OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2371, 10 August 1899, Page 11

OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

(Fbou Our Own Corhespondent.) MELBOURNE, July 18. FEDERATION.

The Victorian poll on the Commonwealth j Bill has been fixed for the 27th of this j month. The difficulty is to work up in- j terest in the question. There is so little \ opposition to the proposal in this colony j that the average elector is likely to allow ! the vote to go by the board in the fond ' belief that there is sure to be a majority for it without his assistance. The A.N.A. lias taken the matter up pretty warmly, i however, and there are Federation Leagues and so forth, and public meetings are being ■ held nightly, and the newspapers are printing " Appeals .to the People," " Odes to > Federated Australia," and the rest of it. The Ormond professor of mu&ic (the , notorious Marshall-Hall) has. composed a j hymn and set it to music, which lias been 1 published with much eclat ; but it is a j rubbishy production, in which "thee" | rhymes with " liberLee '' ad nauseam. The ! most entertaining device for encouraging I enthusiasm is one adopted by the 'Govern- ' ment — actually. Each voter who nobly '• does his duty on the fateful day is pro- ' mised a "voter's certificate." It is to be. 18in by 12in, surmounted by the Royal j arms, with a view of Parliament House, ] Melbourne (where the first sitting of the Federal Parliament will be held), and the ' portraits of the Premiers, or the leaders > of the Federation Convention. In the body i of the certificate will be the number of i votes recorded for and against the bill, j and a statement setting fortli that the ' elector (mentioning his name) recorded his \ vote. Lithographed in the colours of the ■ rainbow, it is hoped that the gift of the certificate will attract the voters as no other method would. , GOOD PROSPECTS. j The -winter is passing over, at least so far , as Victoria is concerned, with one of the most generous and best distributed rainfalls \ ever known; and the agricultural outlook has never been better. Victoria will to all , appearances have an enormous wheat yield; > and her butter export in the coming sum- . mer will probably beat the record. New ' South Wales has not had good rains; in- , deed a large portion of her interior has ' suffered from drought until within the past day or two. Otherwise Australia is very favourably situated this year. Sugar in Queensland .is becoming an important and valuable industry. And, as I mentioned in ! my last letter, the recent mining discoveries , in Northern Queensland and South Australia ; I promise to be something out of the common. An important development as regards [ Victorian trade is the starting of the White j Star line of steamers to trade direct between Liverpool and Australia. Five large boats of about 12,000 tons each are to be put into the trade, and the first of them is to leave Liverpool on August 3. They are all to be fitted with refrigerating chambers for dairy produce, fruit, and frozen meat, i Only third-class passengers will be carried . — no saloon or second-class. The service ' is an experiment, no doubt ; if it succeeds it should open up an altogether new avenue of trade. AECHBISHOP CARR. After some six weeks or two months of . the Avettest weather Melbourne has ever known, things began to mend about a fortnight ago; and on Saturday-A rchbishop Carr had one of the most delightful days ' possible for his home-coming. The sun j shines alike on the just and on the unjust, ; and the Grand National Steeplechase had j the benefit of the same day, certainly, but ( that Avas an accidental coincidence. The : Roman Catholics turned out to a man (and ; woman) to Avelcome home the Archbishop, ! who had been on his periodical visit to j Rome. He has not much new to say ex- j cept to reneAV and confirm Melbourne's \ pride in its Cathedral of St. Patrick. No- \ where did the Archbishop see any recent : erection of the kind that could outshine it, j not even the St. Patrick's of NeAV York, j Avhich has cost tAvo millions of money. AN ARCHITECT'S SCANDAL. j Dr Stawell, son of the former Chief Justice and a much honoured physician of - Melbourne, in a lecture the other evening, thundered out some home-truths which have set press arid people talking a great deal ever since. He had a severe fling at the delay over the erection of the Fever Hos- ; pital— the " most flagrant example of un- j explained inactivity," he termed it. Mcl- i bourne greAV enthusiastic about a feA r er hos- i pital (a crying want) tAvo years ago. It Avas to be a memento of the Queen's Jubilee. Very quickly £17,000 Avas subscribed. Yet to-day the first brick has not been laid; and there is no sign of the laying. The trouble has been to get a suitable building planned Avhich would not cost far too much . money; and the present position is that j the firm of architects whose design Avas ac- j cepted cannot get their plans past the Board of Health. Consequently the committee decided to try another firm of architects, but they are threatened Avith a suit for damages, and it looks as if a good panf of the money in hand would be wafWS away in law." But what has interested the public most is a disclosure Avhich has come out as a result of the press inquiries. On the committee is Dr Cuscaden, of Port Melbourne. He has for brother-in-law Mr Ray M. King, an architect. The firm whose design- was accepted — Burke and Schreiber — say this man black-mailed them. He says they bribed him. At any rate he Avas promised £50 in cash — because of his supposed influence Avith Dr Cuscaden. To give Dr Cuscaden his due, he told the chairman of the committee of the incident whenever he heard of it. But neither Burke and Schreiber nor Mr King have enhanced their reputation. HOSPITAL ELECTIONS. Another subject 'on which Dr Stawell spoke most strongly and bitterly was the,

Melbourne .system of electing medical staffs for the hospitals — at any rate for two of them, the Melbourne and the VVomen's. The subscribers elect the medical men, who have to descend — or at any rate who do descend — to all kinds of electioneering intrigues and dodges to secure votes. Undoubtedly the system is " rotten, debasing, and cruel " as Dr Stawell said. The subscribers know positively nothing of any doctor's work in the hospital ; and, no matter how talented he may be, if he does not stoop to tout for votes lie won't get them. Apparently he must buy votes. There seems no other explanation of this curious fact. This year the subscriptions to the Women's Hospital for May and June were £1188; last year for May and June they were £178; and in September this year the medical elections take place. Hoav are the increased subscriptions to be accounted for? It looks as if some doctors thought a hundred or tAvo guinea subscriptions (in the names of obliging friends) a necessity at election time. There have been growlings about the system before, but Dr Stawell sj>oke so warmly about it that public interest and attention have been aroused. A MARINE 'DISASTER. Western Australia has 'had tAvo serious wrecks. One was the Carlisle Castle, 1200 tons, from GlasgoAV to Fremantle ; the other the City of York, 1667 tons, from San Francisco also to Fremantle. Nothing remains of the Carlisle Castle but her masts .above water, and her cargo streAving the shore. Not a soul out of some 20 or over aboard has been left to tell the tale. Evidently she struck a reef four miles from shore during a gale and went doAvn on the moment. The City of York lost 11 of her crew out of a total of 26. The captain mistook the Rottnest Island Lighthouse for the light at Fremantle, and so steered direct for the light, thinking he Avould thus reach harbour. When he discovered his mistake, ie Avas too late to get out of. danger. THE A.N.A. ART UNION. This .gigantic annual gamble, OA r ev Avhich the Australian Natives have had some bitter fighting,' appears to be doomed. The Metropolitan Committee decided the other evening by 40 to 38 to discontinue it. An attempt is to be made, however, at next meeting to rescind the resolution, but it is not likely to be successful. The Druids and the 'Eight Hours people will now haA r e the art.. union, field, to themselves. NOVEL. RELIGIOUS SERVICE. A neAV departure in religious services, so far as -Melbourne is concerned, Avas made amongst piles ,of the various parts that go to make what is termed " slop clothes," in the " cutting-room " of a clothing factory the" other day, Avhen some of- the Anglican clergy -addressed a "meeting of over 100 male and female employees. All the employees were invited, but no coercion Avas attempted. The service was conducted by clergymen who have been holding a 10 days' I mission at St. Peter's in East Melbourne. This church is under the charge of the Rev. S E. S. Hughes, who is the high priest of Ritualism in Melbourne ;b; b and he has con- ; fessions, processions, and all the rest of it. j The other evening I saw a procession of some half a dozen clergy and altar boys leaving the church to proceed up the main Mtzroy street, bearing banners and crosses and Avearing robes exactly like the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church, Avho generally keep their processions Avithin church 1 precincts. A LAW REFORM. | The Rowan-Flanagan prosecution has resulted in a new direction from the Attorneygeneral to the CroAvn prosecutors. The Age in a very strong article upon Mr ' RoAvan's persecution of Mr Flanagan, ' pointed out that Mr Finlayson acted as prosecutor for Mr RoAvan in the lower court and prosecutor' for the CroAvn after ' committal. The outcome is that the fol- ■ loAving direction has been fonvarded to all the Crown prosecutors :— " Prosecutors for I the Queen are not to appear for or advise ' private individuals at any stage of criminal cases. Further, if a criminal charge arises : out of or is connected Avith any ciA'il case or matter in Avhich they are engaged, they must not take any part in the prosecution." j It is felfc that the tAvo positions are in- ; compatible, and that inasmuch as CroAvn prosecutors haA-e to examine carefully the ' depositions as they come up from the Police Courts, and to arrive at a conclusion in the first instance as to whether the case ought to be proceeded with, and it necessary to advise the Attorney-general, their minds ought to be absolutely free from any preconceived notions upon the matter. The Avonder is thftt the practice has been allowed to continue so long. TRAMWAY EMPLOYEES. A bill is before the Victorian House at present to increase the Avages of the Melbourne tranvway employees, and to reduce their hours to eight per day. The House ' got into a curious tangle over the matter j the other night. It was first agreed that j the TramAvay Company be heard by counsel against the bill ; then that the employees be heard by counsel for it. Next it Avas carried, after a lengthy discussion, that the employees' counsel be paid by the CroAvn, the voting being 38 to 33. Then a proposal that the company's counsel be also paid Avas lost. By this time members appeared to realise that they had committed themselves to an absurdity, and the eventual decision Avas to refuse to hear counsel at all. The proposals, if carried, Avill inflict a heavy cost on the Tramway Company, and it is a pity bhat Parliament has any right to interfere. Tramway employees have votes, and the average city or suburban member has not the moral courage to withstand their claims. BOOKMAKERS ON STRIKE. The bookmakers of the Victorian Club went on strike for a singular cause during Grand National Steeplechase Aveek. The club's annual billiard tournament is in progress. An individual who plays under the assumed name of " Prosper " is so well in as regards his handicap that in some games he was -willing to .wager. 100 to 3 on his

own victory. The game is 250 up, ajtd 'how well he is in may be estimated from the fact that he received 160 start, while' in another club tournament in which lie is engaged he is placed 100 behind scratch.. He joined the Victorian Club some months ago, and he certainly misled the handicapper as to the quality of his play, though possibly not intentionally. That he will Avin the tournament is the 'biggest certainty in the world — so big that the bookmakers who have laid against him petitioned the committee to disqualify him on the ground of deception. The committee refused. Thereupon the bookmakers, except tAvo, refused to do business in the club on the Steeplechase, either absenting themselves or standing idly by when the card was called. It is very doubtful if the committee "had the power to disqualify "Prosper," but in any case the bookmakers have not much public sympathy. In fact, the public glory in their being "hoist," regarding the entire fraternity as fair game.