The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-17
Fresh Facts About Australia.

Fresh Facts About Australia.
We referred some time ago to the Ob.
! scrvations made at first hand by Mr.. D.
CHRISTIE MURRAY in regard to the feeling
really entertained for England by the Aus.
tralians. In later contribution to the
Contemporary Rerie,r Mr.. MURRAY sets forth
some other new and interesting facts which
throw light upon the social and economical
condition Of the Australian colonists.
He regards. for instance. the relation OF
Melbourne to Victoria as abnormal and even
mischievous from an onomco-socal point
OF view. This opinion Is based upon the fact
that. while the population Of the capital
amounts to nearly one-half Of that OF the
whole colony, it does only the business work
of that one colony. That is to say, forty-iour
non producers live on the profits Of the la
bors OF flfty-six producers. This assertion
has been disputed. Mr.. MURRAY shows. how
ever from the returns for the year
1ss5-the latest for which complete
statistical information ia obtainable--tha
the total tonnage entered and cleared
in Australian ports amounted to 1885, 575.
On the other hand, the total tonnage entered
and cleared in Victorian ports in the same
year was only about one-third OF this. viz.
4 ,SO7,s33. OF this last-named amount go per
cent Is credited to Melbourne, whose In
habtants form nearly sixth OF the entire
population Of the continent while they do
rather less than one-third OF its trade. In
presence OF these figures 1t Is manifest that,
whether or no there be danger In over.
GENERALIZATION. Melbourne presents the most
abnormal example OF it in the world.
Mr.. MURRAY's observations convince him
that the English physical type ls seriously
deterioratinE In Australia through the in
fluences Of climate and environment The
average mean temperature even Of Mel
bourne is only slightly lower than that Of
Marseilles. That OF Sydney is five or six de-
grees higher; Adelaide Is hotter yet. and
part OF Queensland is distinctly tropical. In
the most northern parts OF Australia 1t Is
plainly impossible that any race OF men can
for many generations preserve the charac-
teristics OF European peoples. Apropos
OF the changes which must inevitably take
place in the physique OF the inhabi.
tants, the predictions Of q native writer.
MARCUS CLARKE. are reproduced. We are
told that In another hundred years the av-
erage Australian will be tall. coarse.
strengthened, greedy, pushing, talented
man, excelling In swimming and horseman-
ship. His religion will be form OF Pres
byterlanism; his national politics democ-
racy tempered by the rate Of exchange.
His wife will be thin, narrow, passionless
woman. very fond Of dress and idleness, and
caring little for her children. In GOO years,
according to the native prophet, the breed
OF Australians, unless recruited from foreign
nations. will be wholly extinct.
Mr.. MURRAY Is not q prejudiced observer.
On tho contrary, he willingly gives Aus
trala credit where credit Is due. He does
not hesitate to say, however. that In no CIV
illzed country does there exist so much tur-
buence. 30 lax a commercial morality, and
such overcharged statistics OF drunkenness
and crimes Of violence. Tho figures pro.
duccd in support OF this assertion come from
Mr.. II. II. HAYTER, Government Statlst OF
Victoria. 1t appears that Australian insolv.
encies are to British as four to one. Con.
victions for crime in Australia are TO con-
victions in the United Kingdom as
two to one. Again, the highest per-
centage of deaths from the abuse OF alcohol
is recorded In Australia. 1t Is l13. ns against
50 even In Switzerland. and as against &c In
England and Wales. In Ireland the deaths
from alcoholism are only little over
quarter OF those registered for the Aus
tralias. TO the question why the Australian
people should be among the least CONNER
cinly sound. tho rowdest, and the most
drunken in the world. Mr.. MURRAY finds 1t
hard to give n wholly satisfactory answer.
Ho Is inclined to think that the disturb
ing influences are traceable to the former
habit Uf shooting human refuse on Austria
lan shores; to the natural boisterousncss OF
a young and partially settled community;
to the adventurous and frequently lawless
character OF the men drawn to tho gold
fields, and to tho wild, unsettled life still led
by considerable number of men In the far
marked differences between tho colonies In
respect OF tho shortcomings above NEIL
toned. Commercial morality is ut its loos-
est in New South Wales, and ineLrlety Is
especially conspicuous in Queensland.
While all this ia true, it Is chearfully ac-
knowlcdgcd that the standard of education
Is higher in Australia than in any other
country in tho world excepting Prussia.
Nowhere Is the instruction OF the young so
far as mere schooling Is concerned, better
managed or more literally provided for. In
every ono of the Australian colonies the
State system of education is compulsory and
secular. In Victoria and Queensland public
instruction Is free. and although in the other
colonies fees arc charged, these are partially
or entirely RENTED In cases where the
parents are unable to pay thom. Tho
cost OF State education is set down
at $3.50 per head OF the colonial
population. Moreover, tho efforts of tho
state AFRO vigorously seconded by private
Il single citizen having spent