,98 ADELAIDE AND VICINITY Conclusions had he taken a prominent place in Imperial politics, but he was an able man who adapted himself to the ways of the colonists, and who quickly obtained their esteem. On June 27, 1889, the Playford Government was superseded by a Ministry formed by Dr. Cockburn. The new Premier sought to carry several advanced democratic measures ; but, owing to the division of parties, was not uniformly successful. On August 19, 1890, Mr. Playford ejected Dr. Cockburn, and held office until June 21, 1892. In 1890, South Australia, in common with its neighbors, was grievously afflicted by a maritime strike, which paralysed trade, and caused such heavy losses to individuals and to trading companies, that years of careful management were necessary to enable them to recover lost ground. It was a time of social unrest, when class was pitted against class throughout Australia. Except in isolated instances, a mammoth industrial war was waged without personal violence. The Government and Parliament assumed a neutral position, and, beyond encouraging conciliation and providing protection, left the two great forces — capital and labor — to adjust their own differences. The suffering in South Australia was rendered the more acute by reason of a strike of miners in the Peninsula copper fields, where 500 men relinquished work. Apart from these calamities the year was fairly j)rosperous, even though the speculators were cast into tribulation by the re-action of the silver boom. The farmers had obtained average returns ; and when they are satisfied, the general community has very little to complain of The harvest of 1890-1 was almost equal to those of the two preceding years. The value of breadstuffs exported in 1890 was ^2,018,719, and in 1891, ^1,927,483. The year 1892 was one of trial for the agriculturists, and the export of breadstuffs was but ^944,264. It had commenced amid good prospects, but it soon became chequered with anxiety and disappointment. There was a general strike of miners at Broken Hill. South Australia had obtained the chief advantages from the argentiferous wealth of that district, which lay just beyond her borders, in New South Wales. The merchants supplied Broken Hill residents with goods ; her producers sent them flour and hay, vegetables and fruits ; and the railways of South Australia obtained the whole benefit of her traffic. In addition, South Australians owned a large proportion of shares in the principal mines, from which they obtained substantial dividends. Certainly the Province was robbed of thousands of inhabitants who went thither, but practically it still sustained them. When, therefore, the miners went out on strike in 1892, South Australia suffered more than New South Wales. Upwards of 20,000 people had settled on the Barrier, and nearly all were dependent on the silver mines. For months the battle between the mining companies and the men continued, and commercial operations were dislocated. Hundreds of thousands of pounds that should have been paid in wages and dividends were irretrievably lost, and social rancor was aroused. Cases of hardship and actual privation were reckoned by thousands. The strike had unpleasant features which were not existent in the episode of 1890. It also served to show how important
