The Saint Paul globe., 1899-12-10
WONDERS IN AUSTRALIA.

The most remarke bic experiment or
series of experiments in democratic gov
eminent that the world has ever known
/ IS now in progress beneath the Southern
Cross. In general way the Intelligent
American knows that sreat mapy ad-
vaEced notions have been adopted In the
conduct of government affairs in Aus
tralia; but nothing like an intelligent un-.
derstanding prevails among US either as
to the extent or character of the tend
el;cy of popular thought and action in
these directions ~
1t has. been said of, Australia, and par.
ticularly of New Zealand, that;.there is'
something in the air which aids in the
rapid propagation of IDEAS, not only
among men but among the animal crea-
ton. The extraordinary. statement finds
much justification in the marvellous. nat
ura1 transformations which are peculiar
to life In the Southern seas. But, strange
as are the many developments which
have Followed upon the settlement Of the
country by the white race within the
comparatively brief period of sixty years,
there isDnoth}ngF more 'rer1iarkablei than
the rapidity with which the principles,
and theories. of government which even
we Americans designate as Utopian have
found adoption and practical application.
Already Australia produces more wealth
and spends. more money for every man,
| woman and child than any. other country,
and New Zealand is the most; prosperous
of the seven Australian colonies. The
| Australasian continent is larger .. than
the United States, exclusive of Alaska,
| and it IS today the second largest gold
producing country In the world. With
+ the marvellous natural riches of the eoun--
try, and it's isolated situation with refer
ence to- the movements of the worlds
| trade and population; it was naturally
| much easier to secure the immigration
of money than of men to- it's shores: AS
result many of the evils which men
had left the older countries TO avoid be-
| gan to show themselves early in the set
tlement of the country The land was
taken up in immense stretches by fndivid-
/ uals and syndicates,-. and, the land mo-
ncpoly of Europe was developing with the
giant strides with which all things pro-
gress in that. wonderful country. Sheep
| rings coal rings. combinations against
the sheep raisers on the part Of great
meat-freezing institutions, in fact all the
agencies which manifest themselves to
1
the --detriment of the Individual in
America and the European lands. develop
ed there with the wonderful propagative
entire continent, with the sweet briar and
the rabbits, products of single fniporta-
ton from England. But all these tenden-
cies are encountering the effects of the
cOunter-irritant which truly democratic
legislation is Offering. -
|. Today in New Zealand large landed pos
| sessions are taken control of by the gov
erEment, subdivfded either through a
very favorable leasing system or by tpur.-:
| chase among actual settlers, and the land
monopoly is dead forever The other
rings mineral and productive. are. grad
ually whiting under the operation of a
| system of government which involves the
idea that government is trust for the
| benefit of the governed, and that all that
the country holds, which works to the
| happiness and prosperity OF It's people,
! shall be reserved to the mass of the peo-
! pie themselves. There is not; and 1t Is
doubtful If there ever can be, until the
| present system Is destroyed either the
/ millionaire or the pauper in New Zealand.
| The old-age pension system, now In ef-
| fective operation. does away with invol-
| untary pauperism. The entire system of
government control Is inconsistent with
| the up-building Of large fortunes.
| A people which pensions its members
after they reach sixty-ffve- years, and
/ nave resided twenty-five years in the
country; which prohibits absolutely the
hiring. III any calling. OF children under
! fourteen; which prevents working in fac
| tories or the part cf women or boys I'M
der eighteen for longer period than
forty-cight hours week, Or in shops for