East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-05-01
PICTURE OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

"Australia's outlook is gloomy
one-darker than that of any other
country 1 have visited. 1t is land
OF unending drouth, for one thing,
and the origin of Australia as a nation
is one that appears to have had
blithing, a killing effect. The people
there have for many years been living
on borrowed money, and now their
only creditor-England- refusing
to loan them any more. Property
everywhere is going into forced sale
and men are constantly going into
bankruptcy. The labor element there
is in full control and all the evil that
could come out of such a condition
Of things seems there to have been
realized"
Such is the report brought back by
Edgar ]. Webster of Spokane, who
has spent the greater part of the past
seven months in Australia and New
Zealand, and several of the islands of
the South sea.
LAS every one knows Tasmania, or
Van Dieman's land. one of the feder-
ated states of the present Australian
union, was originally England's penal
colony. There, in earlier days male
factors of every description were sent
out from the mother country and for
many years the population of the is
land was almost wholly composed of
those who had done violence to the
laws of Great Britain and forfeited
their right to a home on English soil.
'In time the Australian mainland
=. A.. af rNff hos
people, and in all the large cities of
the mainland are still to be seen the
ineradicable traces of the penal set
Element area. In Sydney, the metrop-
oils, a city of more than 100000 in
habitants, and without doubt one OF
the wickedest cities in the world, men
are everywhere to be seen who might
be said to bear the mark of Cain
upon them, the inevitable issue of the
penal colony regime.
Though Sydney is in many ways
a magnificent city. and has one Of
the finest harbors in the world, 1t is
nevertheless a city of crime, and pow
erty everywhere abounds. Wages are
at the lowest, capital is discouraged
from embarking in new enterprises
and an era of still further prostratior
seems to be the portion of the un'
fortunate island"
Mr.. Webster says that what is true
of Sydney is for the most part true O.
all the principal parts of the island
The several states recently federated
and the great question now confront
ing them is the location of the capi
tai. By an act of parliament some
years ago this capital cannot be 10
Gated within 100 miles of Sydney o.
Melbourne, and the location cannot b.
decided upon until the government Il
donated a tract of land sufficient to'
all the needs of a capital city. Mr.
Webster is of the opinion that year
will pass before the capital Location
wrangle will be brought to an end
and that it will be years more befor
the capital is built for the Australian
will not be satisfied with buildin
costing less than several millions.
Tasmania, according to Mr.. Webs
ter. is not suffering as is the Austria
liam mainland. There the rainfall
heavier, more abundant crops G
everything are grown and the peopl
A striking contrast to the condi
tions prevailing in Australia is tha
presented by New Zealand, which
believed by many to be the neare'
approach to a real Utopia to be foun
on earth. Here, Mr.. Webster say
labor is also predominant, but her
nature has been kinder than In Aus
tralia. The country has an abunt
ant rainfall and in city and COUNT
alike prosperity is apparent.
"There is no poverty in New Ze'
land" says Mr. Webster. ut can tru
be called the paradise of the laboriI
man, for he is as we'll paid there as
the United States, and many OF Z
hardships to be met with in this cou
try, there are wholly wanting.
the rich there are as scarce as t
extraordinary poor. There is sm
encouragement for the investment
capital on the islands, and for u
reason New Zealand will probably
ways be what it is now, paradise
thrifty members of the middle calls