The Helena independent., 1894-11-21
THE WEATHER,
AlEssoN ERoM AusTRALIA.

y IEOOOh FhSN NV hFE"H
Mr.. George W. Bell United States
consul at sydney, in a report to the
state department gives the most COM
prehensive review of the Australian
crisis OF 1898 that we have yet seen,
In few sentences he pictures the con-
dition existing at the time the crash
came. Australia was settled, he says,
by men Of three classes-"a rich class
able 10 enter into the daring pursuits
OF pastoral life on a magnificent scale;
poor class willing TO accept any con-
dltion which improves them on the
whole, and an adventurous class who
came in swarms to the new Eldorado.
The rich We're royalIsts by instinct,
and aristocratic In taste; the poor class
passive and dependent and the third
class alert and active and gathering
gear by every vile The rich class
nodded the governmental policy In ac-
cordance with its tastes and inclina-
tlons; the adventurous class largely
controls them by methods in harmony
with It's tastes and interests, the poor
class now threatens to destroy them. as
that seems to them to be their interest
! have travelled in many lands, but In
no place have seen the classes within
the same nationality, so we'll defined
or the lines so strongly drawn. In no
country Of like population can there be
found more wealthy people, more poor
people. or more who thrive on the fol-
lies OF the other classes"
4 Mr.. Bell gives graphic sketch Of the
great landed interests in the colonies.
In New South Wales s77 persons own
g, ,000,0 600 acres of land, making the
average estate. in over one-half OF the
owned land. more than $4,000 acres for
each person.
Nearly one-half OF the alienated lands
Of New Zealand is owned by 337 per-
CONS, an average individual holding OF
5000 acres.
In the other colonies the conditions
are little better. These vast individual
holdings. Of course mean the exclusion
from the land OF thousands of persons
who would otherwise become thrifty
farmers, and as a consequence. the
cities have grown out of all proportion
20 the country. OF the l.193,OOO inhabl-
tants OF New South Wales, All, 900 live
IN the city OF Sidney. In New Castle
$4,000 more live, and one-half of the
whole dwell I'm nine cities and towns.
Victoria has a population OF l,l67 600, OF
whom 100000 live in Melbourne and 1O0-
300 more I'm other cities. "The resllts
are" says Mr.. Bell, that in most OF
the districts there is a small number of
very rich and powerful land and stock
owners. a large yet too small num-
Der, OF independent farmers, who live
by their own TOLL and an abnormally
large number NJ absolute dependents.
IN tho cities there are the same results
from the Same cauaes-a few enormous
iy rlsh, "a laIrp class ~ business men
Ni'h moderate means. and an enor-
nously disproportimate number Of the
very Door and destitute.
The germ OF every startling phase OF
the financial climax was warmed into
lifa by the social and political condl-
uons ot the county. Tho sociol sys-
tenn, with the heir Of The great distance
checks the flow on people 10 this coun-
try, while tho influence Of a powerful
class and the actual profit on their chief
nduslries-mlnlus ana grazlng-acceI-
crates the ilow or capital.
Given such u combination of coinci.
dent causes immigration retarded, the
development Of rural Industry dlscour-
nged BY the land system, with vast
sums " money being thrown on the
market, ana Imitation extravaganza
and speculation, ending I'm crisis when
oyerstrnined relations between labor
and capital demanded a readJustment.
inevitably followed"
There is very much In Mr. Bells re-
port that might be studied with pront
by the people Of the new American
states. We have seen In this country
some Of the samc conditions OF un.
healthy growth-tno little immigration
and too much money brought In Tor in.
vestment. too much concentration oi
energy and capital In one or two indus
tries, too little effort 10 diversity labor
and 10 encourage the small land own
ers. too little attention to the agricul
tural resources, too much building and
booming Of cities.
Here, as in Australasia, the marvel
ious growth OF cities has been wit