AUSTRALIAN NOTES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1868, 3 February 1892, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NOTES.

Tuesday, January 19. POLITICAL. Chaoges in the Victorian Ministry have now been definitely arranged on the lines whioh I have already indicated. Mr Munro (the Premier) it to go to England to succeed Sir Graham Berry as Agent-General, the Upper House Ministers are to resign beoause they decline to swallow the one-man-one-vote creed, and the Government is to be reconstituted under the leadership of Mr Shiels (the Attorney-General). The retirement of Mr Munro and the Ministers in the Legislative Oounoil means a big blow to the Ministry, and it is doubted very muoh whether it will last long after the general elections. It in going to take up a proposal whioh is popular in the country just now for an increased stook tax, however, and this may pull it througf. The one-man-one- vote principle, which the Government is bound to make a leading feature of its programme, iB now reokoned not to be a cry to conjure with, and it is known that if it could conveniently be left alone tbe Ministry would drop it like a hot potato. It is really responsible for the breakup of what was on the whole a good Cabinet, the greatest strength of whioh probably lay in its Upper House Ministers. These comprised Sir Frederick Sargood, who administered the important functions of Minister of Defence and Minister of Education ; Mr J. M. Davies, who was particularly well qualified to act a3 Minister of Justice ; and Mr C. J. Ham and Mr Simon Fraser, who held office without portfolios. Such prominent members of the Legislative Council (which in Victoria is an elected body and carries much weight) cannot be got as members of a Government pledged to the one-man-one-vote principle. Mr Melville was the only out-and-out supporter of the prinoiple who could be found in the Counoil last session, and he would be rather an erratic member to invest with Miniuterial functions. It is not unlikely that Mr George Davis, who is a strong advocate for the stock tax, will, however, be induced to join the Ministry. Mr Munro frankly acknowledges that but for the secession of his Upper House Ministers he would Dot take the Agent-Generalship, and this is very significant of what may be expected to occur during the ensuing elections. The fact is " one man' one vote "is now regarded as a mere sentiment, with practically very little in it. The great body of the electors would be quite willing to leave tbe electoral basis as it is, oo that tbe Government might devote its undivided attention to putting the finances straight, making the railways pay, and providing work for the people. Practically all public works are stopped for the present in the colony, and things are becoming more depressed every day. _ In the language of a leading politician, "victnals, not votes," are wanted by the people, at the present time. The fruits of the land boom and industrial struggles are now being sorely felt by a large section of the community, and a considerable time mast elapse before a return of prosperity can be hoped for. The prospect of a proteotive system being adopted in New South Wales gives a vision of a war of tariffs between the colonies. This will no doubt ultimately lead to federation, but in the meantime Australian progress is likely to be much hampered by a delusive and pernioious syßtem. The intended appointment of Mr Munro as Agent-General is not viewed with favor, and in certain Melbourne circles feeling runs very high on the subject. Indeed, it is quite possible that before the appointment is made on the 16th of February, when Sir Graham Berry's term expires, an indignation meeting of the public will be held. It is urged that the disqualifications of Mr Munro loom larger than his qualifications for the post. As Treasurer he has done his best to damage tbe credit of the colony by insisting on a distorted view of the financial position, and by continually harping on the depleted condition of the Treasury. He has acted the part of the bird which fouls its own nest, and he is, therefore, not likely to figure well as an emissary from the colony specially charged to obtain money from the English lender at a low rate of interest. Then he is in an awkward position so far as his private affairs are concerned. He has been prominently associated with financial and other institutions which have turned out conBpicnous failures ; and his financial position Ib such that it has been necessary for certain people to come to his assistance to enable him to leave the colony. If his affairs were wound up he could not pay anything like 20s in the £, and he is, to all intents and purposes, bankrupt. Is it likely that such a man will stand well in the eyes of the English people ? Moreover, will there not be a strong temptation continually before him to get money to bolster up the various institutions with which he iB connected. Exception has been taken to Sir Graham Berry playing the role of " guinea-pig," which means allowing his name to.be associated with directorates for the sake of the fees payable to him. Is Mr Munro likely to stand aloof from private speculations, and devote his attention solely to his legitimate duties as Agent-General ? These are the thoughts which naturally arise in connection with Mr Munro's nomination for the appointment, and when it is considered that from a social point of view be has no advantages on his Bide, the feeling of indication which has arisen can well be understood. Ot course there would be dissatisfaction on the part of some sections of the community no matter who was selected for the position ; but the proposed appointment of Mr Munro meets with wholesale condemnation. The manner in which the nomination has been brought about is also freely criticised. It is given out that Mr Munro never thought of taking the position until strongly pressed by his colleagues to do so ; but'there is every indication that he has had it "in his eye " for some considerable time back. From remarks which were made by Sir Graham Berry at a banquet given to him prior to his departure from London, it looks as if Mr Munro in private correspondence led him to expeot a further term of office, and afterwards disappointed him. Mr Munro has caused to be published an account of the correspondence which passed between him and Sir Graham Berry on the subject, but has kept baok the original letter which he sent to Sir Graham, and which caused the latter to speak of "reconciling himself to a further exile from his country." When Sir Graham arrives in Viotoria no doubt some light will be thrown upon a matter which is at present surrounded by some ambiguity. To enable Sir Graham to at once return to the colony, it should be explained that he obtained leave of absence from the Ist of January until' the end of his term, and in the meantime Sir Andrew Clarke is performing his duties. Owing to the death of Mr J. Cashel Hoey, C.M.G., a secretary as well as an Agent-General has to be found, and it iB probable that Mr E. J. Thomas (at present secretary of the Premier's department) will be appointed to the position. Attention has been draw to the constitutional aspect of the understanding which has been come to by members of the Victorian Ministry. It is certainly unusual for impending obanges in a Cabinet to be officially announced and for those who are going to retire to oontinue their administration for a* month. It is contended that as the Government, as now constituted, cannot be called to account for any maladministra-

tion, seeing that it is shortly to be dismem bered, its onght to be brought about at oboe, and the projected ohanges immediately made, On the score of convenience, the members of the Government decline to agree to this, and plead that they should be applauded for their candor in announcing the intended ohanges. It would have been an easy thing, they urge, to have kept their own counsel as to what they intended to do until the time for action came, and then they could not have been accused of unconstitutional conduct. Technioally there may be a good deal in the point raised, but practically there is not muoh, for in the interim only departmental work will be done by Ministers. It is to be noted with satisfaction that Mr Dibbs, the New South Wales Premier, did not give way to a request from a deputation from the Sydney Trades and Labor Council to nominate a number of labor representatives to the Legislative Council. As Mr Dibbs pointed out, the Constitution, in providing a nominee Legislative Council, intended that the members should be selected, not from any particular class of the community, but men who had shown their capacity for public work. The answer given by Mr Dibbs was undoubtedly the correct one, but it would have been open to him to have aoted differently ; and the incident only indicates one of the drawbacks of a nominee Chamber, and supplies a justification of the Victorian system, which enables the people to elect representatives for both branches of the Legislature. the growing feeling that some improvement must be made on the existing British system of party Government in the near future finds expression iv a motion which has been tabled in the New South Wales Assembly. It is by Mr G. D. Clark, and is as follows: — "That the existing system of party government, while enormously expensive to the country, manifestly fails to secure the best possible results in the shape urgently required of progressive legislation ; that it would facilitate the passing into law of democratic measures if tbe administrative and executive functions were performed by a committee elected by Parliament; and that all questions of great national importance should, before final adoption, be submitted to the vote of the entire adult population of the colony." THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE. If your readers have not yet heard of the Taylor patent cold accumulators, a description of the process will be of interest, as it is likely to be of considerable utility in connection with the frozen meat trade. By means of the accumulators it is claimed that frozen meat can be conveyed from any country district to a seaport and placed on board ship at the temperature at which it leaves tbe freezing works. The inventor is Mr Edmund Taylor, and he describes the accumulators as portable sheet-iron vessels of any desired weight or Bize containing a freezing mixture, which does not require renewing for a considerable period. This freezing mixture can be so regulated that any temperature down to zero — viz., 32deg below freezing point on Fahrenheit's thermometer—can be obtained, which gives them an immense advantage over ice, which remains at a temperature of 32deg Fahr., and can only reduce the temperature of the interior of a railway car to about 40deg Fahr., rendering it impossible to carry meat in a frozen condition, whereas by the accumulator 20deg Fabr. may be easily obtained when frozen meat is carried, The air in a chamber cooled by the accumulators is rendered very much drier than when cooled by ice, as they congeal and hold all the moisture in the air coming in contact with their surfaces ; and the apparatus for holding them is so constructed that a continuous circulation of the enclosed air is maintained in the chamber in such a way that every portion is consecutively brought Mn contact with the surfaces of the vessels, and consequently an almost absolutely dry atmosphere is obtained. In loading a railway car with the cold power prior to a journey the accumulators are merely lowered through a hatchway in the roof into a receptacle of of about only half the size required when ice is used. This is much more easily effected and takes less time than handling and fixing ice according to the methods now employed in those cars using ice. In all the refrigerating cars which use ordinary ice for producing the cold power the air which circulates round the meat and other perishable produce comes in contact with the moist surfaces of the ice, and also with the water dripping therefrom, and which is still more intimately mixed with the air by means of a series of wires placed under the ice shelves. The impossibility of getting a sufficiently low temperature with ice, and the quantity of moisture which is constantly in contact with the meat when it is placed in the same chamber with tbe ice, is fatal to its complete preservation, whereas by the accumulators meat, fish, fruit, and other perishable goods may be kept in their natural state for a long period. The cost of producing the accumulators per ton does not exceed that of ice when the machines by the same maker are used, and meat, fish, fruit, and other perishable goods can be carried at a less cost than when ice is the medium employed. It is claimed that by the application of this invention the starving and bruising of cattle by their being travelled alive from the fattening grounds in live stock trucks to be slaughtered in the city will be altogether obviated. Professor Eernot, Mr Henry C. Mais (late engineer-in-chief of the South Australian railways), and other experts speak very highly ot Mr Taylor's invention, which, should it prove to have all the virtues claimed for it, ought to create something of a revolution in the meat trade. There is already a car running from Tenterfield to Sydney with great auccess; and it is anticipated that shortly a large trade will be opened up in the northern colonies. THE CAUSE OF INFLUENZA. In retiring from the presidential chair of the Medical Society of Victoria the other evening Dr Hinchcliff, of Bendigo, gave an address, in which he referred to the prevailing complaint of influenza. He gave a short history of the rise of the disease, tracing it from Hongkong, where it was first met with in 1888, and stating that it appeared to be endemic in China. It then spread across Asia, found its wav to St. Petersburg, and travelled thence to England. A number of theories as to its cause were shortly examined, but rejected. It was not malarial, because it occurred in all districts ; it was not an extreme form of the well-known "hay fever," because its mode of occurrence was different. Dr Hinchcliff intimated his belief that it might be traced to sporadic attacks on the human system, and explained that the lowest forms of vegetable life, such as fungi and moulds, whether growing in the swamp or in the arid bush, produced at various seasons of the year myriads of spores that were carried into the atmosphere, and it was possible that they might contribute largely to tbe numerous ills that flesh was heir to. These spores might find a suitable condition for their development in the irritation they Bet up in the mucous membrane, and it was possible that in this theory they might find the origin of influenza. A SUSPECTED MURDER. A man named Oliver Tisohner has been arrested at Bull's Creek, some distance from Fremantle (W.A.), on suspicion of murdering a young man named Moses Gadd. Both parties lived with the latter's parents at Bull's Creek, and on Saturday morning went out digging. Tischner returned alone at dinner time, and made evasive replies to

Miss Gadd's inquiries after her brother. At last he stated that he had shot him accidentally. They went out and found Gadd dead. Bis parents were away at the time. Inforg mation was given to the police, and Tisohner i was arrested. Before being taken into custody he shot at a neighbor and missed, and then threatened to stab the police. GENERAL. " Doctor " Bridgewater alias Talbot, well known in South Australia as a profeßßett specialist, is wanted by the police on a charge of indecent assault on a married woman whom he had attended. He left Adelaide on the 13th inst., when he was to have appeared to answer an information on the charge. A sensational fracas occurred a day or two ago between him and Dr Brierley. Talbot invited Brierley, his partner, to drive in the hills, with the intention of absconding, but was dragged from the train by Brierley, who thrashed him. Brierley was afterwards arrested at the instance of Talbot for felonious assault, but the case was dismissed. An inquest was held at Sydney last Thursday on the body of an infant which had died suddenly. The medical evidence showed that death was due to dropsy of the brain and the effects of bromide of potassium, of which the medicine given deceased, who was only three months old, contained an excessive quantity. Mr Dick, herbal doctor, who supplied the medicine, was committed for trial on a charge of manslaughter. Charles Foudrinier, teller of the Federal Bank at Armadale, a suburb of Melbourne, has, on a charge of embezzlement, been sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment. The last three days in the second, fourth, sixth, eighth, and final months of the term are to be passed in solitary confinement. Alexander Davies has been committed for trial in connection with the outrage which was recently committed upon the Pettavel postmistress. Mrs Marendaz, the complainant, on being recalled, positively identified the prisoner as the man who committed the assault on her.