Evening star., 1901-05-04


monwealth parliament to use Temporal
rily the Victorian parliament houses, but
eventually magnificent buildings will be
erected at the new federal capital, the site
of which is yet to be chosen.
In order to visit parliament we get card
from our consul general, take a street car
at the hotel, and within a five minutes
ride are in front of a magnificent structure
or light gray stone on a hill In the business
heart of Melbourne. The parliament build
1ngs look somewhat like our Treasury De-
partment, but they are cleaner and less
somber They stand at the end of Bunker
street, walling it off just as the treasury
does F street in Washington.
we mount the hill passing through the
crowds of shoppers and then go up al
most as many steps to reach the front
door as at the Capitol in Washington. We
go through grove of stone pillars and
finally into a large ante-room finished
In white. This is the entrance to parlia-
ment.
AT the doors opposite where we came In
are doorkeeper policemen, who wear blue
suits with silver buttons and helmets of
black oilcloth We hand our notes of In
troduction to one of them and a moment
later are admitted to a second vestibule
or lobby, through which We ascend into
gallery and find ourselves in the chamber
of the house. We are in a long, narrow
hall with high vaulted ceiling on the
floor of which sits the lower branch of the
Victoria congress-
The speaker is in a pulpit at the end of
the room, with the members in front and
below on benches without desks or tables
Many of the members keep their hats on
and when they write they write on their
hats just as in the house of commons in
England. The speaker wears a wig and a
gown, the clerks wear wigs and gowns, and
altogether it is the English house of COM
mons over again.
Half way from the floor to the roof are
the galleries where we are sitting. We
are compelled to take our hats off, although
the members below keep theirs on, not
Withstanding ladies are present among the
spectators. The speaking is about the
same as that Of one Of our state legisla-
lures. and the conduct Of the members
not very different. There are strong men,
however, in all parts Of the country and
the commonwealth parliament will probably
contain some of the best brains of Aus
tralasia.
The New Capital OF Australia.
One of the questions before the new par
Lament will be the selection of a site for
the federal capital The jealousy between
the different cities precludes any idea that
either Melbourne or Sydney will be chosen,
and the probability is that some interior
point between the two will be selected. At
present the indications are In favor of
town called A1bury, on the river Murray
This is said to be in about the center of the
Australian population. 1t is on the main
line of railway which runs through Bris-
bane, Sydney, Murray and Adelaide, and
in one of the most healthful and beautiful
parts of the country. Not far from it are
the Australian Alps, Mount KOsciusko be-
ing only seventy miles away. 1t Is on the
river Murray, which is the largest river In
Australia. Mount Kosciusko is the largest
mountain, and the friends of Albury say
that 1t is near the largest mountain and on
the largest river in the country, and there
fore 1t should be the capital.
,,1, You go through Albury on your way from
{S ,f
toms stations being the last town In New
South Wales, with its sister Wodonga in
victoria on the opposite side of the Muir
ray. AT present the town has 600 neonla
1t is chiefly supported by the agricnltnrai
ana pastoral regions surrounding it. II ts
a pretty little place, with a fairly good en-
Vlronment, and do not see why it Would
not make as good a capital as any nlaca
else ' p'f'ee
III this site is selected the name NAV
De changed, for the people argue that the
capital @ OF Australia should mean some
thlng They say that washington" indi.
Gates our love for the father Of our cni,n-
Try, and they might likewise call their can
ia! ital tooksVille in honor of Capt Cook. who
discovered Australia. or Austraville, as
representing the political center of +his
great Austral land Another title nronosnS
rs is Aiouoohga, combination of the names
q .Ie Two towns. thus signifying that New
nuu.n SOU wales wales and Victoria have entered
INTO federal embrace, and their rivaIriss
are now to be buried.
Will 1t Affect Our Trade,
ana this brings me to the effect the new
recreation may have on American trade
heretofore Sydney has been practically, ,
Tree port and most of our goods beya ha.n
landed there. The new government Min
propapiy impose a tariff on all importations
ana II Is question whether it NAV NOT
iaVor trade relations with England Ar
present England buys by far the greater
part Oh what Australia produces, and the
most OF the Australian imports come from,
her: Ihese imports are enormous in valne
ihev amount to more than those of any
other English colony, being four times az
much as those Of Canada and twire aS
much as those of South Africa The things
imported in most cases could be sunnlied
JUST as well from the United States, and If
our manufacturers should send over drum
mers the probability is that they could work
up an excellent business If trade 10 Iaft
comparatively free there should be stead.
lily increasing demand for our macbinar,
hardware and cotton.
AT present quantities of goods come from
america TO Melbourne and Sydney via Eng
iand, ana there is steady Increase in the
shipments via San Francisco A nunhor =, :,
our large agricultural implement comma niss
nave houses here and l am told that the
Australian farmer is ALWAYS glad to get
american implements and tools. He has
the same needs as the American 70 rrnar
and the tools We have invented are tha
tools which suit him. All the axes moss Of
the saws and nearly all Of the handles are
American: American bicycles are especialIv
popular. They are to be seen everywhere
There is some barb and smooth wire
shipped from "the states" to Euroue and
thence to Australia. 1t is marked English
and sold as such.
am told there is a good opening for
American cottOns and an especially pood
one for American shoes. One Of the Lead
Ing shoe importers Of the country said to
me not long ago:
used to import 100000 worth of Eng
lish shoes every year. / now Import fh mn
worth. This shows falling on Of fl45, OOO