The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-03-28 00:00:00

RAILWAY OFFICIALS' ASSOCIATION.

The annual dinner of the London and Suburban
Railway Officials' Association has been held at the
Freemasons' Tavern, Great Queen-street, London,
under the presidency of Mr. E. L. Pemberton, M.P.,
who was supported by Mr. G. D. Peters, Mr. J. Tom-
linson, Sir John Bennett, Mr. M. Mown, Mr. A.
Richardson, Mr. J. Richardson, jun., and about a
• hundred and fifty other gentlemen. This society was
established in 1873 for the purpose of bringing
together London and suburban railway officials, and,
as far as possible, to unite them in fellowship and
goodwill, to assist each other, and establish that con-
fidence requisite for the good management of every
department, and the benefit of the railway service
generally.
The Chairman, in proposing "Success to the Lon-
don and Suburban Railway Officials' Association,"
said he thought it was impossible to exaggerate the
importance of the railway service throughout the
country. In the earlier times of railways it was a
very grave question whether the whole railway system
should not be absorbed and placed under the manage-
ment of the Government. There would have been some
advantage in this. The railway department would cer-
tainly have been the most important of all civil
departments in the State; but whether it would have
been entirely to the benefit of the country he was not
quite sure. Amongst the advantages laid down by the
advocates of the scheme were community of interest,
great opportunities for the diffusion of knowledge on
railway subjects, thus bringing about a mutual confi-
dence which would render the discharge of the duties of
railway men more easy to themselves and more
beneficial to the public. It was on very similar
lines that this Association was started in 1873,
since which it had made great progress, notably
between 1883 and 1884. That the benefits of the.
Association were being appreciated was clear from:the
number of recruits joining; and that it was well
managed the accounts testified.
Mr. Davey, the Chairman of Committee, replied,
and gave a most satisfactory statement of the finances
of the Association.

Sir John Bennett proposed "The Railway Service
Generally," which was responded to by Mr. Tomlin-
son (Metropolitan Railway), who quoted statistics to
show the very small loss of life in railway travelling.
The other toasts included "The Honorary Members
and Friends," "The President, Vice Presidents, and
Past Presidents," and "The Visitors." During the
evening a selection of music was given under the
direction of Mr. W. Walker.

•-;,kTURDAY, MARCH 28, IEBS

-WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

The Australian Colonies, says the Graphic, 6184'
decidedly getting fashionable—in the same senettl34, •
the drama and science are fashionable.
cricketing prowess has aroused an interest whie
even, their production of wool and gold failed
command; rising young noblemen make the Gras
Tour thither; and now they have risen—with a lea,P,
like that of an "old man" kangaroo—to the heigu"
of popularity by their volunteer expedition for the
Soudan campaign. Thus, too, on Tuesday ni.g.ht',
distinguished company assembled to hear Sir
Broome lecture on Western Australia—which used,„-w
be reckoned rather a " one-horse " colony—and 11.N.P"
the Prince of Wales took the chair. Looking at the reaP
of Australia, an ignoramus may wonder why Wester'S
Australia has not prospered more. It was founded-
in 1829, before a single white man had settled i.ll
Victoria, which now contains nearly a million inhabY.*
tants ; yet, in spite of its vast size (it occupies dearli;
half the great island-continent), its healthy climate,
and the, fact that it is 2000 miles nearer to Etirerr
than any of the sister settlements, it has crept on 1132.
slowly. There are now only 32,000 inhabitants in
this immense area; and some years ago, when Eas_tel
Australia had shaken off the convict yoke, the Wes,
Australians petitioned for convicts (and got thereY
because they saw no chance of attracting a sufficienet
of free labourers to supply their needs. The simple'
fact is that Western Australia labours under
several serious physical disadvantages. It lack!
;
that Cordillera, that mountainous table-land, wh,Lici
preserves the eastern and south-eastern part of We'
continent f m being utterly burnt up with droughlL
there are in some places poison-plants among. It:
pasture; and. in too many districts, the soil le
sandy that a malicious:American told Anthony Trollope'
that it was a splendid country to run through an boll'
glass. On the other hand, there are abundant forest.'
of valuable timber, and important pearl and other
fisheries on the coast. When Europe gets rot
crowded than it now is, the day of Western Austral'
will certainly come; for, compared with the receri.
colonial acquisition of some of our Continenta'
friends, it is a paradise of fertility.