The Indianapolis journal., 1890-12-11
A CONTINENT BEYOND THE SEAS.
Major Daviss Lecture on Australia, Its Vast Re-
sources, Government and Labor Affairs.

The usual Indianapolis Lecture Course
audience was at Plymouth Church last
night. the attraction being Maj. H. C. Dane,
who spoke on THE Sea Glrt Continent"
The lecturer Is a widely travelled man, and
to Australia. he said, expecting to traverse
it's domain and return in eight months. but
his purpose was only accomplished after
three years of careful observation, trav-
ell and study. In extent that country is
just the size of the United States,
and accustomed as he was to great dis
tances and scales of measurement in all
things, as he was in his native land, the
Major said he had yet something to learn
of this nature in Australia. Referring to
the lack of information on this subject, he
related having read letter from the wife
of q British minister to a friend in Auck-
land. telling her that a cousin had recently
married and moved to an Australian city,
and asking her If she would not take the
This ferry is twelve-hundred-mile ride,
and to the city it is q twenty-four
hours inland journey after landing at Sid
ney. Ihe government OF Australia is pat
termed after that of Canada, having q gov
ernor appointed by the Queen and Parlia-
ment. part elective and part appointive in
some of the five provinces, and in one
wholly elective. The government is, how
ever. OF the paternal type, owning and
operating the railroads. building water
works and carrying OH enterprises of that
character, and while the road equipments,
road-bed and stations are the best in
the world, the lecturer prayed to
be delivered from paternal government.
1t could only be tolePable. he said. if every
employe would relinquish his right to vote.
The railroads are independent of the peo-
pie or their interests, and are largely en-
ployed In carrying public officials about
the country free of cost. Australia lacks
the healthy competition of private owner
ship of roads. and 1t is time the government
turned them over to private control. 1t is
ludicrous, the Major maintained. to estab-
hsh paternal government on ballot box.
The Major then spoke of the great sheep
industry. There are 96,000.0O0 sheep In
Australia, worth $3.50 each. There IL one
run. or ranch, as Americans would say of
5000 acres, and 1t is owned by three faml-
lies in England who never saw their pos
session. but who reap princely fortune
every year from the wool product. The
floods to which the country is subject de-
strOy immense numbers of sheep, and an
instance was related of one firm, whose
members are the speakers friends, losing
one million Of sheep at one time from this
cause.
Australia is called,n said the Major.
"the workingman's paradise. The average
wages Oh common laDOr ranges from Sl.0O
to 81 per day. and of skilled labor from
$3.50 to S4. The men work but eight hours
a day. and have a half-holiday Saturday
afternoon" He witnessed a strike of
miners for some trivial reason. where they
were earning an average of $3.50 per day.
and the w0rkingmen there are now striking
all over the country. and are opposed
to Immigration, because of a fear
that it world lessen their wages. This
situation augurs i'll in his opinion for the
future of Australia, but he maintained
with emphasis that he learned enough of
the Australian character TO convince him
that in the rising generations new and
mighty spirit will develop which will make
Australia continent unique, powerful and
rich beyond estimate. He said he saw no
reason why that country should dissever
it's relations with Great Britain. but the
FIVE provinces must confederate and aban-
don intercolonial tariffs.
The lecture abounded in entertaining de-
scriptions of the vegetable, animal and
bird life of the country. and was eloquent
at times in word pictures of scenes and in
cidents- The audience paid strict atten-
tion throughout the two hours of the dis
cnnrsa