The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-07-24
A MESSAGE FROM AUSTRALIA
OBSERV1TIONS ON GOYERNMINT
TOR THE PEOPLE,.
what 1T Means in Countries That Are
Younger and More Progressive Than
the Unttsd States,


the Unitsd States
got into Australia right in the thick
oil the very interesting campaign for
ana against considerations | was in
south Australia on the day on which the
electlon there took place. / saw Wo-
man suffrage in operation there 1t was
no uncommon sight to see an entire fam
lily go to the polls, the husband wheeling
the baby carriage, which they would
leave outside the BOOTH while the father
and mother went inside to vote. 1t was,
indeed, an amusing sight, yet it did not
seem to provoke any comment. Woman
suffrage goes along smoothly there and
creates no matrimonial difficulties.
one of the exciting features of the
campaign of confederation was the par
ticipation of the Catholic church in poll
itics. The Catholic archbishop and his
clergy, by his direction, took part in the
campaign, and preached sermons peril
nent to the election. Their issue was
with regard to the schools. The result
was decidedly surprising, their candi-
dates, even in the stronger Catholic
constituencies, being almost universally
showed UNDER" This result was like
that which occurred few years ago in
Canada, where the school question hav-
ing been raised in opposition to Sir Will
frid Laurier the Catholic clergy Went
into the election, with the same result
as in South Australia.
The majority in South Australia in
favor of confederation was overwhelm-
ing In fact, throughout the colonies I
found the sentiment strong in favor Of
the creation of the new commonwealth,
excepting in New South Wales. New
South Wales is the mother colony, the
oldest and most important of them all,
and naturally, the seat of very impor
tant capitaistic and commercial inter
ests. I found the representatives. of
these classes, almost to a man, against
confederation. They seemed to fear
that it would disturb their vested ar
rangement, and seemed entirely unable
to comprehend that, by making one
country out of seven, abolishing all the
intercoonial tariffs, would give them
back, as the experience of America for
one hundred years has proved, a great
deal more than it took from them.
1t was also remarkable to find the So
cialists and advanced labor leaders, who
are usually irreconcilable enemies of the
aforesaid capitalists and monopolists,
fighting as vigorously as they on the
same side. The reason given by the la
Dor leaders for their opposition to con-
federation was hardly fattering to
Americans. They feared that the adop-
ton of a constitution largely formed on
American lines would have too strong
conservative effect in preventing and
suppressing reform legislation. They
pointed to our failure for thirty odd
years in our legislative dealing with
railroad abuses. They referred to the
overthrowing of the income tax by the
supreme court, and stated that they be
LEVIED that with confederation it would
become impossible for them to get any
reforms carried through I assured
them that, although there was an ee-
ment of correctness in this argument,
there was not one American radical in a
thousand but would assure them that
our union had done more for democracy
and reform than it had done against
them; that if we had to choose between
union and the chance of reform in forty
five independent little provinces we
WOulu NOlt JJJ W L IDl liG uIIOll.
The result as cabled Friday last.
shows that the common people, with
that common sense which they always
show in great decisions, had the wit and
wisdom not to be misled by these false
lights of wealth and labor Confedera-
ton in Australia is now an accomplished
fact.
The new constitution has been very
carefully drawn. 1t avoids some of the
mistakes of our American system, and,
very wisely has been made operative
only for ten years If, at the end of that
time, its working has revealed any seri-
Gus defects of faults, they can be cor
rected.
One interesting aspect of the Austria
liam system is that the Australian gov
eminent is in the lead in the movement
in which all the governments in the |
world are now being more and more
compelled to take part, that of taking !
an active part in the business enterpris-
es of the people. The fact that Austria
lila is very heavily in debt to England, |
and that it's produce must be exported |
to obtain the funds to pay the interest |
abroad, brings the Australian people in |
competition with the London and Amer |
lean markets with the producers of |
wool, butter, fruit, cheese wheat and |
other staples from all the other export
ing countries in the world AS the cred |
1t of the Australian government is in |
separately bound up with the ability of |
its people to obtain by sales of their |
stuff in the foreign markets the means |
by which to pay the taxes out of which |
the foreign interest and loans must be |
paid, the Australian government has |
been compelled to help the people in this |
export trade.
The government of Victoria, for in
stance-the other colonies have pursued |
the same policy-establshed travelling |
diaries and model diaries and cream
cries, and sent lecturers all over the
country to tell the farmers how to take
care of their milk and get the best re-
suits in butter and cheese 1t offered
and paid for years bounty of several
cents pound on all the butter sold |
abroad. The industry has been so we'll
established that this bounty has been |
withdrawn.
They have established cold storage
warehouses at the shipping ports, to
which butter is shipped by the farmers.
In these warehouses 1t is graded, packed
and shipped. The government acts as