OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2317, 28 July 1898, Page 9

OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

Melbourne, July 12.

The dreadful accident at the Victoria fearracks on the Sb. Kilda road, by which two men lost their lives, is now shown to have originated through the deplorable ignorance of all concerned. A number of men were set to destroy " bursters," or shells which had been condemned. They had been iv stock since 1864-, or 34 years, and the powder iv them had become encrusted, besides containing a large proportion of iron filings and grit. The simplest and best way of destroying the "bursters" would have been to throw them all into the sea. Why anything else was done is not very clear. The powder was to be thrown into water in any case. Anyhow the five men at the work knew nothing about the dangers of explosives. They had copper tools to work with, and erroneously believed that with these they were absolutely beyond danger. But encrusted pDwder is always dangerous to manipulate, and the Woolwich regulations prohibit its being meddled with — a fact known to nobody who was in command or at the work. Colonel Bmgham candidly gives his opinion that the whole thing arose through want of knowledge — in other ■words, ignorance. The bursters should have been thrown into the sea. Colonel Cairncross, who ia of local extraction, was the responsible ©fficer. j

Tne Victorian wheat farmers made au effort thi9 year to obtain the benefit of the policy of Protection, bufc it has turned out * rank failure. There is a protective duty of Is 9d a bushel on ■wheat. But it never operates — for this reason : we grow more wheat usually than we can consume. Tie surplus goes to England, and the English price fixes the local price. We don't make sufficient boots for the local consumption, consequently boots have to be imported ; and every pair of imported boots pays a protective duty. But we don't import any wheat usually, and the protective duty never gets a chance of "being imposed. This year we didn't grow the usual quantity of wheat, and some "smart" nice said, "Now is the chance for the protective duty. Say the colony can consume five million buehel*. all over lh»t we'll slip away, and then, having entire command of the market, we can raise the price by In 9d a Lu«hel, for cone can come in unless it pays that duty." On paper if; looks an easy, simple scheme. So it would be if one man held all the wheat. But tho thing broke down in this way : The wheat to be shipped away was to bring a small price. Every farmer was to ebip a certain propoitiou of his crop. Out of each 100 bushels he was to sacrifice, say, 20 at the Sow price in order to get the bigh price (plus tbe Is 9d) for the rest. Bali the far mers didn't play fair. Everybody leftthe sacrifice to hi* neighbour. " Let lay neighbour ship away and take the low p:ice; I'll hold on and cotne in when the extra lb 9d begins to operate." The "export movement," aB it wes called, was a dismal failure. Everybody held back for the high price, and the high price never came, because there never was any occasion to import. As a matter of actual fact, prices wre higher ia Frcetrade New South Wales. The "combine" broke down utterly, and will never again bo tried. Some day a Letter may arise and "coiner" all the Victorian wheat and make a big thing out of the Is 9d duty, proving iv the case of grain, as iD every other case, that the capitalist benefits from the protective duty. Aa everybody expected, Mr Levien's charges la the New South Wales House sjjaiosb his fellow members, Messrs Sleath and Ferguson, tbe Broken Hill strike leaders, came to an inglorious termination. The story is scarcely worth wasting ink over. Judge Murray w»s appointed a Royal commission to investigate the charges. He had a great deal of difficulty to define them — they were so extremely vague. Eventually he found that they " appe?»red to be. " as follows :—: —

1 . That they had joined, or were willing to juii), with a band of ruffians in an attempt to blow up certain persons.

2. That they had joined a foreign association with the intention of using dynamite to destroy aiCD who desired to carry on a lawful occupation

3. That they had attempted, or conspired to attempt, to blow up Mr Koehler and his family.

In addition to these, it was the opinion of Messrs Sleuth and Ferguion that Mr Levien intended to accuse them of murdering a man named Bennett. This Mr Levien entirely repudiated, and Judge Murray could nofc accept It as a charge. The end of the whole thing was that the judge found the charges "absolutely unproved." Whereupon in the House Mr Levien apologised unreservedly and amply to the two gentlemeD whom he had unjustly accused. He made the charges in the heat of temper, and net with any malicious motive, and asited the two gentlemen to accept hia unreserved apology. He also asked the Colonial Treasurer, as a favour, to have the things Baid expunged from the records of tha House. To all which it need only he added that the charges were made after an all-night sitting, and, remembering that "a. nod is as good as a wiDk," the reader roay judge whether Mr Levien was suffering only from "heat of temper." Of such is the Parliament of New South Wales

ou . %^ Victoria has jnsb emerged, or is emerging, from a serious epidemic of measles. The epidemic has, during recent months, run through the colony from end to end, until the number of cases reached an amazing total. Ninsty in a day was not »d infrequent record to report at the Board of Public Health Office, and deaths occurred with most painful frequency. Up to the end of May 200 fatal cases were imported in the metropolis alone, and it is estimated that the number has by this time reached 300. The excessive virulence of the disease thia year cannot be accounted for, bub it appears to be a freak of measles to vary its intensity in an astonishing fashion. Another curious eircuinetance was that the disease attacked adults to » considerable extent, and people up to a ripe old sge died from it. Now the measles has gone, influenza has set in, and around Melbourne every Becond or third individual is having a turn. Mrs Crotfcy, the wife of the Mount Lyell man who died in London worth £150,000 and left his widow £100 a year (imless she went into a convent, when she wao to get £600 a year), has come to Melbourne. She gave it out that she Intended proceeding to law, though whatpoaßible chance she could have had of upsetting the will is a mystery. The Roman Catholic Church leaders, however, have come to her rescue and agreed to her receiving £1000 a year. Eventually the whole property goes to the church. Sire Grotty is what one of the reporters calls a " striking personality." She was not so old as Mi Crotty by a good way.

The clubhouse of the Royal Sydney Golf Club at BondJ was the scene of an interesting ceremony a few days ago, when hia Excellency the Governor presented to Mr Hugh Macneil, formeriy of Dunedin, the Hampden Cup and prize won in \bn recent cliampioßßbij? competition,

At Newcastle, in New South Wales, John Firfcb, the lover of a Miss Craig, created a. great sensation by attempting to shoot ber aud shooting instead a Miss Nollie Wells. Firth had been paying attentions to Miss Craig until a few weeks ago, when they patted as the result of a quarrel. Ha caIWJ at her parents' residence the other evening armed with a loaded revolver, which he had concealed in one of his pockets. He was granted an iuferview with Miss Craig iv the presence of Miss Wells, and a heated discussion ensued, during which the visitor threatened to shoot Miss Craig. A<3 similar threats had been made before, they were at first treated lightly ; bat as he became more demonstrative, Mies Craig's brother was called in, and as the girls left the apartment the young man calmed down. He afterwards joined the two girls and Mrs Craig iv the titling room, where he comported himself in a more agreeable manner, until he suddenly drew a revolver, and, amid » scene of wild exoileuoent, aimed at Miss Craig's head. Miss Wells sought to interpose, and received the bullet in the neck. Another shot was fired, this tifcae without effect. Firth then endeavoured to rush from the house, and when Mr Craig, Jan., (ought to detain him drew his revolver again, and fired At him. Alarmed, Mr Craig released his hold, and the man rushed into the bush. Nothing was heard of him for aome daya, but eventually he gave himself up to the police.

Ad exceedingly sad accident happened at Moseman's Bay, North Sydney, on Saturday. A married woman, Margaret Simpson, fell beneath * tram and had both her feet smashed to piecen. She was conveyed to the North Shore Hospital, and her feet amputated above the ankle. The saddest feature of the accident was that while Bhe was lying there her hugband died in an adjoining ward from pneumonia, leaving the mutilated woman and seven children behind him.

While Mr and Mrs Frederick Grasby were driving home in a phaeton through Unity Park, near Adelaide, at 11 o'clock on Saturday night, thres masked men sprang out from behind a hedge and seized hold of the pony and trap. One of them presented a revolver at the occupants of the phaeton. Mr Grasby thrashed with his whip the man who had hold of the horse's head, and, the animal bolting, the roe» were shaken off and left behind. Three weeks ago an attempt was* made to enter Mr Grapby's grocery shop, and last Sunday hi? private resideace was raaoacked. He was within 300 yards of home when attacked on Saturday night. A suit for divorce has been commenced by Adelaide Hazlewocd, better known as Ada Reeve, the well-known comedienne, against her husband, Gilbert Joseph Ilazlewood, better knowD by his professional name of " Bert Gilbert." Both parties to the suit have beeD playing in the earns company in Sydney, and are now gone on to Newcastle. The affidavit in support of the petition has been filed in the profchonofcary'p office, Melbourne, where the suit is set down for hearing. The petitioner is 24 years of age, and the respondent 25, and there are two children of the marriage. The petitioner accuses her husband of misconduct, cruelty, and unkindness.

Advice to Mothers I— Are you broken in your rast by a sick child suffering with the paiD of cut> ting teeth ? Go at once to s> chemist and get a bottle of Mr» Winslow'p Sootidno Syrup. It will relieve the poor sufferei immediately. It is perfectly harmless, and pleasant to the taste ; it produces natural quiet sleep by relieving the child from pain, and the little cherub awalies "as bright as a button," It soothes the child, it softens the gums, allays all pain, relieves wind, regulates the bowels, and ia the best known remedy for dysentery anddianheea whether ariaing from teething or other causea Mrs Winslow's soothing Syrup is sold by medicine dealers every whew at 1b lid per bottle.— LApvi

His Excellency in making the presentation congratulated Mr Macnoil on his success. The cup is to be held for 12 months, n,ud at the end of that time is competed for again by any members of golf clubs in N«w South Wales who may choose to enter for the championship. Mr Macnoil, in the course of his remarks when returning thanks, eaid lhafc bo the cup wag such a valuable one be would lika to see iv tutnre championship matches competitors from the other colonies. Lord Hampden replied that ho might possibly see hit* way clear to present a challenge cup for an Australian championship. He would, at auy rate, think it over.

Reminiscences of the early diggings are revived by the story of a party of six tributers at Ballarat. They are working quartz on what is known as the " Indicator," which is a narrow seam or vein runniug right through the country oa a north and south line. Siuca June 9, when, after a period of profitless work, they first " struck it rich," their cldim, which is bsing worked by means of a windlass at less than lOOtt in depth, has yielded 695 z of gold, and the other d*y, immediately atfcer they had smelted 1270z, another patch of 182 z of specimens, about three pnrts of which is gold, was broken out. Although tho men are workiug in a desultory manner, they have, in this comparatively short period, won upwards of £3000 worlh of gold, and their average individual earnings since the date mentioned have been little under £20 per day.

Mr William Cuuyers has a latter in the Argua^t-his week inveighing against uairow gauge railways, which are proposed in some of the roount'ttiu districts of the colony. He quotes his New Zealand experiences as Cocavnissionor of Railways, which went to show the unwisdom of a break of gauge.

The bicycle scorcher who ran a lady do«yn on ths St. Kild* road, and seat her fco the Alfred Hospital to recover from n compound fracture of the skull, has been sentenced to pay a fine of £20 with the alternative of four monlba' imprisonment. He is a poulterer, with a wife and family to support, so that the flue, which he paid, 13 a severe one to him.

In the Supreme Court at Perth a few days ago, a verdicb for £250 damages for slander was given in a case in which the plaiatiff was transported 4-5 years ago, and defendant, who is a hotelkeepar, called him a convict horsestealer, and applied to him other teems of abuse.

A well-known business man named Long, in the country town of Alexandra, iv Victoria, committed suicide very determinedly. He had previously made known to several of the residents his determination to commit suicide, and had deliberately bade good-byo to certain friends a couple of days before carrying out his intention. He was a brother of the otlebrated Scottish artist, and a man of high literacy attainments. When the funeral took place, the minister asked to officiate refused to do so, and the service was te&ft by an intimate friend of deceased, who commenced with the Church of England burial ssrvice, and concluded by delivering portion of the chapel scene of Adam Lindsay Gordon's dramatic lyric "Ashtaroth," giving the dirge of the monks, commencing—

With earth to earth and dust to dust, Ashes unto ashe3 go ; Judge not ; he who judgeth just, Judgeth merciful ulso. Earthly penitence hath fled, Enrthly sin hath ceased to be, Pile the sod on heart aud head, Miserere, domine.