OUR MELBOURNE LETTER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11658, 15 February 1900, Page 6

OUR MELBOURNE LETTER.

(Fboh Oun Ownr Coekesfondent.) February 7. Sir George Turner missed his opportunity. He did not strike while the iron was hot. Consequently the projected no-confidence motion lias not come off, and the M'LeanShielfs Ministry will go into recess still in power. It is a singular hotch-potch, certainly — ~Mt M'Lean, rabid protectionist and antifederalist; Mr iShiels a most erratic individual, all fireworks and glitter, the very worst Treasurer the colony ever possessed, againat that important post; Mr Irvine a. staunch freetrader and federalist; and so -on. Rather a, curious specimen is Mr Melville, of the Upper House, who is the new Minister of Defence. Ho is an amiable, simple-minded, garrulous Scotchman, something in the grain tr-ade, who has made a. competence by careful, steady, hard work. He continues in his good old simple way—rising every morning at 5 and milking his own two cows regularly, jnst as lie has done these 40 years. The Argus read him a lecture the oilier day. I mentioned Colonel Tom Price in a recent letter ■as"having gone in charge of the second contingent. Ho put one of the men ashore at Albany for insubordination. The man had refused to be vaccinated. Colonel Tom g.ive ■him 10 minutes to decide. Still objecting,' he then turned him adrift. Mr Melville let it be known that he considered this treatment.lard linos; whereupon the Argus begged him to remember thnt, as head of the defence force, Ms duty was to sustain discipline. Some peoplo think Colonel Price was too hasty. Anyhow, they arc going to hold an inqniry, which is an absurdity, considering the -only witness will be the man nut ashore.

Patriotic fervour continues, and realty increases. The Bushmen's Corps is a popular move. It is great fun seeing the volunteers put through their riding- tests in the Domain: some afternoons, when'it is not. too hot, 5000 people look on. The Rev. Charles Clark, who is on his way to New Zealand to do a lecturing tour under the management of R. S. Smythe. was asked by the mayor (Sir Malcolm M'Encliorn, to break his journey here to 171'vo a patriotic sermon in tho Town Hall on Sunday afternoon. Un fortunately the day was a " roaster'"—lOidepr in the shade, with a blast all day like a whiff from the notlier regions. Naturally tho swell people stayed away; still there were 2000 people present— a marked tribute to Jlr Clock's attractiveness. Nearly :870 was the result of the collection, and it is expected this will bo largely increased by subscriptions fo'om people whom tho terrific heat prevented going. Charles Clark is undoubtedly tho finest elocutionist we have ever known on the lecturing platform.

The general impression.' at Hie close of the l)oom poriocl was that Melbourne was overbuilt. And it certainly seemed so, for there were rows and row of suburban villas and cottages standing empty. But though only six or seven years has pafised, building is once more proceeding vigorcnisly. In St. Kilda. road, for instance, quite a score of now mansions and villas have pjone up within the last 12 monllis. In some of the outer suburbs, such as Hawthorn, Gimberwoll, Malverni and Kcw, the new building going on is simply marvellous. It;is all beine done in

an entirely new style. The plain,. squari'set; bay-windowed villa lias gone right out. .The architect's idea now is,that the whole outline must be broken up—the roof into gable-ends; tho walls with dainty verandahs and projecting windows; eveu the chimneys must bo in fluted columns" or ■■something of the sort. Slates are no longer used for roofing—only tiles. Very cosy and old-fashioned the 'littlo villas look; .with a.general suggestion of airiness and abundant light. Just at first the tiled roofs have an ugly glare in the imii, but in the evening they are very pretty, and' in time they lose their aggressive brightness. The new style adds to the beauties of the suburbs.

The summer is proving somewhat mora trying than usual— not because the heat is greater, but because it comes in sudden lurid patches. In the main the temperature has been mild; but once a. week or so wo suddenly get a roaster—generally on a Sunday, when the glass takes a sudden burst from FS or so up to 104 or 106. These days are very trying. Last wesk when Sunday.was 106 the far-famed Western district was devastated by a terrific bush fire, which extended ovet the_ magnificent grass country lying between Hamilton and Warrnambool. It is a misnomer io call it a hush fire, if by that term you understand a. forest fire. Really it was a grass fire. Much of the country is, timbered, but very lightly, only a. cumi tree— not the tall, graceful bluegum, but a gnaried.' knottecl specimen not unlike an old broaclleaf in shape and build—every 20 yards or so. The fire flie3 from one ton. to another, and tho burning bark is scattered everywhere; and the grass is like tinder, so that miles are burned over in an hoiir or two. The flames pimply fly. Large numbers of-sheep,.: perhaps the finest in-the world for wool, were burned to death ; several settlers .had' their horses so severely1 injured under them .that they died; and in a few cases the men themselves were so badly burned that they had to lie taken to the hospital. It was a terrible day—a hot wind like a blast from the nether regions, a sun that registered about 150, a hopeless fight all clay against raging flames, dock screaming and dying on all sides—who' envies the life of an Australian settler? -■ From one of the country districts-of New J^outli Wales comes a story of deaths' by lightning, which is one of tho most extraordinary ever chronicled. The occurrence took place during a heavy thunderstorm at Maruian. in tlis Goulburn district, at the residence ol Air o. Williams. A swagman. whose name is unknown:, called at the back door. Lloyd .i son of Mr Williams, 14- years of ago. answered the knock, and as he opened the'door a very vivid flash of lightning killed. the swagman instantly, and the boy. who Was also struck, fell in the doorway unconscious, and expired in r, quarter, of an hour. The lightning passed through tho hall, and found an exit by the window, taldng on its way a thin shaving off tho stock of a loaded gun standing, muzzle downward, against the wall, with- ?"*•,. h( >wever, exploding the weapon. U's .Williams stated that her son had only been away from her side for about a minute tt^en there, was a vivid flash of lightning and a crash. She ran out, and saw the boy falling, with a strange man lying dead on the veran-' dah. The doctors stated that the hair'on the top of the boy's head was a little crisped. There was a. mark on the scalp, something similar to tho letter S, and some discolouration on the back of the head, but there were no marks on. the body.