The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-06-16
SAYS AUSTRALIA
Is IN A BAD WAY.
c. Dudley-Cooper of Sydney,
Tells of the Unfavorable
Conditions There

The steadily decreasing birth rate in
Australia is one, of the problems that
confront thinking people of the Antip-
odes, and this, coupled with the fur
Their fact that the government. through
its control by labor organizations, has
restricted immigration from India and
other sources of cheap labor, has made
the question of the supply of the labor
market one of the most serious before
the people of Australia.
c. Dudley Cooper, Australian COM
missioner to the st. Louis exposition
and representative of the Federal Press
the Australian Associated Press
was in ST. Paul yesterday, and talked
entertainingly of the prevailing eondi-
tions in the big island continent, but
more especially as regards his own
province. New South Wales, which
contains the city of Sydney of 100000
people and is the mother country of the
commonwealth Mr.. Dudley Cooper,
who left last night for Columbus, Ohio,
and later goes to the fair. speaks from
a broad general knowledge OF affairs
In his far away country. He said:
One of the chief sources OF anxiety fol
the future welfare of Australia is the de-
creasing birth rate. Fer, some years it
has been going down steadily and late
ly so many Populations of statesmen,
ministers and statisticians have been call
ing on the premier that a royal commits
sion has been named to inaugurate an in
Vestigatlon In my opinion the cause of
the decrease is due to changing condi-
tons. Where people have become ac-
cuStomed to wealth and affiuence they do
not readily meet the new conditions, and
the descendants of old families in Aus
traha, who lived in great plenty and gave
TO their children many of the accom-
RIlishments, viii not have children whom
well as they themselves.
Cities Are Overcrowded
There is deplorable Capitalization of
the population in the larger cities, and it
is almost impossible for many Industrious,
capable men to obtain employment in the
better paid classes of employment The
make report which will clear the at
mosphere.
The troubles of Australia, which are
manifold just now, may largely be traced
to the word apathy. Everybody and
everything is apathetic. The absolute
control of the governments legislative
branches and some OF its executive
branches is in the hands of the so-called
Labor party. In New South Wales, where
the conditions are exaggerated in a
greater degree than in. the other prov
lnceS, the control is all in the hands of
the labor element, and capital is pulling
up its stakes and leaving the country as
a result of legislation that is entirely un-
friendly to it.
Ever since 1889, when the members of
parliament We're put on a salary basis
OF & 300 per year.. the character of the
members has been deteriorating, and
members f1irt with labor that they may
Keep their seats and draw their salaries
Popular feeling over the expenditure of
public moneys has now reached a stage
where. a referendum vote is to be taken
to reduce the number of representatives
from 125 to so. The minimum wage act
the result r,of efforts of the commissioner
OF public works, puts every man on pub
lie work on the same scale of wages with
out reference to his ability or his merits
and this has resulted badly for it has
DESTROYED all incentive for men to reach
higher class of employment
Both Sides Disconnected
This, with the arbitration courts into
which employers are hailed on the slight
est excuse, has resulted in both labor
and capital becoming diScontented The
government inauguTateds vast schemes for
pubic improvements, but many of these
have been abandoned in favor of pressing
necessities. The government is bankrupt
and it cannot borrow money.
The government ownership of railways
ana tramways. is working out fairly sat
isfactorily in the main, but it is contend
ed that the railways are killing the farm
er in their charges for bringing his prod
feeling against the government in its
management of the railroads. and public
opinion was aroused at its fullest when
the government refused to carry water
tanks inland to save the people and stock
from death by thirst. Of course when
public opinion had been aroused the water
was conveyed to points where it was
needed.
1t is believed that government owner
ship has delayed the development of the
country, for had Australia followed the
States, and given land grants to its rail-
roads, they would have developed the
count country y, by locat ting settlers on their
lands lands. There IS a great fight waging now
Tor season tickets on the suburban tram
ways.
Country Between Mistones
Much of the choicest land is owned
by the earlier settlers, many of them
now members of the upper house. and
they resist any effort to open up new
products of their own lands to which rail
roads now run. The small settler cannot
induce railroad facilities, and as there
are no rivers IN the country he cannot get
belng ground between the millstones of
labor dictation and the dictation of .
few OF It's wealthy men, and it is in a
very bad way. There are schemes for
the conservation of the rains and water
from the mountains which, if worked ont
Will help the country and In this work
the the Australasians will do well to take a
lew leaves from the American book on
irrigation and the handling of artesian
wells.
Mr.. Dudley Cooper says that the last
years crop was the first since the sew
en-year drought and that railroad IA
cihties We're insufficient to take it to
market. Many of the farmers were
badly in debt as a: result of the un-
broken drought and the recovery of the
country will naturally be slow. He
said that a commissioners of immigra-
ton came over on the same steamer
with him and will work in Canada Int
he advised the Canadians to stay where
they are and not to go to Australia
until there lis a decided Improvement
IN business conditions in the island en-
pire.