The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-01-20
AUSTRALIA.
is FAR AHEAD OF THE UNITED
STATES.
What 1t is Doing to Improve the
- Conditions OF the People.

-, Conditions OF the People.
Voice we find the following interest
ing letter, by Mr. Benjamin Judkins.
a Californian, who travelled extensive
ly Jhroug Australia:
"In your paper Of Nov. 6, you print
ed an article on New Zealand as a
model government, prosperous coun-
try and happy people; an article all
American citizens should digest. AL
low me to say that the other colonies,
New South Wales, Victoria and South
Australia, are fast following New Zea-
lands simple, humane and workab BILE
laws, which the United States does
not hear much about through the AS
sociated Press. which in many things
has adopted the motto of suppreSSiO
ueriO. For instance, Prof. Totten's, the
United States Astronomers, new and
true chronology regarding the new age
of prosperity about to dawn. l trav-
eled thousands OF miles by cOaSting
steamers and railways in the Austria
liam Colonies, during 20 years, and saw
the even regularity with which all in
situations, railways, telegraphS, saw
ings banks, postal, prisons, poor and
| insane aSylumS are worked; the gov
eminent as yet being largely the land
| lord; and when gold mines are discov-
| cred an aSSayer is sent to report to
| protect people from ruSheS by land
sharks and real estate boomers; all
| forms OF business are regulated to pre-
vent fraud, especially in food products:
the laws being rigidly enforced against
the sale Of adulterated articles, unfit
for human consumption, and all Of
tenders hiding behind each other are
traced by experts, and for the third
| Offense they are debarred from enter
ing business again. Likewise the
| liquor traffic is restricted to certain
hours and samples that people be not
poisoned; and dealers are not allowed
| to sell during church service, on pain
Of loss of license. These governments
open up new territories with railways
often before people expect to ind uce
settlement from the cities, Austria
liza is about $500 miles from east to
west, and 1900 miles from north to
south, with only four millions Of peo-
pie, and climate much like San Die
60. Sober, industrious people, with
backbone, are constantly having
chances to work and make a home
with plenty of favor backed by sta BILE
governments. But Americans have
not tried to invade these markets
with direct line Of steamers, as the
French, German and English are do
| ing. Geo. w. Bell, an old time jour
nalist and lecturer, three years United
States Consul at Sydney, says the
| United States only gets per cent of
| the Australian trade. instead of 40 per
cent; and that Australia imports and
| exports are as great as any other coun-
| try with five times the population:
that it is fine fruit land. Sydney
naval oranges, says Frank Kimball,
beat the world. (See report San Diego
Chamber Of Commerce.) A trade in
| fruit between California and Austria
liza might be made, for when it is sum-
mer here it is winter there, and al
ways pleasant voyage and safe for
shipping, as the Pacific ocean implies.
| Mr.. Percy f. Marks, a proprietor of
the London Financial News, made a
close study of Australian resources
while there, and says the gold fields
are very rich and extensive and pre-
| diets unheard Of developments, soon
| as territories now uninhabited, but
| which give remarkable percentage to
the ton in assay, can be opened up. /
have seen flouriShing townships, with
| solid wagon roads, made and settled
| by government acting as an advance
| guard, and these three main govern
ments are Offering better inducements
| that pay, to settlers Of any nationali-
ty and sobriety, than anywhere else
on the planet. Chaffey Bros, of Cali
| fornia. received a free gift of SO, 900
acres for cultivation.
A few years ago I wrote these three
governments for books on the man
agement Of their railways, for DR..
Stockton Of San Diego, who was sur
prised at the hitherto unknown pro-
gress. Fight years ago caused my
friend, the Hon. G. E. Jones, then a
minister of railways, to bring before
the Melbourne legislature the need Of
the Australian mails being landed in
San Diego instead Of San Francisco,
saving thereby about 50 hours in the
transit between London and San Die
go, to the latter's prestige.
"Now, Mr.. Editor, why should not
we wake up to the great possibilities
of San Diego county and all Califor-
MIA, with its endless resources, and try
government cooperation by consent,
instead Of by Injunction and despair?
Aus tralians would scarce believe that
SO close to the city Of San Diego, with
$4,000 people, north Of it Linda Vista
could have remained SO long unsettled
while the land was being eaten up by
taxes, officers fees and mortgages, un-
der the Wright law, as / happen to
know, through the loss Of 176 acres ia
that district, waiting for irrigation.
The dead and dying must be aroused
to courage again.