OUR MELBOURNE LETTER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13858, 22 March 1907, Page 8

OUR MELBOURNE LETTER

(Frok Our own Coshe3pont)e;;t,) THE ELECTIONS. •MELBOURNE, March 13. It cannot bo Baid that thero is very keen interest over the elections for the Victorian Legislative Assembly, which take place on Friday next. The fact is that it lakes two fairly equal parties to provide a contest with'any "go" in it and that indispensable element, is lacking in llio present fight. Tho combination of the fcnt-Matikmnon. parlies lias re<luced the issue to a straight out. engagement between tlio Socialist and the anti-Socialist, representatives and (bis must mean (bat the Labour party will lose some of llio seats which it gained at tho last 'elections in three-cornered battles. There i 6 a slight echo ot the sectarianism which was so pronounced a feature in the recent. Federal elections and the effect of this must be to tell against Labour. Tho tltios! ion involved is the reading of the Bible in tho State schools, and tho proposal ia not to ask Parliament to sanction this change, but is to ask Parliament, to grant •a. referendum, at which the people are to sa.v_ whether or not they desire the innovation. _An overwhelming majority of the candidates have grasped at the ehajice which a referendum provides for evading a straight answer to an awkward question. _ Tho Labour party, which is against religious instruction, is in of tho referendum as an agency of legislation, and consequently it cannot opposo it on this occasion. Indocd, it would not bo politic for it to do so, for it gains something towards achievement of its ends by the very fact that the referendum is being conceded. This is a feature of

he contcst of which the constitutionalists !o not seem to mc to take sufficient note.

The .referendum is king granted to-day to lot. the people cot-tlc a question which t.bo politicians arc afraid to settle for themselves. When later on the Socialists demand a direct appeal to tho people to settle whether the Legislative Council has outlived its usefulness, or whether or not we are to have a bursting-up land tax, it. is hard to sec on 'what ground of high principle the men who are now dinging to the picbisoitc for salvation will bo ablo to opposo it. MR DEAKK'S MISSION. Sir Dcakin loft by tho K.M.S. Ha mora last week to attend the Imperial Conference. The sitting of Parliament mado him cut things rather tine, and ho had to catch tho mail boat at Adelaide. Already wo have heard from him," for

amongst tho passengers arc at, least two -newspaper men. • Mr John West represents tlic Argus. He is a "special,'' rather than an ordinary member of ihe staff, and has a eloao association with the country interests. Ho will be able to employ his special knowledge in connection wii.li" any questions regarding the' immigration of suitable settlers which may arise. Lieut.colouel Rcay, (he managing editor of the evening Herald-, represents that journal. Colonel Beay is something of a Deakin worehipper, and lie may bo relied upon during the voyago and in Knglawl to play the part of lioswell to tiic Prime Minister's Johnson. -■

From the correspondents we learn that the Prime Minister has had an office fitted

up in the cabin next to his own and Mrs Dcakin's. He is aecompanicd by Mr Atlee Hunt, the secretary for the Department of External Affairs', and, is working on the voyage. Mr Deakin says that he intends in tho conforenec to prces in accordance with a resolution which lie submitted to. the Federal Parliament for the appointment of a permanent secretarial staff to the conference. This would give tho gathering a greater continuity, Immigration and defence the Prime Minister regards as the two most- important subjects which will bo brought heforo the conference.- The Slates own the land, and when they make any provision for settling it, the Federal Government will bo willing to co-operate with them in getting settlers from Home. A resolution will he submitted on behalf of the Commonwealth

affirming the desirability of the colonics being represented on tho Imperial Council of Defence, while another resolution will recommend the provisions of the naval agreement of 1902 be reconsidered. Under this agreement- Australia, as you are aware, contributes £200,000 a year and New Zealand £40,000 to the British Admiralty. The reason it is sought to secure reconsideration is, Mr Deakin raid, -because it ds thought that Australia's contribution, instead of being a direct grant to the Admiralty, might be more effectively expended in training and equipping Australian seamen on board the squadron or providing coaling stations, or subsidising a lino of steamers that would he available in the'event of war. It is to.be noticed that in this Mr Deakin said nothing about the real reason for the recommendation—namely, the desire of a largo section of the Australians to make a start with a. local navy—a subject, by tho way, on which Mr Deakin and Sir Joseph soem likely to find themselves separated as the poles. A YICE-REGAIi ADVENTURE. His Excellency the Governor-general in a desire to widen his knowledge of Australian conditions has been on a visit to the selected site of the future Federal capital.

This is situated under the shadow of tho snow-clad Mount Kosciitsko, in tho high table-lands about. Dalgcty, It enjoys as a prospective capital the active hostility of the whole Sydney influence, which is very averse from locating tho fijsre administrative centre so close to tho VSretorian border. But at least, by all accounts, the district, is a most picturesque one, and tho climate, particularly i nthe summer, is most exhila-

rating. The people of the locality ale strong m the hope that even the machinations of Sydney will not deprive tlicm of their heritage. Consequently when the fiovornorgencral appeared for the first time across the border line of the Dalgety shire he was presented 'with an address embodying the following statements of fact and the expressions of hope: — "The village of Berridala is tho administrative centre of the Dalgety shire, and will, no doubt, in tho future be the prin. cigal residential suburb of Ihe federal capital city of the Australian Commonwealth. We look forward to tho time when the residence of llio Governor-general will be 'shaded by our lofty pines and

poplars, and its inmates will enjoy tho fragrance of our hawthorn hedges, and the invigorating effects produced by onr fine mountain air." Passing on from Berridale to Dalgcty, and from Dalgety to Bombala, tho party, in a four-horsed coach, commenced tho descent of Big .lack Mountain to Men, on Twofold Bay. In front, wont an cscort of police, and in the carriage, in addition to his. Excellency, were Mr Share (bis private secretary)' and Mr Austin Chapman (the Postmaster-general). AVhen they were approaching the worst turn of the road the shoe-brake broke, and the horses dashed ahead. A sensational accident seemed inevitable as tile, coach swept- towards a sharp comer with projecting rocks on one side and a precipice on the other. The carriage struck the rock, and it was only prevented from overturning by the fact, that Mr Chapman had thrown all his weight on that side in tho act of juAping out. The lurch threw the driver on' to tho road, and he was dragged by the reins for about. 30 yards. Shouts from, tho private secretary warned the police cscort, and they camc to Ihe rescue. A constable pluckily grabbed each loader by tho head, while Mr Chapman, gaining his feet, had floetfootedl.v come, up beside the off-side poler. The horses were brought to a standstill, and, save for a broken spoke and a damaged hood, neither passengers nor turnout were any the worse. A RAILWAY FIRE.

The Railway Department has suffered a severe loss by the destruction of the enrsheds and head station of the Brighton 10 St. Kilda electric tram service. This new line, which connected the two seaside stations, was only opened in April last. It was the first, tram servicc undertaken in connection with the railway system, and it had proved exceptionally popular. At about, 2 o'clock last- Thursday morning the building was discovered by the watchman to be on fire. He says he spent some iime trying to extinguish the flames, but at, anyra'te when the brigades were summoned there was no hope for the building. Wliafc little (here might otherwise have been was marred by the fart that the water pressure was deplorably low. The whole car shed front and with it Ihe 17 cars belonging to iho system—eight, tailors and nine motor cars. The direct, damage is estimated at £15.000; but. of, course, the line is out of action, and that. means further loss. Neither the building nor stock was insured, it bcins railway policy all the world over. Mr 'fait over?, not to insure railway risks. The New South Wales Commissioners placed some stock at the disposal of the Victorian department, and the railway engineers went to Sydney to inspect it The result was that they arranged to obtain three combination and four clcscd clcctrical tram cars. Tho commissioners hope to be back on the 10-minute scrvicc in about 10 days more. Meantime they are using the old motor 'buses, which proved a. distinct failure when run as a feeder to the Frahran line some months ago.

IS IT A TIGER? So far tigers are not- known,to inhabit Victoria, hut the residents of Southern Gippsland believe -that they harbour one. ill- George Hcstop, a local grazier, has been ltsing sheep .with great persistence. Traps and baits caught- one dog, but. tho sheep continued"to disappear. Then the tracks of a huge cat—they measured 6in by Sinwore seen in tho sand, and as often as they were obliterated, they reappeared about the same spot, But no one could ever sight the strange animal thai left them. So they took plaster casts of them ami sent t.hom down to My Dudley Lo Soc-iif at the Zoological Gardens. Mr Lo Sccuf is doubtful, for the cast has been blurred. Hut lie lent Mrs Heslop. who is in Melbourne, a. east of the genuine tiger, and she avers that, it is exactly similar to tho mysterious prints. Tiger eats used to abound in the district, and the explanation will probably lie found to be that an abnormally large one is at work on tho Powlett Eivcr. Meantime large parties aro out trying to "pot" the stranger.