The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-29
The State of Things in Victoria.

Som seven years ago, at about the time
when Sir CHARLES dixie published the
outcome of his travels in Greater Britain,
the Australian colony of Victoria was de-
picted as a workman's paradise. There
every man could find work enough to do at
high wages, and the workmen were prac-
tically masters of the State, one vaunted re-
suit of their political preponderance being
the management Of railways and tramways
in the interest, not of capitalist owners, but
of the community at large. Everybody
seemed to have money to invest and every
body invested in land consequently there
was a tremendous boom in real estate, the
prices of lots in Melbourne and it's suburbs
reaching figures that would seem amazing In
the capitals of some of the oldest western
countries. Then came a crisis which may
be compared with that which smote the
industries and trade of the United States
in 1887. Factories and workshops were
closed large tracts of land went Temporal
rily out of cultivation the boom in real
estate collapsed the public works, under.
aiken on a scale disproportionate to the
colony's resources, had to be stopped the
colonial revenue fell far short of the cur
rent expenditure NJ colonial money was
procurable for private enterprise except at
prohibitive rates of interest English CAPT.
talists ceased to advance money on Victo-
rian securities there was a large exodus
of the younger men to the mining camps of
West Australia. In a word, the once
model colony Of Victoria was threatened
with disastrous bankruptcy and par
tial depopulation. Then followed the
huge strike of workmen, who imagined
that they could check the fall In wages,
rendered inevitable by the arrest of indus
tries and the shrinkage of trade. To them
was presently opposed a counter combina.
tion of employers, who, having the avs of
political economy on their side, proved the
victors in the struggle. Wages dropped to
the lowest level known In Australian his
tory, and a period of stagnation, discour-
agement, and discomfort ensued.
During the last two years, however, there
has been a decided improvement, and Vic
toria seems to be upon the path to a de-
gree of prosperity which, though moderate
compared with the Utopian expectations of
the boom epoch, Is likely to be permanent.
The facts relating to the change were set
forth the other day in London by Sir GEoRGE
TURNER, formerly q quiet Melbourne law.
yer, who has been for two years the
Premier of Victoria. He pointed out that,
whereas three years g the colonial bud
get showed n deficit of SO, ZOO, 900, last
year the shortcoming was but $3.50, 900;
and this year., for the first time in six or
seven years, there will be a balance on the
right side. This suspicious result has been
brought about by greater economy in ad-
ministration. and by the recent resumption
of growth In the real, as distinguished
from the speculative. resources of the col.
ony. The gold yield of Victoria Is large,
being over 100000 ounces a year, and 1t
is steady increasing. The output OF dairy
goods, grain, and farm products is now an
nually enlarged, and the receipts of both
the railways and the tramways, which, rs
we have said, are managed by the State,
are augmented from month to month. The
annual expenditure of the colonial Govern
ment has been brought down from $45,-
100000 to a little over $50, 900, 900,
which, according to Sir GEORGE TURNER,
Is the lowest possible point. To pre-
vent ~extravagant outlay in the future, such
as was witnessed in the past, all new pub.
lie works have to be approved by a special
| committee, and ut present the outlay for