MELBOURNE GOSSIP.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2763, 29 March 1890, Page 6 (Supplement)

MELBOURNE GOSSIP.

(fuom our own correspondent). Mr Bell, Ministsr of Defence, is a punctillions gentleman, who evidently does not intend any liberties to be taken with Victoria, so long as he controls the Forces. Sir Graham Berry has informed the Premier that he has received an informal invitation for the Victorian Mounted Rifle Corps, to be represented at the next royal military tournament, to be held in England. This <sommunication has been sent on to Mr Bell, who declines to take any action upon it, as the iuvitation has not been given in the ordinary official manner. There will be a terrible commotion at the Horse Guards, when this decision of Mr Bell's is made known ; and someone is Bure to " get it" for having failed to approach the peppery Victorian War Minister iu a proper and becoming manner. Perhaps the dismissal of half a dozen military secretaries, and the courtmartialing of a few brigadiers will appease Mr Bell's righteous indignation. Or, perhaps, if the invitation were sent out in the " Enchantress," with a general officer as the bearer thereof, that would do. During the last day or two gossip has been bi-sy with the alleged misconduct of a certain dentist—whose name has not yet been made public. His offence is an alleged criminal attempt upon a patient, of 15 years, whilst she was under the influence of an anaesthetic, which he had administered to her. The mo3t unsatisfactory part of the business is, that the detectives have gone to work upon-infor-mation conveyed in an anonymous letter. If the charge be really true, the fellow deserved to be publicly whipped, and sent to prison afterwards. But in the absence of any sworn information, and whilst the accuser remains in hiding, it seems monstrous for the police to take action upon what, after all, may be a malicious falsehood. Ou the other hand the detectives allege that the man was guilty of a similar offence before he came to Melbourne. If so, why not proclaim it, and put possible future victims upon their guard ? In the present case they I cannot proceed against him so long i as his supposed victim conceals her identity. But they hope to bring sufficient pressure to bear against him that he will find Melbourne too warm for long residence. This, I submit, is a most unsatisfactory state of affairs. If the girl is too modest to come forward and secure the man's punishment, she ought to have held her tongue. According to her statement, the attempt did not succeed. She was not, therefore, irreparably injured. As for the police, they were not justified in forcing any man to abandon his means of livlihood upon the mere ipse dixit of an anonymous correspondent. If so, who is safe ? It should seem that with all his fervour on behalf of Federation, Sir Henry Parkes has not yet quite made up his mind to allow anyone to ge shares in the waters of the Murray. This is a great pity, because the position he takes np is both untentable and absurd. He is evidently alarmed at the rapid progress of Mildura; then there is Renmarth; and the splendid results of irrigation at these two places, especially at the former, will be the incentive that will bring millions of other acres under irrigation. But has not New South Wales its Went worth and other suitable sites. And would it not be better to put the Murray under a commission, which would duly apportion the water to be taken, lock and conserve the water, if necessary, and see, at tho same time, that the navigation of the river is not impeded ? Things will have to come to this, for the splendid results ot irrigation at Mildura and other plaoes are too apparent to permit the enterprise to be checked by anyone whomsoever. The Age, of this morning, contains a ecathing review of the play "Hands Across the Sea," just revived by Mr Charles Warner. The play is bad, and the acting is worse, and the Age evidently means to crush it. What would you have ? It is not greater rubbish than a great deal of stuff that attracts crowds to the minor theatres night aftor nijrht. I suppose " Hands Aoross the Sea " meets the approbation of those who go to the theatre, or they would not pay for admission. There will be a deficit of, they say, i £100,000 in the railway amount of revenue and expenditure this year. If that much is admitted, it will probably require another £50,000 to " foot the bill." Of course, there is an outcry, and a most unreasonable one. If hon. members in Parliament insist upon this and that reduction in freights, just to please their constituents and secure their own re-election —and £300 a year—what are we to expect ? Furthermore, if contracts are let to men of straw, and if the Government have to find them in money to carry on the work—and pay interest for it too— and allow the said contractors to dawdle over a job as long as they think fit, what are we to expect ? How can an undertaking be made to pay when conducted upon tqch uncommercial principles ? I dp

not say that 3 contractor should not receive money on account as he performs his work; but be should be compelled, at least, to perform that work within contract time, or be made to pay for the delay. But even the payment of money " on account" should not extend beyond payments for construction of permanent way. Does anyone suppose that an English railway company would order a locomotive and advance the contractor the money to build it with ? And not only that, but pay interest for that money! This is what the Victorian Government, does, and that without taking steps to oompel the contractor to work up to time, and thus enable the department to make a line, or rolling-stock, reproductive as soon as possible. Can anyone wonder at a deficit under such a system P The balance-sheet just published of the Australian Mortgage and Agency Company, Limited, of Edinburgh and Melbourne, shows very gratifying results. The net profits of the year ended 30th last Decembet amounted to £43,000, enabling the Directors to pay a dividend of 8 per cent., together with a bonus of 2 ! per cent., and carry forward £9400 to the current year. No augmentation of the reserve fund was considered necessary, as it already amounts to £200,000. "The last year has been a prosperous one, as the following figures will show :—During the year ended 31st ult. the leading woolbrokers of Melbourne sold 177.856 bales, being over the 50,000 bales in excess of the quantity Bold during the previous ' year (1880*9), and a considerable portion of this increase fell to the share of the Australian Mortgage and Agency Company. Their business, in both wool and grain, is developing very rapidly, especially in the latter staple, which is now in excess of that handled by any other firm, whilst their 3ales of wool were 6000 bales in excess of those disposed of during the previous season.