OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 259, 12 February 1889, Page 2

OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

(FBOM OUB OWN COBEESPONDENT.) Sydney, Feb. 6.

The election continues to furnish the main interest of metropolitan life. I never remember a similar struggle in which a political issue, apart item any question of personal politics, was so keenly discussed. In the trains, in the trams, in the busses, on the steamers, even at the street corners, you will find knots of men eagerally disea sing the vexed question of Free Trade and Protection. So far as the floating mass of the public (which declares its convictions) is concerned, there is a very general revulsion of feeling in favour of the latter. Il would be rash however, to predict a certain victory for Protection in the metropolitan electorates. The strength of Free Trade, as of every other cause, lies mainly with those who cannot soon be moved from their position, and who from conscientious conviction, from traditionary reference, and from pecuniary interest, will vote now as they have been accustomed to vote in years gone by. But it is quite safe to say that the Free Trade triumph of two years ago will not be repeated, when, out of 31 members 30 declared themselves Free Traders and 29 followers of Parkes. The Protectionists are certain to obtain a largo number of seats, and I think that in the country electorates they will obtain a decided preponderance. In the first place there ate 150 Protectionist candidates to about 110 Free Traders. Supposing the same proportion ot each to be returned this of course would decide the question. But the chances are that a greater proportion of Protectionist than of Free Traders will be successful. For there is no one so capable of feeling the pulse of the electors as a candidate for election. He has a personal interest in the matter which sharpens his insight to almost preternatural keenness—an interest which the man who is chained by circumstances to his desk or writing table cannot share. In most oases ha is in direct communication with representative men. If therefore so large a number have considered it worth while to incur ths odium of publicly avowing that they have changed their opinions, it follows that they are fully satisfied of the existence of a body of Protectionist feeling sufficiently large to justify their action. The commencement of the real work of the elections justifies this view. Of the eleven candidates who have been returned unopposed ten are Protectionists. It i> true, as shown by the Freetrade press, that they were all members of the last Parliament, and all professed Protection then, so that no direct numerical gain oan yet be claimed. But it is also true that seven out of the ten had to fight desperately for their seats two years ago, whereas it is recognised now that it would be hopeless to attempt to touch them, thus showing very clearly the trend of public opinion, ao far as those electorates are concerned, and raising the presumption that a similar movement la taking place elsewhere. It is customary to describe Mr Dibbs as the “champion blunderer,’’ but certainly be has shown considerable generalship in arranging the elections. The Freetrader returned will support his Ministry on general matters so that he begins the cam. paign with a series of uncontested victories which must have great moral effect on the numerous contingent who are more concerned to be on the side which wino, than on the side which is right. It must be confessed, however, that this cleverness is very much of that costermonger type which puts the biggest strawberries on the ton of the bottle. Another disquieting reflection arises from the remembrance of Mr Dibbs’s former feats of administration. Looking back for a very short period, and calling to mind the almost universal chorus of condemnation with which he was greeted from one end of the colony to the other, one can harllly believe that it was the same man who now holds the reins of power, and confidently expects the endorsement of the electors. The explanation it thia is to be found in the profound disillusionment which Sir Henry Parkes and his colleagues have given us. He came into power as the saviour of the country, professing to be the Hercules who alone oould cleanse the Augean stable, and purge the administration of Government from corruption and extravagance. He has not cleansed the stable and there is reason to fear that by his supineness a fresh instalment of filth has been added. The Americans have a proverb to this effect: —“A carpenter is a man with an axe and a saw at eight shillings a day. A joiner is a man with an axe and a saw at ten shillings a day." lathe public mind to day there is almost as little difference between Dibbs and Parkes as there is between the American joiner and the American carpenter. “ However bad Dibbs may have been, he is no worse than Parkes.” That is tho widespread feel ng, and for its existence the late Ministry have only themselves to thank. The large and influential party of Freetraders have to thank him also for petulantly precipitating the present crisis, which, it seems absolutely certain, will deprive them of the supremacy they have so long enjoyed, and change the fiscal policy of the colony. This, however, was certain to happen, soonar or later, in this, as in every other British speaking community. The true Australian, who means to live in the country, is not content to see it condemned in perpetuity to the raising of wool, hides and tallow. If not for his own sake, then for that of his children, he wishes to see the establishment of arts and industries of civilisation, as wallfl| as those of primeval and pastoral He knows that this, like everything ele|l worth having, needs some sacrifice, some effort, before it can be obtained. And he is willing to pay the price, even when it comes in the form of a customs tariff. Free Trade advocates exaggerate the cost of the experiment. Protectionist advocates are given to minimise it. But the men who can think for themselves look to countries which pre pay, ing it, and they see that it is not so very exorbitant after all, and that the ruling powers, whether despotic or democratic, are

so convinced that they have made a good bargain that they will in no cass withdraw from it. The more Protection they have ths better they like it. If it galled them they could throw it off as readily as they established it. But they are persuaded they have a quid pro quo. They preach more powerfully by example than by precept. Therefore, as long as the Free Traders have only a cul de sac of wool hides and tallow to lead us into, they must expect the divergence between their teachings and the popular sympathies to become wider year by year. This is ths main issue of the present election. It is, of course, complicated by the perennial feud between the Orange and the Green, the prohibitionist and the publican, the Dibbaite and the Parkesite. But these disturbing influences, although great efforts are made to excite them to the utmost activity, are leas prominent than they have been for yean past. It is some time sines we have been startled by the collapse of a mining bubble. Bat the collapse of the Taranganba Proprietary, capital one million, which was declared by an “ expert ” to be better than Mount Morgan, fully atones in bulk for anything that may be lacking in number. Last year Mr Robert Ross, proprietor of a small station near Rockhampton, announced the discovery of gold on his run. Experts visited the place and their reports were so favorabls that Sydney men of money went to law with each other for the privilege of being first in the swim. Finally a mammoth company was formed, Mr Rose receiving a large sum in cash and shares. Five auriferous hills, estimated to contain 26

million tons of 3oz stone were said to exist on the property, which was to be worked like a quarry. A manager was sent up and he promptly reported that he had raised 1000 tons of stuff, the richness of which ho modestly estimated at lOoz to the ton. The shares moved off briskly at ten or twelve shillings each and the directors spent many thousands in erecting costly machinery to deal with the enormous mass of stone said to ba available. But whin they came to look for this important requisite it was not there. The manager left, and the thousand tons of ten ounce stone turned out to be a myth. The expert who talked about the 26 million tone was sent up to look for it. But after a month's work and taking abzut 4000 sampled he was quite unable to point it out, although the directors, report pointedly dates that Mr Robert Boss was able to find samples giving ; 80oz to ths ton. It is not reassuring to find that two Ministers, Mr Dibbs gnd Hr Fletohet ■to on the directorate.