MELBOURNE ITEMS.

Western Star, Issue 1548, 28 March 1891, Page 4

MELBOURNE ITEMS.

(FROM OUlt OWN COKKESPONDKSX). lii a thoughtful review of the wool trade, iust published, Messrs Goldsbrougb, Mort aod Co. Ltd. have carefully analysed the causes which have led to the unsatisfactory results of the 1890-91 sales—results which, broadly stated, show a decline in values, as compared with the previous season, of from 15 to 20 per cent. It will not be surprising to* anyone to learn that strikes", both here and at home, form one amongst the principal factors which have influenced this decline. The average value of the Australian clip is said to be about £18,000,000, and one-fifth of this sum eanuot be deducted without the loss being very seriously felt ir. the ranks of labor as well as ia those which represent capital. As I have said, strikes are amongst the causes to which this shrinkage is due, aud it follows that the conduct of the man or the iner, who needlessly, and without caust, promotes these movements; as some are now doing, is reprehensible in the highest degree. Other disturbing causes of the decline may be briefly stated. Following upon the accretion of stocks v.\ Europe came the business_ derange ment incidental to the passing in the United States of the M'Kinley Tariff Bill, and the recommendation of the • (Jnstoms Committee of the Chamber of Deputies ia France of the imposition of a lax of ss. [v r bale upon all wool not imported direct- from the seat of production. Then, again, the clip of 1890 proved for g-nvt-rs almost as great a disappointment as the prices realised for ir. I'liH abundance for the winter and • >rin'g season of ISS9 ceriaiikly pointed to a prevalence) or' seed and burr, but it also promised a sound, well-grown clip. Many districts-, however, suffered severely from the ravagps of locusts during its growth, and the rains, though plentiful, were not at the best season, the result being that she bulk of the clip proved one of the burriest and seediest lmown, while, contrary to the rule, it was, as well, frequently shabby in appearance, more earthly, and deficient in substance.

But although the M'Kinley tari: and the movement in France have bot operated adversely this season, the will, if they become law, prove benefic ial in the future. The M'Kinley Bil transferring, as it does, a portion c European manufacturing industry t the United Htates, must if maiutainec greatly extend the requiremements c that couutry for the raw material, bot in class and quantity; should it be re pealed, as latest information impliei the general opinion is that the existin. woof duties will go with it. Economi reasons point, in either case, to on market as the chief source of supph In France the dependence upon Loi don sales has probably secured its ex emption fron duty hitherto ; as this n longer exists, there is every probabilit of the adoption of a tax directed t secure for Erance independence c other European markets, and whic will obviously further stimulate colon ial purchases. There was a painful scene in th Criminal Court on Saturday morning when the old man, Edward Boss, wh shot the matronly lady who did nc reciprocate his affections, was place in the dock to receive sentence. H had nothing to say about his blighte affection, but blamed it all to beei and in tremulous accents, pleaded fo mercy, as an old man of 67, who ha> lived an honest life and brought np familv. His Honor said he had hai much difficulty in dealing with th case, and he thoughr justice would b met by a sentence of six months, wit! 15 days' solitary. When an old offender named Henr Morton, otherwise Julius Bemschali came before Mr Justice Hood for sen tence the same day, he made a pitifu appeal for leniency, on the ground o having an aged mother, whilst he ha( just received news of the death of hi father. His Honor said he regardec the prisoner, who had admitted twelv out of the twenty previous convictions as a most dangerous criminal, as hi bad devoted his education and abilit; to a scarce of crime. He imposed i sentence of seven years' bard labor. Tin visits of "gentlemen from the country " to the city during the las week have afforded two or three amus ing incidents. Eirst I will mention the elderly party who went to th* Bijou Theatre with his dog, and purchased a couple of stall tickets. Thej —man and dog —were quietly taking tbeir seats when the manager of the theatre objected to the quadruped's preseuce there. The dog's master rose i:i augur, and i laiined that aa he had paid for tno scats he had a perfect right to place "Jim " in one of them. "Jim," he urged, was always at his side, and he was not going to be parted from him now. Of course, man and dog were ejected from the theatre, but not without the aid of a policeman, and the next morning " Jim's " master was fined two pounds in the police court for creating a disturbance. TTudoubiedly the manager of the theatre was right in objecting to "Jim," but one cannot help feeling a touch of sym pathy foe '.he unsophicated countrvman. Not so for the fool who came to town with £3OO in his pockets, ami list ncnrly the whole sum to a couple oil spielers, who induced him to play "a game with nine pieces of paper." It BCfcius almost incredible that in there enii (r 'i!(,'!i' t d davs any man can be so densely ignorant of the snares of city life as to allow a couple of fellows, whom he had never seen before, to entice him into a publichouse in a byway to [.lav a irame of chance, so called. The eccentric individual who wentir.lo j the Union Bank and demanded pay- j meut of a sum of money which he stated waa lying to his credit, must not be forgotten. He made matters live!)'" in the bank for a quarter of an hour, I by knocking the messenger over, making fra ilie attempts to seize the ledger ! Jteepei by the hair, and threatening to pound the manager into mincemeat if Jie- didn't " pay up." The poor fellow

was arrested, and next morning, like ] the dog man, fined a couple of pounds i for bis conduct. Talking about countrymen, I. must not forget to mention the death of Joseph Francis Sweeney, an old-time coach driver, well known throughout the colony as one of Cobb and Co.'s reliable whips in the early days. The old fellow committed suicide the other day. He had been penniless for weeksl before he threw himself into the sea arid ended his worldly troubles. It will interest many in the country-r----and in the other colonies, too, for the matter of that, as the name is well 1 known all over Australia—-to learn that " Cabbage Tree Ned," the prince of coach drivers in the fifties, is now a member of Doctor Carver's Wild West Show Company, at present exhibiting in Sydney. Ned drives the coach which the Indians attack on the imaginary prairie.