New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-01
lustralia and the Philippines in the
Tscentieth Century.

,,-s4R ALLAN LIFE IN TOWN AND COUNTRY
Az e. q c Buley. With sixteen illustrations
ION S 3 O u Pu Aaaas s SelshO0F'
,-,T1IpP1NE LIFE IN TOWN AND COUNTRY
Pat ~ James A lie Roy With eighteen illustra-
sSorsl i2no. PIP. XII, 81. c. P. Putnan's Sons.
r. seenns like stretching geographical point
=. ,rcIude the Australians among "Our Asiatic
.s.,rbbors"; but they are at least as much
-.trhbors Of Asia Of America, and as mat
- If editorial convenience the classification
II, serve well enough. Mr.. Buley who we I'M
.o-stan6 IS an Australian journalist of promi-
r.nce has certainly shown the journalistic In
.+,nct IN selecting those phases OF Australian
ace which are most likely TO interest the for
..,n reader, and which at the same time will
.-.sant q comprehensive picture Of antipodean
.,.nners. customs and institutions; and he gives
,,d5ence Of journalistic capacity by presenting
,hsrn In a thoroughly entertaining fashion. He
rites With all the fresh impressionism Of
.+-s5ser and with all the accuracy and sym
-.,hv Of q native. combination as rare as 1t is
srrssable He introduces us to the life of the
sites and towns. and to the life of the
,,sb. both agricultural and pastoral-on the
snsller selections" and on the great sheep and
,attIs "stations'-and in the gold "diggings' Of
the
PERFECTLY explored western region, where camels
are the preferred means of transportation im-
PARTING strange, Old World aspect to this
o-ude New World desert
With something Of history and something Of
forecast, the volume deals essentially with pres
s,- dav conditions and breathes the spirit of the
new natlonalism that has suppIanted the old
colonial provincialsm. Provincialism is indeed
.,dytng hard" as the author is forced to con
fess but colonialism is already largely thing
Of the past. Eighty per cent of the Inhabitants
sre native born and are infused with strongly
national spirit that is yet in nowise incon-
sistent with a genuine imperial loyalty. The
most aggressively Australian paper in the whole
continent is careful to explain that it is not
British, but only pro-Australian," writes
yr Bulsy; adding that "the ordinary Aus
traian finds it easy enough to be pro-British
and pro-Australian at the same time" The
chapters on political conditions and the work
ings Of the state socialism which is the domi-
nant feature OF Australians political institutions
ere Of especial interest to Americans in view
Of the present agitation here for municipal own
ership and government control of public utiE-
lies. The dominant keynote Of Australian
Character is restlessness doubtless a natural in
heritence, since the founders of the race were
the seas by tales Of a new land with possibilf-
ties indefinitely wide, or by dreams of easily
Won gold" This inherited restlessness is &C
centuated by the uncertainty of the conditions
under which he lives:
Charge meets the Australian at every turn. He
never knows what a year may bring forth Two
good seasons convert the land into a smiling para
disc, glsddsniEg the eyes Of man with pictures of
wears maze Is 3 desoIate he'll Horrible with spbts
nnF rIIudS Of and dIin HnrSig ht
iorb81ding and altogether sordid The years work
Of the settler is at the mercy of the seasons. He
lives forever in dread OF drouth flood. bush fire
and those plaques OF RABBITS ana locusts that are
continually descending upon him
The iocusts are a local curse. but the rabbits
were imported and the foxes. which were I'm
parted later to make war on the rabbits, ex-
hibitsd SO strong a preference for domestic
poultry that they became almost as great a
nuisance. A price has been set on Reynard's
head, and 10000 foxes were killed In one dis
trict IN 1901. 49,. .-..- II
According~to the author the granting Of the
suffrage to women has been found to work well;
but he notes as a significant fact that the three
women who allowed themselves to be nominated
for seats in the Senate (and who failed of cleo
tom obtained more support from male voters
than from those of their own sex.
peculiar Australian institution is the
"swagman," industrial tramp-'traveller''
is his own designation of himself Some swag-
men Journey on horseback some on BICYCLES
but more on foot, with their belongings rolled
up IN pair Of blue blankets and thrown over
shoulder and with billy cam in hand for boil
ing tea. THE existence of the swagman," the
author declares sproclainls nothing so loudly
as the uncertainty and precarious nature of pas
toral employment in Australia
If there is one thing upon which the farmer and
pssloIa-lst can rely II is regular supply of com
Peteht men Tor the busy time of shearfng jamh
marking, drafting and harvesting There is M
9flculty IN obtaining the extra labor required at
me- seasons, and no question Of paying railway
fares or incurring any Unnecessar@ expense N