New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-11
THE AUSTRALIAN EXODUS.

We have hitherto had occasion to remark
,,non tbe unfortunate and anomalous condition
of the chief States of the Commonwealth OF
Australia in having, if not stationary popu-
Iation ut any rate one increasing far 100 SLOW
", Rapid increase has been the rule IN BRUSH
colonies wherever soil and climate ana other
conditions favored such growth. Certainly nat
ure does favor growth in Australia, the lana Oh
which il was said that if you tickle the soil with
q hoe it smiles with harvest. In earlier years
there was rapid growth, rivaIling that of our
own States. But such growth has of late been
checked. immigration has fallen toward the
vanishing point while emigration has risen to
ominous proportions At the present time many
more people are leaving the two chief States
than are entering them. y few are coming 10
this country A few are returning TO Great
Britain Most of them are going to other Brit
isb colonies TO Canada or to South Africa, or TO
other States Of the Commonwealth. Now, there
is no reason in natural conditions why they
should do So West Australia is no more at
tractive than Victoria and New-South Wales
What then, is the cause of this extraordinary
migration?
The answer is easily discerned. 1t is TO be
found in the character Of those who are emil
grating from the two States in question. Ihey
are mostly workingnen and their families, who
called the open shop They believe in the
right of man to labor, and to sell his labor
wherever he can find market for it, without
the interference or dictation of any third
party between the workman and his employer
In a word they are non-unionists- They are
le0ying those States because they have been
practically outlawed, not only industrally but
before the civil law. For the State govern
ments have given official recognition TO the
labor unions. They have established in New
South Wales an industrial arbitration tribunal
and in Victoria system OF wages boards. Those
official bodies have some excellent features and
have performed some beneficent functions. But
they practically deal with and recognize only
the trade unonists. The non-unionists have no
Standing before them. The latter must there
fore either join unions, against their will, or be
deprived of the equal protection and benefit Of
the laws. That is why they are getting out and
are seeking other countries where non-union-
ist is as good as a unionist before the law.
They are not all wage earners. They include
many farmers, shopkeepers, manufacturers
and Others for the labor legislation of the
last few years has affected them, too. Among
them are many who have been settled for
years in the States they are now leaving. They
are 'old settlers" But the reason for migrating
is common to them all
Australia has for some years been known as
the land of social experiments. Many newly de-
vised or newly revived schemes Of industrial,
social or political organization have there been
put TO practical trial. State ownership of in
dustres and State arbitration in labor disputes
have especially been practised there. We have
heard some good reports concerning them, and
some evil reports. But the present report seems
almost hopeIessly to condemn one of the lead
ing features Of recent legislation. system
that practically forces into exile considerable
part of the very best elements of the COM
munity must be radically wrong. The ex-
ample of Victoria. which is losing ten thou
sand or twelve thousand of its population every
year from this cause. should be an instructive
one TO those IN America or elsewhere who
would. if they could make the government n
partner and partisan Of some exclusive class or
organization. and thus cause 1t to discriminate
against the remainder Of the people.