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In San Francisco over 14,000 people have registered as disemployed," yet there is vacant cultivated land in the State to support 14,000,000. The amount paid in rent for the land which is in use amounts to three billions of dollars per annum.

Any benefits of the existing Employers' Liability Act are confined to persons engaged in manual labour. Clerks, domestic servants, and even seamen are outside the pale of the Act. Mr. Irvine's Bill applies equally to all employés.

Mark Twain is a Free Trader.

He says

Moreover, the profit of the earth is for he has read Henry George's works on the all.-Ecclesia tes v. 9. land question, but, while entertaining the Single Tax idea favourably, he thinks in The best way to remedy unjust laws is to order to introduce the reform society should start afresh.

abolish them.

Wanted-workers and speakers for the Single Tax in the country districts.

Upwards of two-thirds of the pastoral properties of New South Wales, some 35,000,000 acres, are in the hands of the financial The landlord smiles when he hears his institutions. This is the last official compu tenants denounce the Single Tax.

tation, made in 1889. Since then there has been an increasing tendency towards what The circulation of the Glasgow "Single ultimately will mean the ownership of the Tax" last June reached 22,000. whole colony by a few banks.

Henry George went on a lecturing tour in Canada in March last.

The Single Tax League is getting ready for its summer campaign of open-air speaking. Men who can talk-just talk-are Plans are in hand to equip several red wanted badly. The league does not ask for vans in Texas for Single Tax work. heaven-born orators, but men who can state plain truths in plain words. All who can help are asked to send in their names to the secretary.

They enslave their children's children who make compromise with sin.-James Russell Lowell.

Under Reid's land value tax, Sir Daniel Cooper will pay £18,000 a year to the State. Now he pays nothing.

Why should we keep to our grandfathers' system of taxation, any more than to his tallow candles and stage coaches?

Mr. Irvine's Employers' Liability Bill seeks not to put workmen in a better position than outsiders, but to put them in an equal position.

"I am going to raise your rent," said the landlord when he called just after Christmas. "I am glad of that," said the tenant; "I can't."

More than one-third of American farms are held by mere tenants, who are almost always tenants only from year to year. Less than half are held by absolute owners free of mortgage.

It is a significant sign of the times that the Archbishop of Canterbury should recom. mend the clergy to study such books as Henry George's "Progress and Poverty."The London Christian" Commonwealth."

Farming no longer pays, and neither does any other kind of work. Land owning pays, and so does every kind of monopoly. The Single Tax will make monopoly unprofitable and work profitable.

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The Electric Light Bill, now before the

Upper House, requires the closest attention of all democrats. An impudent attempt is being made to create a monopoly for existing electric companies at the expense of the Melbourne ratepayers, and to wrest from them the control of their own streets. At the present stage we merely call the atten. tion of our readers to this matter, but shall deal fully with it when the Bill comes before the Legislative Assembly.

Accidents to workmen in the course of their employment are caused by (a) the negligence of the employers or persons in superintendence, 20 per cent.; (b) the negligence of fellow workmen, 26 per cent.; (c) the negligence of both employers and fellow workmen, 7 per cent.; (d) the negligence of the workmen injured, 4 per cent.; () acts of God, i.e., when negligence cannot be sheeted home in a court of law to anybody, 43 per cent.

Dr. Miquel, Minister of Finance of the German Empire, is an ardent land reformer

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According to Mr. Chamberlain, the preof the accidents to workmen injured in the sent law provides for 20 per cent. course of their employment, and the new Employers' Liability Bill provides for 33 per cent. more. This leaves 47 per cent. unprovided for. "The non-liability of masters with regard to fellow-servants arises princi. pally from the ingenuity of Lord Abinger in suggesting analogies in the case of Priestley before House of Commons Committee on Employer's Liability.

v Fowler."-Lord Justice Brett's evidence

The Employers' Liability Bill is not to confer a privilege upon workmen, but to remove a disability. Qui sentit commodum sentire debet et onus. Who takes the benefit should bear the burden, is a rule of law making employers liable for all injuries occasioned by the negligent conduct of their business. Workmen alone are disabled from taking advantage of the rule. Quod appropo non reprobo. The principle that one cannot both approbate and reprobate has at present no application when workmen seek relief for injuries incurred in the service of their employers.

The Bishop of Rochester, England, speaking in the discussion on Private Property in Land at the Rochester Diocesan Conference, said he had been a little startled to find the newness to this meeting of the principles which had been having a larger circulation in England than almost any other doctrines of our time during the last ten years. Whether they liked them or not, they ought to know them and be familiar with them. He did not know how many of them had read Mr. George's books. He was sorry for those who had not.-The "Church Reformer."

playing itself off as an advocate of popular The hollow pretence of the "Age" in rights is once more shown by its attitude towards the Employers' Liability Bill. It evidently has not yet decided whether it will pay to support this necessary measure, for so far it has not only carefully abstained tailed Mr. Irvine's able introductory speech, from noticing it but has also carefully cur excising from it the most important passages. Still it may yet decide that it will pay better Employers' Unions. Who knows? to go with the workers than with the

The Duke of Norfolk, one of the richest landowners in England, tells a capital story which well illustrates one of the points held by the Single Taxers. The Duke, who is not of very distinguished appearance, is a Roman Catholic, and was some time ago showing great attention to some pilgrims at Victoria Station, London, who were about to visit Rome. A lady, struck by his behaviour, rewarded his attentions by slipping a fourpenny piece into his hand as a tip. "This

SMOKE THE BEST TOBACCO.

piece of money," says His Grace, when telling the story, "I shall always preserve, being the first coin I have ever earned."

people. It is earnestly to be hoped that
Mrs. Proud succeeded in demonstrating that
the cause of temperance, as that of every
other reform, is bound up with the land
question. "We do not claim that our reform
will do everything, but that it will make all
other reforms easier." These words, quoted
by Mrs. Proud, are what all reform bodies
ought to ponder over. The land question is
the key to all social questions.

land for the people." How we are to get it is an easy matter. Once let us all agree that the land should be for the use of the people, and we will soon find a means of getting there with both feet.

The population of Huddersfield in England is 100,000, all subject to the sweet will of Sir John Ramsden, who is sole owner of the land on which the city is built. The Co-operative Society there lately tasted his power. In a circular issued to the members of the Applying for a renewal of lease, £800 had

The Rev. Nathaniel Kinsman rejoices by
advertisement in the daily press of 24th
August that he has been married fifty years.
He uses the ordinary stereotyped phrases to
announce the fact, and finally adds "Thank
God." What does Nat. mean by this?
Does he mean that he is thankful the fifty-
years' term is over, or that he is glad he got
married at all,
or that when
he did get mar-
ried he did it
fifty years ago,
before matri-
monial agencies
were heard of?
A bit of a
humorist is
Nat. Mark
Twain had
better take Nat.
into partner-
ship, and then
they twain,
droll kinsmen,
will make their
mark wherever
a long-suffering
world appre-
ciates what A.
Ward calls
"goak."

TRENWITH
THE GREATEST
PHRENOLOGIST
OF THE AGE"

conse

The coarse attack made by Mr. Trenwith on the "Argus" writers has fairly disgusted even the "Age." As quence, it describes him as a man without culture and a demagogue, and all who know the honourable member's ab. ility will regret that these remarks are only too true. As far as the victims of his abuse are concerned, its sting does not lie in their description as "literary prostitutes," "creatures," &c., &c. That can be borne with equanimity. But when Mr. Trenwith alleges that "Timotheus" might be the writer of "Wise and Other wise," he inflicts a deadly injury on that talented journalist, an injury which loudly calls for vengeance.

JMC DONAL!

HOIST WITH HIS OWN PETARD.

"Mr. Trenwith, for example, as might have been expected, showed by the violence of his language how utterly ignorant he was of the subject he was talking upon. So far from journalists being the poor creatures he described them, they are, generally speaking, men of a culture to which the political demagogue is usually a stranger." -Age, September 13th, 1895.

The W.C.T.U. of South Australia, having invited the Women's Land Reform League to send a delegate to their conference, Mrs. C. Proud, president of the latter body, at tended, and made an excellent little speech in advocacy of restoring the land to the

Wagga Wagga branch of the General
Labourers' Union of Australia, and signed
by the chairman and secretary, the following
statement occurs: Practically the posi-
tion is this: The General Labourers' Union
has to deal with the greatest problem of the
age-that of idle hands and idle lands-and
must find a solution of this difficulty before
they can do anthing strictly for themselves.
Let us keep on organising, and when we have
sufficient strength to make ourselves felt at
the ballot-box adopt as our battle-cry, "The

to be paid down before Sir John's consent could be obtained. The reason our Australian land magnates are so tenacious in their grip is easily understood. In the presence of our advancing civilisation, why should there not spring into existence on their land such cities as Huddersfield? The golden harvest of others' toil will then be theirs. Cer. tainly, a cloud

is rising, no larger than a man's hand, named Single Tax, but mayhap it will pass over. Mayhap, however, it won't. If so, what a getting in out of the rain there will be!

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Age"

The 66 leader of the 26th last 8Ccuses members of Parliament of "fetching, carrying, and doing odd jobs at the Lands Office," attributes to their malign interference that the selectors are £750,000

now

in arrears, &c, &c." It also tells the absolute untruth that members "failed-failed utterly" to produce a solitary case of harshness in the collection of arrears. As Mr. Langdon pro

duced several cases of this kind-which the "Age" conceals-and as the rest of its remarks are calculated to throw discredit, not only on one but on many members, it is expected that the House will pass a resolution registering the fact that the "Age" bas been guilty of "wanton and profligate untruth." Other members, however, say

SMOKE PHOENIX AROMATIC TOBACCO.

that as the "Age" is guilty of the same kind of thing every day it would be too complimentary to that journal to select a particular untruth for special condemnation.

It is estimated

of

practically "own" the whole of the British that 180,524 persons Isles-10,000 "owning " two-thirds England and Wales; 300 two-thirds of Scotland; and 1900 two-thirds of Ireland. And of the 72,000,000 acres of the United Kingdom no less than 18,000,000 to 26,000,000 acres are said to be held idle and unproductive-an acreage capable of supporting in ease and comfort at least from four to five times the number now disemployed. Monopolising thus the only raw material, the landlords are enabled to levy upon the labour and capital of the country an annual tribute of £160,000,000 to £200,000,000, while the expenses of the State impose a further burden of rates and taxes upon trade and industry amounting to some £128,000,000. No wonder that with free access to the land denied, and with such heavy imposts to bear, trade and industry should stagnate, that wages should be forced down, and that labour and capital should come to loggerheads.—Arthur Withy.

Has a public meeting, called for the purpose of considering a public question, the right to elect its own chairman, or is it bound to accept any gentleman whom the

the right to turn the citizens of Melbourne, conveners may appoint? Has the Mayor in meeting assembled, out of their own Town Hall merely because they disapprove of him as chairman ? Messrs. Deakin and Trenwith have virtually said "no" to the former and "yes" to the latter query, and in both cases they have departed widely from their professed democratic opinions. It is to be regretted that they lacked the tact to claim its rights for the meeting, while at the same time insisting upon the Mayor's right to be heard. In that case there would have been no such tumult as occurred, and no turning out of citizens from the Town Hall where they had every right to be. Moreover, if the Mayor did make the statement attributed to him by Mr. Fleming, the Committee acted without tact or sense in asking him to preside over an anti-sweating meeting,

cities are within a radius of a few miles, and all impose heavy taxes on factories, &c., it is expected that there will be a shifting into Delaware of many large business concerns should the Single Taxers be successful. The farmers are also largely interested, as at prehigher are they taxed. All who think the sent the more they improve their land the Single Tax where adopted will ruin the farmer and bring about general disaster, are invited to send subscriptions to Single Tax Headquarters, Newcastle, Delaware, U.S.A., or to the Beacon office, where they will be duly forwarded. The sooner Single Tax principles are put into operation and their falsity exposed the better. Will the various national, defence, and young patriotic assotake the hint? ciations, and also the Reform Club, kindly

There can be little doubt that the "Argus" overstepped the bounds of legitimate criticism when, without giving any proof, it asserted that Mr. Harris had sold his vote in consideration of some advantage to be granted to his constituency. Nevertheless, the House blundered badly when, by a purely partisan vote, and without hearing the "Argus" in defence, it passed a resolution condemning the paper's action as "a wanton and protion had ever been made against any member fligate untruth." Even if no similar accusaof the House, this action would have been unfair and undignified. As a matter of fact, however, the public may recollect that against a member who fills a most responexactly the same charge has been brought moreover, which was supported by documensible position in the House; a charge, tary evidence. On that occasion the House elected the member in question to his responnot only abstained from all action, but even sible position. Can it be that this difference of treatment arises from the fact that the

accusation alluded to was made in the

"Age" instead of the "Argus"? And is not a House acting hypocritically, which, having treated this charge with such utter disregard for its corporate honour, lashes itself into hysterics over a precisely similar one in

another newspaper.

the Speaker to extract a whitewashing resoThe concerted action of the Premier and lution from a House fairly glowing with

do so.

Well might he say, "Save me from my friends."

After all, it was not regard for Mr. Speaker, but a desire to humiliate the "Argus," which prompted Mr. Turner's action, and that of understood that if the House had carried the Protectionists generally. For it was well the whitewashing resolution, it would have been followed by another indicting the "Argus" for a breach of privilege. That a technical breach of privilege had occurred is true, but if ever the "Argus" did good service to the country it did it by thus placing itself in peril. We are not often in a position to praise the " Argus," but the fight it has made during the last month has been after our own heart. It fought for a good cause and it fought well; it deserved succes and got it. Such a rally of members, such determination to see the paper through, and such utter humiliation of its opponents in Parliament and Press as occurred on the 17th last, has not gladdened the heart of its conductors for many years. Let them learn by it that nothing is to be gained by halfhearted action, but that earnest, vigorous support of principles, even if it is accompanied by errors, will always rally support around

any standard.

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The vote of censure on the "Argus" was described as a vote of the House, it being carefully concealed that the Opposition, as well as some Ministerialists, left the Chamber before the vote was taken, as a protest against the enactment of such a farce. Then the vote was described as one charging the "Argus" with "wanton and profligate untruth in the advocacy of Free Trade," to do with Free Trade, but referred solely to whereas the condemned remarks had nothing the conduct of Mr. Harris.

and are primarily responsible for all that indignation at the Speaker's inexplicable from the House of twenty members, mostly

happened. What did happen was, however, the most magnificent protest against sweating that could possibly have been made, and Messrs. Fleming and White can so far be satisfied with the result of their action.

The Single Taxers' efforts to capture Delaware show no cessation. A movable tent, accommodating 3000 persons, is now in nightly use, while open-air meetings are also being held. Henry George has forwarded a cheque to the funds, and shortly the State will be visited by George, Lloyd Garrison, Tom L. Johnson, and Bolton Hall. Literature is being distributed broadcast. The aim in view is to get all taxes taken off improve ments, the sole source of State revenue to be land values. Delaware is one of the few states where there is no restriction in the constitution with regard to taxation. The state is at present evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. There are but 40,000 voters, and the House and Senate comprise only 30 members in all. At the last session six of the House voted for the Single Tax. As Philadelphia and other large

conduct, was another and still worse blunder.
of it. How could the Opposition be expected
No political baby ought to have been guilty
to do more than accept in silence the assur-
ance of Mr. Speaker, that he did not hear
the calls for a division which forty members
assert were given, and that he did not sus-
pect an adjournment to be objected to, when
the leader of the Opposition had just declared
that he would insist upon the debate being
carried on? For the honour of Parliament
this explanation had to be accepted by the
injured Opposition, but to do more would
have been equivalent to branding themselves
as a pack of liars. The blunder committed
by the Premier and the Speaker has had the
effect of placing upon the records the
humiliation of Mr. Speaker, who had to
assent to the withdrawal of the motion that
"the explanation given by Mr. Speaker is
satisfactory." It is difficult to see how
under these circumstances Sir Graham can
continue to fill the chair with any satisfac-
tion to himself or benefit to the House, but
had the motion been persisted in, it would
have been absolutely impossible for him to

When the Speaker failed to hear the cry to divide, which was bawled at him by a dozen well-trained throats, the "Age" concharged the Opposition with having tried to cealed this aspect of the case, and instead take an unfair advantage of the absence Ministerialists. These twenty members Ministerialist member absent without a pair. J. Anderson, M.L.A., who was the only resolved themselves ultimately into one—Mr. Finally, when the Premier had to withdraw the "Age" concealed this withdrawal, and the resolution for whitewashing the Speaker, made it appear as if the Opposition had officially retracted all that its members had unofficially said on this deplorable business.

The "Age" has thus again shown that it stands unrivalled in placing before its readers garbled accounts and positive untruths, and that if there are papers which ought to be branded as disseminators of "wanton to rank above all others for the distinction. and profligate untruths," it is fairly entitled

The argument of "robbing the widow who lives on the rent of her little piece of land," is just as valid as that used before the American civil war, when they trotted out the poor widow who lived on the earnings of her three slaves-her sole support. They did not consider they were the slaves' earnings and not hers.

PHOENIX TOBACCO has no Rival for Flavour.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Single Tax Office,
Gilbert Place,

Adelaide, Sept. 25th, 1895. After the storm comes a calm. We have been a bit lively in consequence of the visit of our leader, Max Hirsch, who has been in our midst expounding the gospel of justice, and with great success.

I have heard only one opinion expressed with reference to his mission in this colony, it is one of unqualified satisfaction, excepting in the matter of the number of his hearers, which in some instances fell short of our desires. The loss, however, was to the absent ones, who, we hope, will redeem the time by toeing the mark at bis next visit, which we hope will not be far distant. As with the churches, so with the Single Tax propaganda, a change of pulpits is often of immense advantage.

was 8

Our social-entirely a production of the Women's Land Reform League decided success, both as regards numbers and enthusiasm, and was got up as a token of respect to our visitor on the eve of bis departure. The one significant departure in connection with this meeting, and one which we hope will cease to be exceptional, was a speech by our much-esteemed secretary of the Women's League-Miss E. Williams. While there was only one opinion with regard to the admirable manner in which it was delivered, I will not venture a word in praise of its matter, for as "good wine needs no bush," it may well speak for itself. Here it is:

"Mr. Chairman and Friends,-I have been deputed by the members of the Women's Land Reform League to speak this evening, and I am glad that the etiquette of a social like this requires me to be brief.

"We are pleased to see around us so many familiar faces-faces that always rally up loyally whenever any land reform gathering is arranged-and we heartily welcome, too, those who are with us for the first time, and we trust that having come once you will come again and again, and will find that, although we are often called very wicked names outside, that when you come to know us we are not really such dreadful people

after all.

"As most of you know, this social has been arranged in honour of the visit to this colony of one who is looked upon as the leader of the Single Tax cause in Australia-Mr. Max Hirsch. For not only in the Beacon, where he so uncompromisingly denounces the injustice on which our present industrial system rests, as well as points out so clearly the course which must be adopted if people are to live happy, human lives; but, on the other platform also, his exposition of land reform principles is so thorough, and yet so simple, that one cannot fail to understand him. I was about to say cannot fail to be convinced, but I do not suppose he has converted all his hearers yet. We confidently assert, however, that Mr. Hirsch can carry away with him the satisfaction that he has aroused much thought, not only among those who before took little interest in the subject, but also in others who have studied, and are studying, the social questions of the day. He and other broad-minded thinkers are teaching us that Prees forward and fear not'

should be the motto of men and women of conscience everywhere, here and now; and

in the words of Mrs. Brokaw, that 'Our
part, too, is to sow the seed of Single Tax
truth; we should do it patiently, persistently,
faithfully; then, whether we see it or not,
Mr. Hirsch has sown
the result is sure.'
some of these seeds during his visit, and
they will grow and prosper-they must, for
they contain the germs of the principles of
truth and justice-principles that are ever-
lasting.

"Another visitor from Victoria we are

pleased to welcome-Mr. W. Lyght. His
coming a month or two back gave an impetus
to the Red Van movement here; in fact,
roused land reformers up, and caused them
to make a special effort to get Red Van No.
2 started. One of our members remarked
that this gathering might not only be con-
sidered a farewell social to Mr. Hirsch, but
also a send off to Mr. Macdonald, the lec-
turer, who has undertaken to run the Red
Van on its mission through the country. Its
mission? Yes. For if the purpose of a
true missionary is to carry glad tidings; to
give hope to the desponding; to point a way
of deliverence out of chaos, then we can
claim that the work of a Red Van lecturer
can indeed be called such. Probably, Mr.
Macdonald will have much to discourage
him-apathy, ignorance, self-interest; but
we would urge him to remember that many
whom he does not even know by name will
be interested in his work, and hoping for its
success.

"It was well to set aside an evening for a
social gathering during Mr. Hirsch's visit,
as it will enable him to see one phase of
the work we women are doing here. For
what has been called the social branch of
the Land Reform Movement should, we
think, be undertaken by women; it seems
naturally to belong to us; and while we have
and earnest men, we feel that we, too,
no desire to trench on the work done by able
should do our share, in our own way, to
further this, the greatest reform of our time.

"Our two other methods of work, viz., that of the writing circle and home meetings, were started mainly to spread the knowledge of land reform principles, but the special purpose of these socials, our public effort, is to

arouse and sustain the interest in the move

ment. And this seems especially necessary
now that the opposition has reached the
bitter stage. For, without doubt, many a
man is suffering keenly for his opinions to-
day, and in various ways is made to feel the
cost of being a land reformer. Well, this
and often make him feel somewhat of a
disrating, this repression, are discouraging,
sinner; he comes to a gathering like this,
where he meets other sinners, and you know
sinners are proverbially good company, and
this is a kind of happy hunting ground for
them; he talks to one and another, the bond
of sympathy is strengthened, and he goes
away encouraged to hold on. But we must
not take all the credit to ourselves, for the
members of the larger society-the Single
Tax League-have always aided and seconded
our efforts.

primary) importance to demonstrate that nearly every attempt at reform is paralysed by the same cause-private property in land; and until this is shown no real effort will be made to enforce the remedy. The patient tries every conceivable remedy (or quasi remedy) before he submits to an operation. But this is the real crux.' Therefore, because we believe this is the central truth we are trying to make it more widely known. For it is a truth worthy our highest thought, our most earnest endeavour; it satisfies our deepest convictions of truth and justice; it restores faith in the beneficence surrounding humanity, and it gives unbounded hope for the future-a future in which want and misery need be but memories.

"In closing, I would again tender to Mr. Hirsch, on behalf of the Women's L.R.L., their appreciation of the far-reaching influence he is exerting in the cause of land reform, that measure of justice which contains the bright and sure promise for the uplifting of humanity.'

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We have lost one of our most enthusiastic

Single Taxers in the decease of the late Mr. F. A. Groth, of Rhine Villa. On my recent lecturing tour on the Murray Flats, it was my privilege to stay a night at his residence. A gentleman of fine old patriarchal appearance, of kindly heart, and the enthusiasm of a boy in the cause of humanity, albeit he was 78 years of age, and to all appearance was hale and hearty. We regret to chronicle his loss, but we are glad to know that his four sons-all engaged in farming pursuits-are ardent Single Taxers and members of the League.

We have been wont to regard the Congregational bodies as amongst the foremost in the van of political and religious liberty. There are exceptions, and a little conflict which the pastor and deacons of Stow Memorial has recently occurred between myself and Church Incorporated, illustrates in a striking manner the power of environment. I was put on the list of lecturers by the Stow Literary Society. About a fortnight before the time for my lecture I received a letter from the secretary, the pastors and deacons of the church informing me that they had instructed the secretary of the Literary Society to at once make other arrangements. No reason was assigned, although I pressed for an explana

tion of an act of such curt insolence. Their meddling conduct, however, was replied to by the vice-presidents and committee of the Literary Society, who, in effect, told Pastor the secretary of the N.D. League to mind Robertson and his deacons-one of whom is their own business, and insisted on the lecture being given. I lectured to a most lively and sympathetic audience, several of whom I detected amongst the most enthusiastic of the listeners of Mr. Hirsch at a subsequent meeting. Pastor Robertson and his deacons are a bit antiquated here; they would thrive better in some remote country districts in the old country as J.P.'s.

The lecture of Mr. Max Hirsch on the "Solidarity of Labour" can be had at this office at 1s. per dozen post free, or 9d. per

"We are often asked why we are working dozen plus carriage. It should be read by

for land reform rather than for this one, or
that one? Our answer is that most other
reforms deal mainly with some effect of
injustice, while we are trying to remove the
As a writer in Reynold's' news-
paper puts it: It seems of enormous (even

cause.

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everyone.

The Red Van is now on the road, but the time is too short to get any report for this month. Yours faithfully,

HENRY TAYLOR.

PHOENIX CUT TOBACCO UNEQUALLED.

Antics of Parliament.

A

A month ago we left Mr. Higgins at his tea duties. This trifle disposed of, the House proceeded to settle the tariff. But the tariff proceeded to nearly settle the House. storm in a teacup is not uncommon; but a storm in a hat is sufficiently rare. Yet a hat is peculiarly the victim of storms. Whether the Speaker showed partisanship or not, is a thing that may be left to the Speaker's conscience to decide. Whether certain members cried "Divide" on the historical occasion, or merely thought they did; and whether the Speaker did not hear them, or merely thought he didn't, are matters which are now, as the late Fred Marshall used to say, "buried in obliquity," an obliquity of vision and of hearing combined. It is as hard to solve as the old problem of "what songs the sirens sung, or the colour of Briseis' hair." Opinions on such matters are biassed by one's political leanings. The Speaker is paid a comfortable salary to be impartial, and nobody but a fool-which the Speaker is not -would wilfully imperil the same. Speakers are only mortal, and so are members. When thirty or forty men say one thing, and thirty or forty say flatly the opposite, the judgment on the case must be "non proven." Accord ing to a most authentic fable, a blind man once saw a hare, a man without legs ran after it and caught it, and a naked man put it into his pockets. If such things are possible in a common nursery story, what is not possible in a tariff debate? "All things,' great authority has justly said, "are possible in a democracy." It is possible, therefore, that every member, including the Speaker, has spoken truth on the subject, although their views and versions are utterly irreconcileable. The end of the storm strikingly exemplifies the neglected natural law that it is the expected which doesn't happen. The storm passed off with a few bursts of summer lightning from the Premier and the leader of the Opposition, succeeded by brilliant flashes of silence from the rest; and the House proceeded to bury itself in axles and tenpenny nails. So too, when two young cockerels with crests erect and budding spurs itching for war, start flying at one another, suddenly by tacit consent they stop, and revert to their ordinary avocation of scratching the ground for worms.

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But the affaire Harris has really been the pièce de resistance at the Parliamentary banquet, of which the Berry business was the mere smoke of the after-dinner cigar. Of Albert Harris it may be said that to know him is, in a way, a liberal education. Like Goldsmith's Vicar,

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"E'en his failings lean to virtue's side." Just as we love our children for their waywardness and topsy-turveydom, so can we love an M.P. for similar little eccentricities. Why shouldn't a man change his opinions and his votes too? Consistency! Pah! it is the bugbear of weaklings! Gladstone started his political career as the rising hope of the stern, unbending Tories." Napoleon the Great began as a military democrat on beggarly food and finished as an emperor. The butterfly comes from a sordid grub, and a princess of the blood--the butterfly of fortune has originated (see Darwin passim) from equally obscure beginnings, and so on. In fact, inconsistency is merely a phase in the evolution of opinion. Albert Harris would be more than mortal if

he could resist its force. The "Argus " forgot all this when it commenced to vilify him. Turn back its pages but a few years and read what it has written of J. B. Patterson, now reposing on its bosom. We have short memories, and a good thing too. To remember is as bad as to prophesy. The present is the summary of the past, and is perpetually overhauling the future. Mr. John Murray lost a great opportunity stripped for the fight, he merely hit the air. To request the House to declare that the "Argus" had been guilty of uttering "profligate and wanton untruths" was simply giv ing utterance to language that breaks no bones. He deprived the Premier of an opportunity of adding to the revenue by having the writer and publisher up at the bar of the House, and fiuing them £1000 or so, especially as the "Argus" admitted in its next issue that it was only speaking politically of Albert Harris which is obviously a printer's error for "Pickwickianly." One obvious result of the incident will be that the AttorneyGeneral's Bill for the protection of the press will have a few more nails in its coffin; another that Albert Harris' seat is made remarkably safe. A martyr who comes out of the fire alive always has a big following. In the calm which followed, we find Mr. Murray Smith giving the whisky men another shilling, for reasons good and valid-to himself. This passes without comment. The tariff debates have been contemporaneous with the football season, and will bear most favourable comparison with the popular game as regards good behaviour. Higher praise cannot be given. And as for the total result, if Free Traders would have liked bigger reductions, it must be borne in mind that the revision was introduced by a Protectionist Premier with a Protectionist Commissioner of Customs, and, whenever a pinch came, in a Protectionist House. That is to say, the country tariff reformer was prepared to reform any duty off the list, except such duties as concern stock or fruit or wine or tobacco. The Ministry may be said to have done pretty well; at all events, nearly as well as could be expected. The Premier has now the tough job of tackling members over the Budget. The evils which never happen are the worst. Perhaps this may be the luck of the Budget. With an improving railway revenue-last week's-and finer weather the Budget debate may go off like smoke. We are a commercial people subject to waves of pessimism and fits of elation; it is our turn, perhaps, to have a turn of prosperity, helped on by the circumstance that the world, in spite of a number of hard knocks, is still going on as per usual. What with Mr. Best's Tariff Bill, Mr. Peacock's Anti-Sweating Bill, and Mr. Isaac's Company Bill all safely through; the Ministry, entering on their second year of office, will be a sort of Gaiety Company, whose content may become infec. tious. A few months more, and members may be able to address their constituents during the recess, and demonstrate that the rise in the price of wool is altogether owing to their legislative efforts. It is the age of wonders; one day the Labour members, headed by a bicyclist, take off the duties on the materials of which those useful machines are made, the next day Mr. Murray Smith votes for lowering the excise on whisky, and the day after the Premier himself tem. porarily shakes off the politician and starts bicycling. May the harmless and healthgiving revolutions he makes be a sign of better times.

The Wall Paper Trust.

The action of Hobbs v. the National Wall Paper Co., now pending before the Supreme Court of Tracy, U.S., throws some further light on the manner in which monopolies are developed under the shelter of protective duties. The National Wall Paper Co. is the beauty name for the American Wall Paper Trust. Robert T. Hobbs is one of the manufacturers who joined the trust, was a member of its price committee, and has now fallen out with it.

The duty on wall paper averages over 50 per cent., so that the trust can add the whole of this to the competitive price of wall paper before it need fear any outside competition. The following are the main points in the affi davit sworn to by Hobbs, and published in the "New York World" of April 26th:

'In 1882 upwards of 30 independent factories-besides those already combined in the trust-were engaged in producing wall paper, the price of which averaged about 5 to 6 cents a roll, leaving a net profit of 15 to 20 per cent. on sales. The business was conducted partly through wholesale houses (jobbers) and partly through travellers. Early in the summer of 1892 Mr. Hobbs was informed that the trust had determined to get control of the market, and that unless every manufacturer joined voluntarily he would either be forced to do so or ruined by a large drop in prices. He was further informed that as soon as this preliminary object was achieved, prices would be raised above the existing level. Mr. Hobbs, like a wise man, joined voluntarily, and assisted in managing the trust, the operations of which were guided by the experienced hand of Mr. Dodd, chief counsel of the Standard Oil Co.

The reduction in price was made, and as a further measure of warfare 170 jobbers were given the large discount of 22 per cent. The market was thus effectively closed to the outside factories, and after one season's struggle they gave in and joined the trust. As soon as this was accomplished, the following steps were taken :

Ten factories were closed and all hands discharged.

Wages in the remaining factories were reduced little by little, the competition of the discharged operatives making resistance hopeless

Prices were advanced gradually, and now average 2 cents per roll, or from 30 to 40 per cent. higher than in 1892.

The jobbers who had helped to crush the independent factories were crushed in their turn by the refusal of all discount, and have all given up business.

In fact, Mr. Hobbs swears that at every one of the monthly meetings which he attended the resolutions adopted were in the line of wage cutting, decrease of output, and increase of price. At the present time, therefore, the operatives, as well as the consumers of wall paper, are at the mercy of this powerful and unscrupulous corporation, and enjoy the full benefit of the protective policy. No such combination could have been attempted if the wall paper manufacturers of the world had been permitted to compete with those of the United States, because in that case American prices could not have been raised above the world price, even if every American maker had joined. This wage reducing, employment-destroying, and price-increasing monopoly, like the 400 to 500 others with which the United States are blessed, is therefore directly due to socalled Protection.

PHOENIX CUT TOBACCO UNEQUALLED.

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