Arbeit macht frei: - Fredrick Töben

Continuing his travels to Bridgewater, Grünthal and Hahndorf he came to
Mount Barker where he criticised the local newspaper, the Mount Barker
Courier, severely. He scoffed at the ‘freedom of the press’ concept because,
in my view, journalism should influence the moral development of public
opinion, which means ensuring the mental development of society.
At Nairne he noted the much-anticipated construction of the intercolonial
railway line between Adelaide and Melbourne. Other settlements visited
included Kanmantoo, Callington, Woodside, Balhannah and Oakbank. He
returned to Adelaide via Grünthal, Bridgewater, Stirling, Glen Osmond and
the zig-zag Mt Lofty pass.
On 20 October 1880 Graf Anrep-Elmpt attended the Supreme Court at
Adelaide where Chief Justice Samuel Way, a diminutive figure with an alert
mind, and the Attorney-General, W.H. Bundy, together with 12 members
of the jury, were ready to hear his claim over the lost luggage. The
defendant, Howard Smith & Son, wanted a closed hearing and so the court
was closed to the public. Messrs Stewart and Downson were the barristers
in the case, which Anrep-Elmpt wins. An advance from his solicitor, Mr
Wallace, enables the Graf to continue his travels through Australia.
* * * * *
Parliamentary Musings about Implied Justice
Fast forward from 1880 to the House of Assembly on 9 May 1956 when
Members of Parliament are in a question and answer session. Tom Stott, as
is the custom, makes a statement, then follows it up with a question:
Recently a country district council took action against a farmer for having
vermin on his property. The thought he had removed all vermin from the
property, but the case went to the court and his defence was that he had
done everything possible to remove rabbits on the property. The farmer
won the case in the lower court and a high court subsequently ruled in
favour of the district council because, as the Act was worded, the inspector
was within his rights. Obviously, there is a grave anomaly if a farmer does
everything possible to remove vermin, but because a few rabbits may
climb over the wire netting or jump a fence an inspector may find one or
two on the property and take action. Will the Minister of Agriculture
investigate this matter, and does the government intend to amend the Act
to make its administration more flexible so that both farmers and
inspectors may work together more amicably?
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