Morning journal and courier., 1892-08-03

An agricultural cOlleg6 mas Deen eetaD-
lished, in which pupils may train for sgri.
cultural pursuits. Fruits grow here in
abundance, the varieties being numerous,
and we find here not only the orange and
| banana and grape of the tropics, but the
pears and apples of the temperate zone.
The vine growing industry claims espe-
cial mention. There is a great future in
store for Victoria in this line. With q
| climate and soil so admirably adapted to
the vine in every respect, 1t Is simply q
matter of time and patience to bring the
conditions of the soil and the manufac.
ture and treatment of the wines into
touch with the requirements of the for
eign markets. The art of wine making
has not of course reached that degree of
perfection that is enjoyed in France; still
these wines here in their bouquet and
flavor approach nearer the French stand
ard than do our California wines.
Wool and gold are of course the staple
products. To 60 into the wool question
properly would occupy far too much space.
Taking quality and quantity together, the
Australian wool is the finest in the world.
In some parts of the United States we raise
wool that is finer in quality, but we get
a comparatively small amount from each
sheep. The United States consul general,
Hon. George II. Wallsce-a most worthy
ment-has in preparation an exhaustive
treatise on this subject. He has gone into
all the details and given much time and
study to the subject. His work is intend
ed to show that protection is the only pol
icy for our government to pursue. Mr..
" allace's work is, understand, to be pub
lished by the state department in the
consular reports, and will, feel sure, Gre
ate considerable interest. The yearly ex-
port of wool from the colony of Victoria
for several years past has averaged over
five millions sterling.
1t is sort Of 'workingman's paradise"
out here. Servants wages are high and
the laborer is well paid. The Decessaries
of life, too, are lower than in Europe or
America, and the average workman and his
family can enjoy meat three times a day.
The eight hour system prevails here, and
Labor day"-April 22d-is the great day
of the year. The street show on this oc-
casion is very fine, rivalling even the Lord
Mayors show, and 1t is often reviewed by
the governor and his ministers. The gen
eral business outlook in the colony at pres
ent is anything but fsttering. The single
fact is the times have been too good, and
they are now having the reaction. The
colony has borrowed from England some
thing like sixty million pounds.
per capita, and the result WAS that every
one had money and spent it freely. But
when they began to look for investments
none offered.
Then it was that R. E. took boom and
prices for land here in Melbourne went
out of sight, and now the rentals of build
ings will not pay fair rate of interest.
An illustration of this may be found in
one of our own well known insurance
companies. The Equitable purchased
property here some three years ago, pay
ing for it about ten thousand dollars per
front foot. They are now erecting fine
building, and l am told that their rentals
will not yield them more than 1Glt Il on
their investment.
AS in many of our western cities, things
have been overdone, and the inevitable re-
suit has followed.
The banks are holding all the money,
and as no investments offer here, those
who have money are seeking investments
elsewhere. The people seem, too, to be
exclusive, and do not care to entertain
propositions from other lands. Possibly
some of this feeling may arise from the
fact that they have often been swindled by
American who have come out here and uu-
loaded on their hands.
Their distrust, however, is not confined
TO Americans. lney mlstr ust chBAsuIneh
as well. A prominent Colonial gentleman
said to me: ''If the son of a good family
at home goes wrong his friends want &c
get rid OF him, and they say, Where shall
we send him-to Idial MOI it's too nesr
home. To the Cape2 No; tina. is not far
enough; we will send him to Australia
that Is the very end of the world, and SC
he comes here and preys on us, and goes
from bad to worse" Though most of the
residents here are English or descendants
from English families. they call them
selves "Colonials." and the reverence for
the mother country is daily growing less.
Matthew Arnold in writing on the subject
of education in Australia some years ago
prophesied that the rich would send their
children to England to be educated. Moth
ing of the sort is happening. The first
generation, from which he doubtless
argued, has set no abiding fashion. Few
er and fewer rich Australians are found al
Eton, or Oxford or Cambridge. The aver
age temper of Australians shows itselt
either Indifferent or hostile to the outer
| world.
The well-to-do Australian native" il
| beginning to get touchy about his ma
| tionality and to resent 'importstions'
| from 'foreign" lands. and the rich people
| do not seem to see the difference between
| a good education and bad.
| Ten years ago England was sffecticnste
ly spoken of as the old country OF home
| Now it is "home" or "ome." The quota
ton marks make all the difference, and thu
| dropped "h" contains a class contempt
| The government usurps everything her,
| in which any profit lies. 1t is impossi
bility to organize any great public work
| or any grand engineering enterprise
| without the consent and cooperation o.
1 tt..x AMI nj al IN aIA A.a1 oil
or agreement by which all profits there
from will ultimately revert to the govern
ment If man who owns a large farm
wishes to build small bridge or culvert-
or to make ditch to irrigate his lsnd-h'
dare not even overturn spade full o
earth; he goes to the government, and the,
do the work for him, charging him round
ly for it. So here not only the post an'
telegraph Offices are controlled by the gov
ernment, but all the railways.
The cable car system in the city of Mel
bourne is perhaps one of the best in tn
world. This was started by a syndicst
composed mostly of Americans. AT pres
ent this is a stock company, but in te
| years this also reverts to the Victoria
government.
The squatters-or, as we would ca
them, the ranchemen-of Victoria are
wealthy and prosperous class. They ow
immense tracts of laad and thousands c
, sheep. These people are most hospitabl
and take great pleasure in entertaining vii
itors in the Bush"
One can enjoy riding and ksngaro
shooting, and If prepared to take life 6
/ you find it can have a royal good time.
; Yet it must be admitted that most {
these people are heavily in debt to En-
lish parties, and if forced to a settlemeI
to-day would have little left.
/, In approaching the city of Melbourr
! from the sea your ship passes between tU
, headlsnds, through a narrow passage, in
large bay some fifty miles long by thiri
q broad. Pilotage is compulsory and ali
: necessary, as for fifteen miles the cham
is narrow. After that there is clear sal
), ing. At the extreme end of this bay
q the city of Melbourne, situated on Il
\ Yarra river about three miles from Il
= bay. The river is navigable to the ci
. proper, though most of the vessels lie
:, a suburb of the city on the bay. DuriI
!, the winter season heavy gales prevail, al
q it is not an infrequent thing for vessels ]
a ing in the bay at anchor to part their C
y bles and go ashore.
:. Melbourne is the most populous city
: the southern hemisphere, and the if
- city in Importance of all the British pc
= sessions. There are now about five hu
!, dred thousand inhabitants in the post
e district. The city is regularly laid out 6
ter the American plan, the streets being
right angles, very wide and well paved al
lighted, and better than all, cleanly al
q well kept. 1t seems to me that every fo
a IL ha- NaI