The Commonwealth Bill.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2951, 24 November 1900, Page 3

The Commonwealth Bill.

I The Australian Commonwealth is to be proclaimed at Sydney. The first Fecleral Parliament will meet at Melbourne, and one of its first duties will be to select the Federal capital. This is to be in New South Wales, but not within 100 miles of i Sydney. When this decision became known, many places laid claim for consideration as suitable for the seat of government. Bathurst, Bombala, Goulbourn, Grange were those most thought of, and Bombala received most attention. Ti e federal Parliament must meet in summer and cool situation for the capita] must be preferred, and this condition is met bv Bombala.. The New South Wain., Govern meat appointed Mr Alex. Oliver, President of the Land Appeal Court, as cun'm-. 5 - m r to investigate and report on desirable »tes for tht* seat of Government for the fVm-l monwealth. This duty took this gentleman about twelve months, and his report, for whieh he has gained praise, has been placed before Parliament. He confirms the general opinnon previously expressed, by placing Bombala first.

stands at an elevation of\ some 5000 ft above the sea, and is distant therefrom some 50 or 60 miles on ‘the eastern side of Australia. Auckland rightly enjoys a good reputation for climate, and if. latitude is 36.46 deg. Bombala’s latitude is 36.54 deg., but its altitude must be monie in mind, and, unlike Auckland, it is too far inland to feel the effects of humidity of the air arising from the proximity of the sea. Bombala has snow at times in winter. A railway of 50 miles will soon connect with Twofold Bay,where, secured by a breakwater of no extraordinary dimensions or cost, anchorage for the largest ocean-going vessels will be given of five or six square miles. In the battle royal between the two great rival States for advantage in position of site, Bombala here stands well, for it is nearly equidistant, being only five miles nearer Sydney, but while New South Wales needs only a 55 mile extension of its railway from Coomai, Victoria must build 200 miles through! mountainous country. The Federal territory is to be not less than 100 square miles, and New South Wales is to provide, without payment, any Crown land in the area; but Mr Oliver is of opiniion that the area, fixed is quite insufficient, and he considered the minimum of 125 square miles and a maximum of 1100 square miles in his investigations.

Captain Edwin forecasted this morning Glass fall after 20 hours from now, with strong north-east to north and west winds. The weather was fine and spring-like today, and probably as a consequence there was a large influx of people into town for the market day. A Rangitekei farmer who lives in the midst of a settled and wcll-roaded district has fifty cows in milk, and runs his own separator, says his trouble is to get suitable labour. ' “All the farmers around Rangitikei,” he said, “are at times stuck up for want of .suitable young fellows to look after the cows and milk them. The lads are yearly getting more adverse to milking, and as soon as they can they clear out to the city or the towns.” Asked if milking machines had not proved satisfactory, he replied that the inventions were many, but none of them had yet been found anything but hurtful to the cows. Several Manawatu farmers had erected machines in their dairies, but had to give them up after a trial. The human milker was still the best, and the expert was becoming scarcer every year, despite the fact that good homes and good wages were offered. , The “ New Zealand Times says that the appreciation in property values in Wellington during the past few years has been remarkable, and never was the demand more brisk than at present. Complaint is frequently made concerning the difficulty ol obtaining suitable dwelling houses, which seem to be getting scarcer every month. Instances of increase in value are innumerable, growth being shown almost every year’ in the last decade. An allotment in Vivian street which was sold 2j, years ago at £l4 per foot, cannot now be bought for £45; and similar disparity is observable in the suburbs. The metropolitan area is constantly stretching farther out, and new buildings are going up as hist as they can be erected. Eleven years ago the Wellesley block, comprising *23 acres, at Newtown, was placed in the market by Messrs Baker Bros., and then contained but one house. The first allotment was sold on 20th November, 1899, and since then, and particularly within the last five years, (he whole block has been sold at prices aggregating £22,350. The buildings thereon now represent 178 houses, one church, five shops, and are valued (a low estimate) at £45,000, and the land at £33,000. Some of the sections that were sold at £2 10s per foot now bring £4, The same story is told of every part of tiie city and suburbs, constituting undeniable evidence of the expansion that is taking place, and of the general healthy condition of Wellington.

Messrs Oates, Lowry and Co. are now showing a new free-wheel with pedal-rim-brake bicycle. Mr Allan Duncan showed us its pieces this morning, and explained the mechanism. The free-wheel median ism is very neat, and makes no noticeable difference to the appearance of the drivingwheel. The brake does show, becaus* of its attachment to the lower frame. ‘ f

this were built into the frame it would be less conspicuous. The devices seem to work perfectly, and one great advantage is that they can. we understand, be fitted to almost any make of machine.

We have in New Zealand official rules and regulations which are capable of more than one construction. They have the same thing in France. By a recent regulation it is decreed t<K be a serious offence for a Post Office employee to read what is written on the back of a very excellent order. But by another “reglement” the Post Office employee is also prohibited from forwarding any postcan' on which is written anything abusive nr ; .decent. What is the postal clerk to do*

Wliat is a thank-offerin ? 'We read, says the “ Daily Chronicle,” with immense edification that “Mr William K. Vanderbilt has given £500,000 to his daughter, the Duchess o f f Marlborough, the gift being a thank-offering for the Duke’s safe return from the wnr.” In old days thank-offerings were made to Heaven—to Heaven’s proxies, the poor, and so forth. Perhaps the association clings a little, for it is in Paradisal Paris that the Duchess is investing the money in—antiqiw furniture ! We who are not millionaires may show our thankfulness by transferring a shilling from our right to our left-hand trouserpocket.

An Ancient Belief. —The ancients believed that rheumatism was the work of a demon within a man. Any one who has had ah attack of sciatic or inflammatory rheumatism will agree that the infliction is demoniac enough to warrant the belief. It ha* never been claimed that Chamberlain’s Pain Balm will cast out demons, but it will cure rheumatism, and fhundreds bear testimony to the truth of this statement. One application relieves the pain, and this quick relief which it affords is alone worth many times its cost. For sale by Canterbury Farmers’ Co-operative Association (Ld.).

For some years past physicists have been trying to discover the secret of the light of the glow-worm and fiefly, in the hope that- a light without heat can be artificially produced. It is now claimed that a French lady has made an appreciable step in the direction of success, having produced a substance which gives out a considerable amount of light without waste of material. The light from a small piece is not strong enough for most purposes, but it is enough to enable one to see his way about a room. If this is correct, we may look for further advances soon.