OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 457, 22 May 1890, Page 3

OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

(TKOM OCB OWN CORRESPONDENT.) bivagkb of la grippe. Sydney, May 7. Sensational accounts have been going the round of the Press concerning the ravages of la grippe or Russian influenza. It is wellknown that those who allow their thoughts to dwell upon any given disease, especially if at the same time ther are oppressed by forebodings that they themselves will be attacked by it, are predisposed to take it. Therefore, it is not to be wondered at that there has been an outbreak of something that is called “la grippe” both in Melbourne and Sydney. Probably one-third of the population have auSered more or less, but in the majority of cases the symptoms have not been sufficiently severe to compel a total abstention from business. Still, speaking personally, I can say that it is quite bad enough while it lasts, and it has prevented me from having the pleasure of appearing in your columns during the last fortnight. Whether it is the real original Russian “ grippe ” or not, I don’t know. If everyone else were not so certain on tbis point, I should be inclined to consider it a merely local malady, having its root and spring in 'he depressing eff.-cts of the prolonged period of raw, cold, wet weather through which we have been passing, and which has found out the weak spots in every one who has been so unfortunate as to be overworked, overworried, or otherwise “ below par.” However, whether imported or indigenous to the soil, it has an unpleasantly tight “grip” of its own, and a return to bright, cheerful, sunny Australian weather, which would chase away this, besides a number of other pestilential phantoms, would be very acceptable.

ITPBOSRIATE “ OONSZBVATIVEB.” Parliament has once more assembled for the dispatch of business, and despite the equal division of parties, presents the appearance of a tolerably happy family. You will remember that st the close of last session the swallowed the estimates en bloc, *in order to get into recess and resume the fight on the fiscal question at the earliest opportunity. Well, the recess is over, but so also il the fighting mood. The sixty Oppositionists find out that after all there is no valid reason why they should not continue to draw their monthly ** screws ” in harmony with their sixtyone compatriots on the other side. I

am not auro about the exact numbers, but those I have taken illustrate the position very fairly. Payment of members, in short, has acted like oil on troubled waters. Twen'yfive pound a month is much more acceptable Io the ordinary member than the expense and risk of an election contest, even though wiih the latter be would also have the privilege of figh'ing very hard to obtain £l5OO a year for

some one else I Our free lances have a stake in the country now, and are becoming appro priately conservative as a consequence. Far ba it from me to upbraid them, or to question the wisdom of the measure which has had such a sobering effect, except as to that aspect of it which put them in the position of voting the public money into their own pockets. It is pretty certain that any fresh appeal to the country would be as indecisive as the last, •nd there is neither sense nor wisdom in stopping all legislation until the movement lor protection gathers strength sufficient to carry all before it. Being a young community we shall no doubt have it, just as children have the measles. But it is to be hoped that with Victoria for our Helot example, we shan't have it very bad, but will take care to confine it to such industries as are likely to repay the attention and outlay bestowed on them. On this point I may mention that Mr Ramuel Young, of Numurkah, is at present in Sydney to warn agriculturist against the dangers of Mroncrros. Mr Young is a Victorian farmer, and his present ‘attitude is not due to any abstract love for Free Trade, but to the fact that in the last session of the Victorian Parliament very foolish, oppressive and unjust additions were made to the tariff in the interests of manufacturers and against those of agriculture. But nothing Mr Young can say can get over the fact that he is a representative of an industry which owes its present flourishing position to the policy which he condemns. Agriculture in Victoria is one of the mainstays of the State. Not only does it produce sufficient breadstuff* tor the consumption of the whole colony. It has a handsome surplus for exportation which helps to reduce the national indebtedness and increase the national wealth. Thia end was achieved by a liberal and well-designed measure of protection, which when the gold yield of the colony began to diminish offered inducements to miners and others to engage in agriculture' pursuits. That the assistance thus given was both wise and timely is evidenced by the fact that the protective duty on wheat has now though unrepealed practically ceased to operate. Victoria is now an exporter of wheat, not an importer, and therefore the import duty ceases to have any effect. This Was not the case in the beginning. For some time Victorians had to pay more dearly fur wheat and flour than they would have done had the protection duty not been imposed. But everything worth having is worth paying for. In return for thus taxing themselves tor a few years Victorians now have a flourishing self supporting industry, which (apart from the time table vicissitudes of the Australian climate) will probably continue to afford an ex portable surplus throughout all future time. In New South Wales, on the other hand, we cannot grow sufficient wheat for our own con sumption. The EXISTING COMMERCIAL SYSTEM

so favors importers, also, as against produoers, that although New South Wales wheat is admitted to be of better quality than the production of New Zealand, the latter commands i per bushel more money. Sydney millers, it is stated by those in a position to know, will not pay more than 8s 7d per bushel in Sydney for best samples of New South Wales growth, whereas a 20,000 bag parcel of New Zealand has been sold at 8s 7|d. The same anomaly is apparent in hay and chaff. New South Wales farmers can only obtain with difficulty the price that is paid cheerfully and as a matter of course for importations from the Other colonies. Very often indeed they obtain nothing at all, but under the harassing restrictions which hamper the inland trade their produce is “ slaughtered ’’ for a sum less than the charges upon it. What the dominant party mean by Free Trade is freedom for one branch of trade only -namely, that of exchange. Of freedom for the other and vastly more important branch—namely, that of production—they seem to have no idea .whatever. Oonsequently commerce comfortably settles down into the foreign channels prepared for it by the host of importing firms, ana home production can only maintain a precarious and apologetic existence.

naval martinets, . Considerable excitement has been paused by a series of courtmartials which have been held on board H.M.9. Opal respecting an alleged mutiny on Board H.M.B. Egeria. The mutiny itself seems to have been of the most harmless sort that are made. No one was hurt, I don t think anyone was even sworn at. But because a few seamen, whose conduct had hitherto been most exemplary, were not as smart in obeying orders as they might have been, they are arraigned before a tribunal of officers only, and sentenced to terms of penal servitude which are usually •warded only to most grievous crimes. One man gets five years for instance, more than twice as much as was recently awarded to a cashier who stole £12,000 of bis employers’ money. His offence was most trivial and there can be no doubt that it was committed •a a sailor-like protest against the conduct of the officers. I need hardly say that on board a man-of-war it is the Utter who are mlly responsible. A tyrannical martin can turn into mutineers a crew who ru da more humane and genial treatment won d bi patterns of loyalty and fidelity. For such occurrences as those on board ths Egeria, it is in my humble opinion the officers who should first be put upon their trial. At treeant the whole machinery of martial law b in danger of becoming • mere instrument Hepproiiea,