VICTORIA AS SHE IS.

Evening Star, Issue 7470, 14 March 1888, Page 1

VICTORIA AS SHE IS.

[Bt Vincent Pyre.]

No, 2. Melbourne, March 5. It is claimed for Protection that it has increased employment in Victoria, and this, maybe admitted with some reservations. You may remember that the New Zealand bootmakers demanded a prohibitive duty on the better classes of boots and shoes. Well, that branch of the business has not been fostered into existence here. The windows are filled with English boots, as they are in Dunedin and Wellington. Wages certainly have not risen through the protective policy. Lately a Board of Conciliation sat to decide disputes between the United IronworkersAssistants’ Association and the Ironmasters’ Association, and made an award that 6s 9d should be the minimum rate of wages for a day of eight hours, or IOJd per hour; and overtime is allowed to be worked at 1 ‘ time and a quarter ” for the first two hours, and “time and a half” after, so that ten hours’ work and more may be allowed. Hitherto a number of the shops have paid less than 6s 9d per day, and the highest wages paid in any shop have been 7s and Bftper day. The Western flock owners hav.e fixed the prices for shearing at 12a 6d and 14s per 100. Skilled railway laborers get 7s per day, and any number of men can be got at that rate. 1 met a former of the Mornington Tramway Company who said he had lately been promoted to be timekeeper on the city tramways at a wage of 33a per week. The same remarks hold good of every branch of trade, and there are many hundreds walking the streets in quest of employment. A Brewing firm here lately advertised for a traveller, and 300 applications were lodged in one day. Recently th,e Railway Commissioners received 2,785 applications for 222 vacancies, the pay being 5s pejf day. It is not uncommon to be solicited for charity by men and youths, who declare they are starving, and who look it. And it must be borne in mind that there is no such

charitable organisation as exists in New Zealand for the relief of destitute unfortunates—a thing which, considering the general wealth, lam unable to understand. I will endeavor to get a wages-list and send it by this mail for the information of yourself and your readers. As a rule they are lower than in New Zealand; and, as' I said in my last, the cost of food, clothing, and house rent are much higher than in any part of your colony. Notwithstanding the imposition of almost prohibitory duties the shop windows are full of imported goods. The revenue from this source is, in fact, increasing. The net' revenue for February, after deducting “ drawbacks,” was L 226,000, or L20,000‘ more than for the same period last year 4 and the total amount received during the present financial year is nearly LBO.OOO in excess of the Treasurer’s estimate. Strange* to say, Victoria is as great a sinner as New Zealand in regard to fruit. According to Mr Hayter the value of fruit imported last year into Victoria was L 132,000. It is-

strange to find that foreign timber also ofthe value of three-quarters of a million was' imported during the same period. Another thing which strikes one very disagreeably is the prevalence of crime here. Burglaries, assaults, offences against the person, shameful outrages on women, are daily chronicled in the papers. The other day a contractor left a bag containing LSOO in his buggy, under charge, of a boy,whilst he entered a shop for a few minutes, and when he came out the bag and its contents had disappeared. This was in broad daylight, in a crowded street. A bank manager in the suburbs was knocked down, robbed, and then given into custody by his assailants and charged with an abominable offence. Many of these things* do not appear in the morning papers ; but the ‘ Herald ’ (evening paper) seems to delight in scenting out sensational news of this* sort and retailing it to its readers.

The land “ boom ” rivals the silver “ boom” in its intensity. Land in town and country alike sells at fabulous prices, and good buildings are pulled down to pat ap something more grand. Offices are the prevailing speculations in this way. Sevenstoried buildings are frequent, and a building going up at the corner of Queen and Collins streets is to be of ten stories, the upper floors to be reached by a “lift.” There is a perfect mania for this sort of thing, and towers of all shapes and styles arc common. Coffee “palaces” abound,' and seem to do a roaring business. One of these, in Collins street, makes up 270 beds, and there are several larger than this, with more and yet larger ones building. The effect of population is traceable in* these results, and in the extension of the suburbs, lam informed that in Footscray—not the sweeteet or. most inviting locality—nearly 800 houses, were erected last year. _ Truly whatNew Zealand mostly requires, and must have before she can emerge from “depression,” is—first, populationsecondly,, population; and thirdly, population. This is the true secret of Victoria’s progression and of New Zealand’s retrogression. With population comes employment, and prosperity follows in its train. Whatever els® may be set up as the archimedean lever that is to project the colony forward nothing will come of it unless means of increasing tbo present population are adopted. But it must be population of the right sprt—people of enterprise and with some capital, if possible.

Since writing my letter I have come acrossthe following in the ‘ Age ’ newspaper “The officers of the employment branch of the railway department are now busy dealing with the February batch of application®' for appointments in the service. o&ndidatf(f are numerous in all branches, but especially for the grade of porters. For ninety-fh® vacancies there are 1,200 nominations.’ With charming naivete the ‘ Age ’ explains that “ the apparent (?) hunger after situations of this class does not indicate a lack of employment amongst the applicants, but to be a porter is their aim in life," Clearly 5s a day is regarded as a proud thing to achieve, and “ their aim ” is no higher than that.