OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 325, 16 July 1889, Page 3

OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

t (from oub own correspondent.') Sydney, June 26. The terrible calamity at the Glebe Colliery ie the event of the week. The consciousness that since Saturday last eleven human beings have been immured, probably in a living tomb, B and that there is little or no hope that they f can be rescued, has hung upon us like a pall. " Then there is the thought of the distress and ►poverty that will be caused by the death of (the bread-winners. Such gloomy reflections as these are to some extent relieved by the energy and heroism which has been shown in the eflort to bring succour to the unfortunate men. But the thought will intrude: Is the game worth the candle? The great aubaidence which has taken place, it is stated, would have been impossible if the great pillars supporting the working had not been removed, It is the practice to remove them for the sake of the coal they contain, and thia system, besides exposing the miners to terrible risks, also causes subsidences on the Surface, wrecking buildings and doing other damage which those who live in coal di-.triits; are well acquainted with, often to their bitter goat and serious loss. It will trow, I should hope, become a question whether the removal of these pillars should be permitted. There is more coal land in the colony than can ba worked out in the next hundred thousand years. Long before it comes to its end there • is reason to believe that scientific research ’ will have discovered some less bulky and more effective substitute for coal. But apart from these considerations, is it not plenty of time to attack the pillars when their coal contents are absolutely required ? They serve in the meantime the office of storehouses, as well as supports, and in each capacity they should be respected. In any case, to stake human lives in a sordid gamble for a few tons of coal wi h out any show of real necessity ought not to ' be permitted, If the conscience of coal, owners does not prevent them from attempt—--1 ing if, in the face of present profits, previous and the inducement efiered by the of being " good manage 5,." then law should step in to reinforce that by outward restraints. These are thoughts suggested by the state of generally when viewed in cor.nec.with such catastrophes as those which are under consideration. I have no .right to say that any pegleot has been proved against th* A. A. Company who own the Glebe < Colliery. The facts have yet to -be determined before a legal tribunal. • Another lesson that can be deduced from the occurrence shows the necessity of overcoming ' that mental indolence which leads pne to trust in the judgment of one’s superiors or of the common herd, Plenty of warning was given in time to have allowed every man }n the mine to escape. Horrible sounds of cracking and rending were heard in the roof above. Soma were terrified by them, and had they trusted to their own atcused instincts of self preservation* they could have ' saved their lives. But, -no; they reasoned fhgt it there was any real danger the * expert*' among them, the fold, experienced miners*, would be the first to notice it. But an ■ expert ’ often means a man who is blinded to the real significance of the circumstances among which he moves by their frequent repetition. Often it means a man who-is proud of his callousness and insensibility ' to the dangers he provokes. In this instance the older miners encouraged the younger .to remain, Ko doubt, both old and young were influenced by the thought that the wiser heads among the management would recall them in time, And to, disregarding the I faculties which God had given, them, and 1 trusting-to one broken retd or' another of misplaced confidence, they worked on amid warning after warning until the time for warning bad passed, and the whole of the goof came crashing* down on their devoted heads. A man's life will often depend on the promptitude with which he -obeys the directions of his own best judgment, But if his Judgment is already in pledge io-other men, his chance is small indeed, Commercially, the chief interest is centred jn the question of sugar supply. The production of sugar in the colony last year was small, being only about 11,090 tons as an average for the previous three about 21,000 tens, Imports also,f being proportionately increased, diminishing tendency, The consehas been that the colony has drawn its reserve stocks until they are con- / amped, and now our largest traders are just supplying themselves from hand to mouth, the greater number of them being absoIptely dependent on the supplies they - can obtain from the Colonial Sugar Company. Prices have advanced by leaps and bounds, A-higher price is now asked for the darkest of dark ration sugar than was tpnnerlv obtainable for the choicest whites, white sorts, outside the.company, as much as £4l per ton has been paid, whereas two .months ago £27 would have been considered a high figure. The consumer has to pay 4d per lb for an article which was formerly sold freely at 2Jd. This state of things will last until the new sugars begin to come down from Queensland and the North, which) however, cannot be until August or September, No doubt every eflort will be made to hurry the erushipg'in order to participate in the high prices which are ruling. The price of wheat has ruled considerably higher than last year, owing to the almost total failure of the crop, in this colony, and the bad harvest in Victoria, Crop prospects jri America'and Europe, however, are so . promising that no farther rise is possible, and prices at present exhibit a declining tendency! Sew Zealand, Victoria, and South Australia all have surpluses to offer us, hud New South Wales is the best market (almost the only market with the exception of Great Britain) that is open to them, But Victorian holders, in the hope of applying the 11 screw ” * to their own milters, have raised their prices far above the market value in Sydney, New Zealand step Jtoqg out for- very high prices at thecommencement of the season, and the consequence is that New South Wales millers went to San Francisco for supplies, where is freely offering at about 3s 31 say, 4s 31 laid down here, Several have already been delivered, and pi, jfffmtrre are now an the road, so that our market may now be said to be ruled to a great Utem by that of California, with-this differI »«ce, that'South Australian wheat, on acecunf superior milling qualities, commands a fekber price, * * The position of- the colony generally is hopeful. There wan a severe drought in thjj isrl y part of the year, but it was followed by duntiful rains, which have caused the grass p grow, end there is every promice of pros eerily. The population, too, is inereasing, god industrial activity which was first deranged by a lavish expenditure of borrowed money on pubUo works,'and which subsequently suffered still more on aocouhf of tta sudden -Stoppage of that expenditure, is begin, ping to return to its normal channels. Our prosperity is not so obtrusive as it has been in times of inflation, butit is much more solid, If Parliament passes a good Land Bill which Shall give reasonable encouragement to im- /** proving tenants, an immense impetus will Immediately be given to industry of all kinds, •nd commerce may be expected to improve proportionately. Another constable has been shot while attempting to arreat burglars. He saw some men climbing over a wall on the premises of »tr Jnatloe Stephen, He bravely' grappled One of them. In the scuffle one of them drew a revolver and shot the constable In the thigh and In ths shoulder, In thia cue, although the unfortunate man is severely wounded, and completely disabled, it is hoped that ha will recover, Judge Stephen speaks very Strongly of the unprotected state of districts patrolled by a single policeman only. He States that he w»» awakened, not by the shots, but by the wounded man calling for help. He and bis coachman then raised an alarm, shouting •• Police " and so on, at the top of their voices, but it was an .hour before a policeman arrived on the teens. In the meantime the wounded man wa, brought Into the house and attended to by Mrs Stephen, and the coachman having managed to find a surgeon, hie sufferings were alleviated as far as possible. This circumstance Once more brings forcibly to our minds the slender nature of our police protection. As k long as evildoers are frightened by the sight fit a uniform, and by the majesty of the law, matters are not so bad. But to cope with hardened ruffians who evidently think far more of their own worthless liberty a. much stronger force Is necessary. It is Understood that the Inspector-General la opposed to arm-

ing the police with revolvers, but it may be taken for granted that householders will make a very general-move in the-direc* ion of artnthemselves. It is certain also that there will be a strong agitatbn-iu favor- of increasing the strength of the police force—a step, I think, which is urgently needed. Indeed, there is no reason that I can see, why we should not -have a volunteer constabulary ae well as volunteer soldieis.