New Britain herald., 1924-02-01
MELBOURNE IS ONE
 OF LEADING CITIES
Australian Metropolis Ranks as Fourth British Overseas City

Washington, D. C., Feb. 1.--l
 there something in a citv's "Karma,
 ss the Hindu would put it, that cause
 it to live over again its arscteristi
 experiences--that makes city histor
 repeat itself?'
 At least Melbourne, Australia.
 fourth oversea city of the British Elm
 pire, which, like Boston, recently wa
 threatened by q mob when its polio
 struck, faced an experience strangel like an occurrences during its pionee
 days
 Gold Discovery Brought Adventures
 Melbourne first found itself sud
 denly policeless in the early 'hftieS.
 says a bulletin from the Wsshingto on D. C., headquarters of the Nationa Geographic society of the Nationa cry of gold at famous Ballaara turned the infant city upside down Policemen literally dropped theli night sticks on their beats and rush cd to the nearby gold fields along with the butchers and bakers, the merchants and lawyers, and most ol the other men of the community Soon Melbourne was town of wom' sn and children except for the horde os adventurers who were pouring through to the diggings.'
 ''Even the men of the ships that touched at Melbourne promptly de- serted. sometimes making clean sweep from master to cabin boy; and at one time 5a crewless vessels lay in the harbor. This situation presented grave social dangers. British mar. ines were rushed to the city, and quickly, like their American fellow service men had the situation in hand A further parallel fin Mel bournes history Is that during the recent police strike. British bluejack- cts from the harbor came to the res cue. and helped keep order until the civilian police force could be organ i7ed anew
 Quickly Passed Boom Stage,
 Melbourne had been in existence only a few years when the gold dis coveries were made. Like San Fran cisco. which was begun about the same time, it was born with gold spoon in it's mouth, and became a city Of wealth almost from the start, Nic- toria, of which province the city Is the capital, was the most rapidly set tied division of Australia: and Mel bourne. growing with it, soon passed the hoom-town stage and came to be pridefully referred 10 as Marvellous Melbourne
 'It lives up to the cognomen to- day It Is built on generous lines, is slunless, is rich hl beautiful parks and broad tree-lined streets and av. enuea. and its provincial and federal government buildings constitute one of the handsemest collections of such structures to be found on any con t.nent With it's population close to the soo.oo0 mark it is mid-wav be- tween St. Louis and Cleveland in size, vet numerous old-ttmers are alive who remember when the site of the great city of today was just bush,' as Australians call their back country wilderness.
 Bsyside Residences,
 Tt has great roomy hsrbor with the outer portals of it's bay some i0 miles or more from the eity'e ouays.
  necte by paved buuevards, sweep along the edge of the bay for t5 miles from the business center. while other home districts cluster about tho city fn every direction. Only 25 miles fo the east Is picturesque range of low mountains among which many Mel. bourne residents have their summer homes. There is just one fly in Mel. hourne's charming social ointment. democracy and wealth diffusion are go strongly marked that the ever- present. Seryant problem sesma un. solvable, And so tho city like its civic sisters in America, i8 becoming more and more a community of apartment houses and flats
 Melbourne is the capital of Aus. 1 tralia--temporarily. When the Aus | fralian Commonwealth vas created in 1 1900 both Melbourne and Sydney had i ambitions to become the federal seat 1 of governmental Neither would give l way, so the problem waa solved by l setting up a new federal district. like | the District of Columbia in the Unit | ed States. This was carved from New l South Wales and it was 1ccreed that | Melbourne should he the capital pending the building of the new made-to-order capital. canberra. 1T was thought that the permanent cap. ital would be ready in short time. but for 2S years Melbourne has served ss the legislative and administrative center of the Commonwealth and it probs ply cannot be superseded for several years to come.
 Always "Prize Town"
 Horse racing is q passion with the Of today and each sea- son huge pools and purses ere made up on the outcome of contests be- tween famous horses Perhaps fine prize complex or the modern Mel- oournsr is another case of history re- beating itself. for Melbourne is liter ally a prize town. Gold was frss discovered in parts of Australia out. side Melbourne's trade territory The ritizens met in a s0rt of pioneer BcosterS club and decided that fhs city needed only home faient gold mine 10 make f a Bigger and BetterI Melbourne Thereuron a Gold Ifs -overy Committee was formed and prize of about s1 Noe offered fo tho First person to in5 the yellow metal within 200 miles of the city Prospect-t ng was stimulated and before long nuggets by the sscSful rsre being