THE MELBOUNE BOOM.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XX, Issue 6232, 20 October 1888, Page 2

THE MELBOUNE BOOM.

<k—• . A New Zealander, writing from Mel- . bourne, says, speaking of the number of people, who are flocking to Victoria in search of employment:—" They are looked upon unfavourably by the workers of all kinds already located here. They can't or won't see that their arrival in such numbers is the.cause of increased values all round. - The effect of the iuflux is the renewed activity, with, the opening of spring, in land transactions. The land auctioneers are preparing for . expected increases in the sale of land arid properties at increased rates. The rates experienced a,lull during the past three or four winter months, and for that time there was considered doubt as to whether they would improve or not with the returning spring. Such signs as wa have — advertisements in newspapers, placards, monster canvas signs almost as large as the side of a one-storey house L with letters about half the size of an"i average-seized man, free railway passes ' to the ground for sale, free tickets for luncheon, with beer, whisky or any other stimulant, and the floating of newbuilding syndicates—all point to the expectation of. increased business and increased prices, all following close on the heels of increased population. The building syndicates may or may not be worth a shilling, but as long as they can dispose of their properties at a considerable profit (and in many cases they are so disposed of before the roofs are on) it is all the same whether the syndicates bo worth only a shilling or a million sterling. If these sanguine expectations should be realised there will be increased employment on about the same lines, but with the increased numbers the conditions will be about the same, and it thus means the survival of the Attest, So in. the future, as at the present, we shall have to be prepared for any emergency.'