatingly dub it a (crimson) lie If Libor were criticism <r ouch a Budget brought in by the Liberals, it does not need a very livclv imagination to conceive some of the terms which it would apply to them. Meanwhile-, we wait to see whether the enterprise of your metropolitan contemporary will evoke questions in Parliament. CRICKET.

The English visiting team of cricketers have commenced excellently at Adelaide, scoring 060 in- one innings. Warner (151), Foster (1.55), and Gunn (106), got into three figures. South Australia shaped but badly, all out for 141 in their first innings, and Clem. Hill bowled for a “'duck” in the second. The Englishmen will have to meet feemen of different calibre in the more populous eastern States, and Australia clight to be able to keep her cud up all right. Captain Warner, however, is wise in his generation. He deprecates receptions, and all that kind of thing. The climate is enough to contend with without adding Superabundant hospitality to the danger. He lias brought out the best men lie could get. and "he very properly wants them to play at their best. At the present showing, he has a better prospect of taking back with him the coveted “'ashes” than -any of his predecessors. To devotees of the game, the testmatches should be of surpassing interest “When Greek meets Greek, then comes the tug of war.” We should certainly see cricket at its very best, when issue is joined in Sydney and Melbourne. WiIAT IS DEMOCRACY? Many Anglican ciignuaries in Sydney, as wen as in other Australian centres, who fay themselves out to cultivate “the working man, have been seriously disconcerted by the bellicose utterances of the Rev. W. R. Inge, Dean of St. Paul's, who has declared that “democracy is the eilliset of fetishes,” and that the British and Australian working man is digging his own grave by putting it out of the power of British and Australian employers to compete. with the cheap labor of the East. Ihe economic aspect of the ease may safely be left to right- it-self, which it will do, as surely -a.s water finds its own level. After all, it must be remembered that the ideal condition is not an enormous export trade, but every man enjoying the fruit of bis own labor, under, metaphorically speaking, his own vino and figtree. But, it is pointed out, Democracy, instead of beig the silliest of fetishes, is the only possible form of government which holds out an” promise of stability. Nothing is more certain than that we are rapidly approaching a time when Grovernmet will be impossible without the consent and co-operation of the great prepoderance of the governed. That is Democracy. But it implies that, in the governed, as well as in those whom they place in power, the qualities which are worthiest, not those which are most unworthy, shall hold sway. The trouble' with Democracy, up-to-date, has been that the wolves of tyranny, despotism, persecution, and extortion, have, for the nonce, assumed the sheep’s clothing of a worthy name. They call themselves “Democracy,” and their irrational and fantastic antics are wliat the Rev. Dean denounces under that name. M hen self-styled “Democrats” trample the moral law underfoot as they are doing to-day, thev expose Democracy, as well as themselves, to condemnation. Lawlessness, under tho title “Democracy,” is just as repulsive and suicidal as under tho title “Conservatism,” or any other. And, in high places and in low, it is of lawlossess that we are getting a surfeit just now—lowlestsness under the guise of law in high places, find lawlessness in defiance of the law in low places. So far from Democracy being the silliest of fetishes, it is the only power which can put an end to lawlessness. And. when, (and if) King Domes oce “finds himself,” that is jnst what lie will make it his business to do. THE WHARFIES. Wharf labor' continues to bo an insoluble problem on account of the eiratic behaviour of a section or tne unionists, who insist on getting overtime after 6 p.m., instead of after 0.-AJ according to tlieir agreement. At other wharves the men loyally abide by the agreement pending the result or the inquiry into tlieir claims which.is now proceeding. The officials of the union profess that the refusal or duty is wholly against tlieir wishes and advice. But, obviously, they arc impotent. What, then becomes of the argument in favor of collective bargaining? It was in order to secure collective bargaining, under the fond and foolish notion that these wrongheaded stoppages of work would then cease, than tlie rights of all citizens who arc not unionists wore remorselessly trampled underfoot. If the rightful liberty of the individual bad been upuekl, 110 wharf striko would last a week- for it

I is the very best paid class of unskilled labor in Australia. The rights of nonunionists, and! tlie- rights of shipownj era to employ them,, have been traded an. ay, and loss than nothing has been I obtained in return. Industry is leas •..euro than over it was, am string a.re more frequent. All that has bee.igained is an experimental knowledge of the things to avoid, knowledge widen ought to have been regarded as axiomatic in the first instance, without undergoing so humiliating and painful an exposure of incompetence. When shall wo Minister courage to grasp the nettle, instead of pandering to it? METROPOLITAN TRAFFIC. The Lord Mayor of Sydney is endeavoring to urge on the -Government the clamant necessity of removing the congestion of passenger traffic, which now so prominent and disquieting a feature in our streets. He admits that) it will cost ten or twelve millions to in-creaso railway facilities, relieve the overworked trams, and place the transit of passengers on linos reasonably safe. Everybody says that it- is very desirable, but little of .nothing is being done. Every new suburban line brings fresh traffic to tho main city lines, which, at the busy times of the- day, are unable to properly carry that wlucti they already have. His Lordship's proposal for the immediate appointment of a board of acknowledged experts is reasonable enough, and there is no reason why it should not be adopted. To start so extensive a work, and -especially to finance it, without crippling other enterprises which arc also urgently pressing, will bring embarrassment, however, to the Government, whose finance, so far, has mainly consisted in the erection of elaborate castles in the air, rather than in obtaining actual loans from actual lenders. A very strong body of public opinion, however, applauds the scheme, and this fact should remove many difficulties. It is thought that, if the Government accede to the Lord Mayor’s proposal, lie might be induced to reconsider his expressed intention of resigning, which, on tho principle that “the one you know is not so bad as the 011 - you don’t know ” would bring great relief to many who are interested in civic matters. " It must be remembered in this connection, however, that the problem of housing the masses is even more pressing than that of conveying them to and from their work. W'e have pulled down hundreds of their houses. No improvement of the facilities of transit can bo effected without pulling down hundreds more. At the same time we have so increased the cost of building, by arbitrarily raising the cost of materials and lobar, and by imposing onerous, expensive and harassing conditions on builders, that the erection of tenements which can be let at a low rent has been seriously checked. It is more important- that families shall have roofs to shelter them, 'than that they shall have trams or trains to ride in. As time goes 011, the difference between the urgency of the two needs will become more and more obvious. THE GOVERNMENT DEFEATED. Following the overwhelming defeat of the referendum proposals, tlie rejection of the Government Labor candidate for Boohby, tho -Adelaide seat which was rendered vacant by the death of Mr Batchelor, Minister for External Affairs, looks very like the handwriting on the wall. Air Jelly, the Labor candidate, had the benefit of the personal advocacy of the Prime Minister, as well as the sympathy of the Yerran Labor Government. Air Gordon, who was elected by a majority of 2600, was helped by Air Deakin and Senator Yardon. The majority by which Air Batchelor was elected was about 4000, and the seat was regarded as safe for Labor. The Government profess to be astonished at the result. They can hardly disguise the fact, however, that their unscrupulous legislation and administration in favor of a limited class of the community have been admirably calculated to cans ea revolt of all that s most worthy, even in their own /auks.