Our Melbourne Letter.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 2181, 8 July 1890, Page 3

Our Melbourne Letter.

It 16 ft great pity that the trial of the ex-directors, ex-secretaries, exborrowers, <fee, who are alleged to have run the Premier Permanent Building Association high and dry on the reef, in commercial parlance called insolvency, has not been turned to more profitable usca. By profitable, I mean to the advantage of the luckleaa depositors and shareholders. As it is, tho funda are daily diminishing in the benefit of the lawyers. The number of defendants is eleven, and there are two battalions of barristers — one on each side — fighting over them, assisted by two contingents of solicitors. Between the two contending forces both "assets" and "reputations'* are being torn aud mangled in unseemly fashion. The scenes which occasionally take place between the opposing lawyers, ixud 'between certain law-

yors and the bench, are more instructive than edifying. If they are of no oth?r use, however, they furnish considerable amusement to the public, and if the court were very much larger than it is the place would be crowded. Under these circumstances it seems almost a pity that arrangements were not made to hold the court in some lar^e public building. If that had been done, and the public charged a shilling a head for admission, the " gate money " would have gone far to pay the lasvyers's fees. Mr David Gaunson's unbridled tongue would have been sure to " draw a full house."

A few weeks ago T mentioned a project of Mr E. W. Cole's to produce a book on the " Federation of the Whole "World." The idea is unique, and there is no doubt that the result will be the production of a book well worth reading. I clip the following from the ' Herald ' of last Saturday, as being of interest to any of your readers who may have written, or who propose to write, as the time has been altered. Mr Cole says : — Five hundred and seven essays have come in on the " Federation of the Whole World," and largely by influential persons from all parts of Australasia — about two-thirds in favour and ono-third against it. Having received such glorious encouragement, I now feel more certain than ever that the book will be an excellent one, and destined to do much good ; and being thus supported 1 am encouraged to go further and try and make it still better. I now respectfully ask those who feel interested in subject, and have not the opportunity, or made up their minds to prepare a paper to do so now, and forward it before Monday, 21st July. I ask them as before to write it on from one to four pages of foolscap, or even to send a few lines, if they contain a good thought or suggestion, with their names attached (or anonymously, whichever they choose). I wisb. to obtain a complete expression of Australian opinion on the subject, and publish it to the world. We Australians have made a name in the Old World for cricket, rowing, etc. Let us show that we are not entirely engrossed by these p'ayfull athletic exercises, but are up to the mark in Intellectual, Moral, Social, and Fraternal qualities also. If a number of other ensays are forwarded (and I am sure they will be), J promise to publish a book of 500, selected from them and those already Bent in. — E. W, Cole, Boole Arcade, Melbourne.' — I think, with Mr. Cole, that this will prove a very interesting as well as an extraordinary book.

The following account of a cricket match between two teams of ladies may be interesting : — " The lady cricketers made their real debut at Slough on Weduesday, and played a capital match of a single innings each bet ore some twelve hundred spectator. The two elevens are known as the ' Reds ' and ' the Blues/ and have been in training under Messrs. G-eorge and Alec Hearu and Maurice Read during the winter. It is true that they had already payed matches both at Liverpool and Ashford, but in these instances the pitch was so bad that they used matting, and the Slough match, therefore, is their first effort upon the turf. The costume consists of a white Garibaldi shirt trimmed with blue or red, a round skirt reaching considerably below the knees, and stockings of the distinctive colour of their ' side.' The ' blues ' won the toss, and sent Miss Stan:oy, their captain, and Miss Fletcher to the wickets. The game was somewhat slow at first, as the bowling was very good, and the fair batswomen ' blocked ' well and in good form. The last 'blue ' wicket went down for sixty-nine ; and Miss V. Westbrook, captain of the 'reds,* and Miss Dempsey went to the wickets . The latter was very Boon clean bowled, but Miss Westbrook, batting excellently, and, running with great judgement, put together the excellent score of forty-nine. The bowling of the sisters Heather was very creditable, of the ' round ' order, and they secured most of the wickets. The fielding and throwing in also was far smarter than might have been expected from the sex ; but the whole game should do much to remove the erroneous notion that girls can do nothing with a game that involves any throwing."

We live in the midst of changes, and some Nix months ago «n old-established wholesale warehouse in Fiindera-street wan rnei {jed into the modern family ret ail wn rehouse.. Tlie establishment ullndert to was th-«.t of Messrs. Andrew King & Co, winch for 30 years past had bren one of the Fliuders-streefc landmarks. The result of six months' ci'ridiug under the new regime has been «n almost unprecedented success. In p'nce of sow procession of wholesale buyers, who usod to " drop in " daily to lC sort up " stocks, the place has become a resort of mater -familias, in force, on the look out to supply household re a quxrements. Id fact, it has become a iiusy bsiz.iar, aud the. " whole-sale house" young man has had to change his habits very considerably, and has shown great tact in adapt ng himself to the new order of things. The firm are now holding their first half-yearly stock-taking sale, iv order to reduce stocks preparatory to yet another change. Mr. A. Crawford, a gentleman well known in Caßtlemaine, Maldon, Daylesford, and Ballarat, has j »iued the old house, and from the Ist of next August the firm will be known a* Messrs. Crawford, King & Co. At any rate, the general public, so far, hsive given a verdict that points in that; direction.