New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-06
The State It's DUN Food Speculator
b. Harry c. Douglas
Formerlv Editor Of The Sydney ImeS)

In Australia they have modernized the
miracle Of the loaves and fishes New south
Wales the mother state" Of the common
wealth, has become her own hshcrman-and
dshmouger and her own baker. Other Aus
tralan states have other ideas-stronG ones -
on this business Of doing things for ones
self They have adopted Montaigne's dlctum;
"Thc worst estate Of man is where he loseth
the knowledge and government of himself.
And they have interpreted il literally. Cen
orally speaking. they have decided that the
private Spectator j. certain necessities oil
life is not so much a wet nurse of the public
as an inhuman Wackford Squeers with very
large cane; and instead Of renting out the
public TO such tender mercics they have
brought n back within the family circle.
The food spectators OF Australia, with
the same calous perspicacity that seems
common Characteristic Of the breed every
where. regarded the war as a boon, heaven
sent. for the special benefit of themselves
They translated this belief into instant &C
ton. The specializing Squeerses fed the
Antipodeans large and nauseous doses Of the
medicine that New York and other American
cities have been given recently. The pa
tients--or victims -rej ected both the medicine
and the Squeersian schemers. For one thing
the medicine came too high; for another
thing, the Australian democracy had grown
50 used to doing things for itself that the
people of older civilizations had regarded as
necessary to be done for them by private
parties that it was sure it could attend TO
fnnI
supply.
Everything Going Up
Mca: was going up. Fish was going up
Poultry and game were going up. The gov
eminent Of New South Wales stepped in,
voicing its determination something like this:
This thing has got to stop. The people
will not stand it, because they cannot afford
it. To start with we'll get our own fish
supply and bake our own bread. There are
as good fish in the sea as ever were caught
by private fishing concerns. Just watch US"
Then the government Of New South Wales
purchased some trawlers. 1t opened a chain
of fish stores in Sydney-and greater Sydney
and environs number some million souls. At
regular intervals the governments fishing
vessels bring in government fish to be sold
to the public over the counters Of government
fish shops. The fish is in government hands
from the time 1t is drawn from the waters
Of the Pacific till it is dropped into the
housewives shopping basket. It is child's
play to boycott meat and poultry with a
plentiful supply of FISH at call. The govern
ment's fish stores are far cleaner and much
La, han Of
stores ever had been; they are as we'll man
aged as the best of the latter. Service is
quick and courteous; there is no red tape;
prices are down to bedrock. So successful
was the innovation that the state was asked
recently for another half million dollars to
purchase more trawlers. An official state
ment issued at that time said:
with properly built refrigeratng depots
smokehouse and fish canning works, 1t is
quite possible that within five years from
now the whole population of New South
Wales may secure daily service Of state
fish"
Let the State Bake
New South Wales is operating state baker
les. It has legislated itself into control of
tae wheat crops within its jurisdiction. When
| left Australia few months ago the State
of Queensland was calmly proposing TO 20
ato the brewing and hotel businesses.
I'VE can do anything for ourselves and IN
the public interest that others can do for us
il their own private interest" they tell you
ir Australia. "They can't scare US any more
with the old line of talk that the public can
not control certain activities and run them
as state enterprises. We have noticed that
robodv minds a state handling its mails and
telegraphs, its fire fighting forces. It's police
That because it has been proved in the case
&C. the first named that the state can handle
mails and telegraphs better and cheaper than
arv private concern As to fire lighting and
rolicc-there's no money in that for specu-
ictors. They don't mind the state running
those"
New South Wales aimed another deadly
blow at the high cost of living by establish
inc a Fair Rents Court. To this tribunal