The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-26

l11E AGf5-l a very serious question. I hope that Australia will always be on friendly terms i with Japan and get closer to her in the | relations of trade and commerce and the l peaceful acts of civilization, and that the | treaty will continue in it's present form. | for l believe it to be a great power for | peace; but when Australia is asked to re- | ly on the Anglo-Japanese treaty for the l defense of the Pacific a very serious situation is created. Japan is a nation | whose people Australia does not admit to | her shores. White Australia ideals must be defended at all costs a cardinal principle of Australian political belief | Japanese civilization differs radically l from that in Australia. which is compell- 1 ed to see no mixing of races in her terri tory
 Whilst it is true, as MT. Churchill said. that the naval forces should be concern trated under united command on the chief theatres of operations it should not be forgotten that the empires naval prob lem is dual one. Not only should the imperial power be developed in relation to the world problem in order that there should be an imperial navy to fight in any and every sea where imperial inter- ests are threatened but worldwide pre- parations must be combined 10 make it possible to concentrate forces at any point wherever the Dominions have the great est menace. Australia hopes that the im- peral fleet will be so developed and organized that this country shall be .n no way dependent absolutely on treaty ob- legations with and foreign power what ever.
 The government is anxious for a con- ference of self-governing Dominions, in- cluding Canada and South Africa. The first Australian fleet unit is being com- pleted. but to what point Is Australian policy developing? Mir Churchill has de- parted from the agreement by which the imperial government undertook to send to
 the Pacific ship for every ship put into commission by Australia. MT. Churchill has proclaimed that ships of an inferior calibre will do very well. for the Pacific. Australia is entitled to something more | than that treatment. She is entitled to full and free discussion of imperial de- fense with every unit of the empire" Australia is building her own fleet, while New Zealand who gave her dread- naught to the mother country, has de- cided to start doing the same unless the | imperial government carries out its ob- 1 ligation to strengthen the fleet in the Pacific.
 Minimum Wage in Australia definition of the living minimum
 wage in Australia has just been embodied | in a decree delivered by Justice Heydon, president of the imperial Australian court of New South Wales, who, after an ex-
 haustive inquiry into the cost of living in sydney, specifics that the lowest class of unskill labor must receive Sl200 a week. This sum Is based on the experience and
 needs of family of two parents and two dependent children. He found that the minimum rate for rent in sydney was s3 week, miscellaneous expenses including fuel, light clothing and insurance was $S.50 while the remainder of the Sl20o was con stunned in food.
 In his decision the judge was guided largely by. the now famous decision of Justice Higgins, who in the Harvester case decided that Sl0.50 weekly was a flair and reasonable" standard to meet the moral needs of the average employe, regarded as human being living in civ ilized country"
 In the Broken Hill case decided two years later Justice Higgins stated the fol- lowing doctrine: T cannot conceive of any such industrial dispute as this being settled effectively which fails to secure to the laborer enough wherewth to renew his strength and to maintain his home
 from day to day. He will dispute, he must dispute until he gets this minimum, even
 as a man immersed will never rest until he gets his head above water If a man cannot maintain his enterprise without
 cutting down the wages which are proper to be paid to his employes-at all events the wages essential for their living-it would be better that he should abandon the enterprise.
 from Lord Lonsdale at a race meeting
 some time ago has been returned to him with an apology from the thief for the failure to recognize him as a member of the brotherhood of sportsmen who, ae- cordlng to the ethics of the piokpocket
 men, are immune from molestration. The t'a Fl ic not np1x; lrrn fha r,1nG rnn spicious patron of sport in England but he has also often helped the families of con victs So 1t is probable the the pickpocket, who got his watch, was hauled over the
 coals by his brothers in crime
 The mantle of protection from the at- tentions of pickpockets on the English
 race course not only covers the well
 known patrons of the sport but extends
 to racing reporters and telegraph opera tors. Recently a racing writer's glasses
 were stolen by pickpocket and While
 waiting for his train he was asked by pugilist why he looked so glum. The newspaper man told him of the loss of his glasses and the pugilst remarked that the
 pickpockets should have recognized him
 as a sport. That night the glasses were
 left at the writer's office wrapped in
 paper on which was scrawled, please ex- cuse mistake"
 The selection of Mrs. Mary Inge to be
 mistress of the Atherstone Hunt has
 caused a sensation in fox hunting circles
 and the old hard riding fox hunters are
 shaking their heads over the innovation,
 declaring roundly that no woman can
 keep a hunt in proper subjection, es-
 pecially in these days when city bred
 riders are so liable to cause dissentlons.
 Mrs. Inge comes of a family of hunt
 masters her husband master of the Atherstone for five years. was killed in the hunting field and her father was master of the pack for twenty-one seasons. and an uncle held the same of-
 flee many years ago. In the hunt itself Mrs. Inge Is decidely popular and most of the criticism comes from other hunts, the members of which do not relish the pre- cedent.
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