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 effect. Australians are a good bit subtler and more disillusioned than the English working classes. You can throw Australians chaff, and they'll laugh at it. They may even pretend to peck it up. But all the time they know, and they're not taken in. The Bulletin would soon help them out, if they were. They've got a natural sarcastic turn, have the Australians. They'll do imbecile things: because one thing is pretty well as good as another, to them. They don't care.

"Then what's the good starting another Red rag, if the bull won't run at it. And this Australian bull may play about with a red rag, but it won't get his real dander up.

"No, you've got to give them something to appeal to the deeper man in them. That deeper man is waiting to be appealed to. And we're waiting for the right individual to come along to put the appeal to them.

"Now, Mr Somers, here's your chance. I'm in a position to ask you, won't you help us to bring out a sincere, constructive Socialist paper, not a grievance airer, but a paper that calls to the constructive spirit in men? Deep calleth to deep. And the trouble with us here is, no one calls to our deeps, they lie there stagnant. I can't do it, I'm too grimy. It wants a deep, fresh nature, and I'm too stale.

"Now, Mr Somers, you're the son of a working man. You were born of the People. You haven't turned your back on them, have you, now that you're a well-known gentleman?"

"No, no," said Richard, laughing at the irony.

"Then here is your work before you. Come and breathe the breath of life into us, through the printed word. Come and take charge of a true People's paper for us. We needn't make it a daily. Make it a twice-weekly. And let it appeal to the Australian, to his heart, for his heart is the right place to appeal to. Let it breathe the new air of trust and comradeship into us. We are ready for it: dying for it. Show us how to believe in one another, with all our hearts. Show us that the issue isn't just the wage issue, or who holds the money. It's brother-love at last, on which Christ's Democracy is bound to rest. It's the living People. It is man to man at last."

The red face of Willie Struthers seemed to glow with fire,