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MELBOURNE TOWN TALK

#- (From oun own Ookbbbmndent.) " Slander most vile" has baen ottered against the (v fair n»ine" of the Hon T, Bent, and tho mombef for Brighton has been asHumlug all tho airs of iriwproaohable virtua ho could eummm np for the occasion. But there la no painting black white despite all brazon-faoed boldoeßß baoked up by iiflaenoo, and the hon membrr la coming out of ib very badly. This Kensington Hill lailway affair ia Bumothtog hideous m the way of political | corruption and d shonesty. Plainly and I aimply It ia this : Mr Bent, whUeit Minister of Kailwaye, knowing that a certain lino was prcj iotod, bought up the land on the quiet, of course selling to an immense profit, and partly to the Government, Nothing can atone for such en aoo, and no explanation txaept actual refutation by proof oan ever be of the slightest good. I hear on good authority despite the vatloluations of the " Herald," that the offer of thiity millions fur 99 years' lease of the Woßt Melbourne Swamp is perfeotly authentic, and that it emanatea from the agents of the Rothschild's. This tract 1b about two thousand acres m extent, and at present of very little uae to anybody, What a scheme it will be if anything ooniea of the affair. Thirty milliona 1 It won d almoat pay off our national debt ; at 4 per oent Inter. at it would gtva close up a million and a quarter interest per aunum. Good heavens 1 what oould wo do with such a emu 1 We could give Melbourne the moat perfect drainage system m the world. It would help to oarry out that plan of the aauguiuo — the exteußton of the city westwards, for it tve-u'd of necessity be dene for- us by the purchasers of the lease m their own iuteteat. We would erect suoh buildinga as would earpaes anything lo the old world or new. We oould extend our eduoatioual ajatem Indefinitely. We could reclaim waste lands ; found boquulb of literature, art and BO.enoe ; perfect our def oooea ; do almost anything end everything a wealthy nation oan to farther progress and advancement. It is whispered among certain financial people m the town that the Rotschilda' agent he.c is Mr B J. Kink, ML. A. , but whetbeJ the rumour bu true or not I am not m a position to Bay Ho tuu*t, however, be buyiug for some syndicate or body of capitaliata, ia ooiij auction with the Hon T. B;;ut, for tuey soum to have bought up i;alf Melbourne. Mr Fink 'ia ia one of the wonders of the day. A man jtitl In the prime of life, he commenced Ufa forty yeara ago as office-boy iv Wallach'a, the furniture house* From that he became partner, then bought the business. „ Subsequently he purohaaed Rooke'e large farnlahiug bußineßß, and now Bteinfeld's. Ills tranaaotionß m olty pro* parties during the last few yerrs have re&chod millions, aud he is now supposed to be tho richest man m Melbourne. He is, from start to finish, an entirely selfmade man, and has done perhaps more than any other living man to beautify aud Improve Melbourne. What extraordinary people there are m the world, to be sure ; aud what euperextraordinary onea m Australia. I have boon favored with a Bight of two letters, which "take the cake" tot originality, both being reoeived by the Government last week. Ono waa to the Secretary of Mines, and suggested a novel method of prospecting for gold. Tho writer Bays he has a brother (* now chum) who receives violent Bhooks when he atanda on ground whore thvre fa gold, and implores the Mining Department to give h'.a gifted brother a trial. Tho second letter waß from a farmer, who evidently thinks ho has not reoeived justice m regard to paymentß for his seleotlon, for he eada a long rambling letter with the voluntary and agreeable information that if the Department does not do the propor thing, he will "come down to Melbourne with his branding iron and brand old Do*, and soon bring him to hia aenaea." A pleaaant party this, without doubt. Graviora manent. Greater affliotlona await U3 — or rather the public puree, for tho Government are making preparations for the holding of a great federal review, both military and nava l , to farther celebrate the opening of tho Exhibition. '■ All the Colonial Governments have been Invitod to take part m the demonstration, and atrange to Bay, all with the exoeption of New South Wales have testified their willlngnoaa to doao. But a protty penny it will cojt Victoria, and all for what? It won't teaoh our aoldlera anything ; it won't bo of any practical benefit ; it won't reault m anything ; it will be an expanslvo farce and an -imposing imposition. I mentioned m my last something regarding tho eoandaluus aff-ilrs threatened dUcl'^uro about the condition of thinga at the Women'a Hospital, m (Jarlton. Wei); since t'non the Investigation has boon hold, a scapegoat punched, and tho whole aflMr, huihod up. It waa found ih it no actual immorality had been committed between the duibcb and the fitudeuts, and that (hero hud been too much " familiarity ■' and " ridioulouß larking." The oonucleficea of the Investigating Oomin'tfcea wore oatlaliod by the expulsion of the head nurae — et voila tout Of oourae, it would not have dono to make public all the facts of (ha case, htxd we can well pass it over dieoreetly. But ia a ehamo that euoh lax punishment ehould have been aooordod ; the students have been oholldad, and (ho nursoa made to boar tho onus. It ia alwaya co m life —the wom-.n bearo the penalty m .such oases. It ia quite understood now m regard to the Exhibition that things will not have boon far advanced enough by August Ist to enable tho big show to bo opened on tl>at day, as waa arranged. Tho lato disgraceful quarrels Mid the proorastiuation on the part of tho CotnmfoßiQu h^vo led to serious intorforecoo of business, and things »re m a generally backward state. We can only hope that affairß will now ro on more smoothly, lam told that tho Honorable Juinoa Munro la likely to be tho President ; but if I woro asked to bot on tho Lord Obiof Justlco'B successor, I should bo inolinod to put my money on his Vioo — thd ambitious and ontprprisiug . Oolonol Sargood. . .j »? We are to have, bo I hoar, qnito a number of now papers and journals jn i Molbourno soon. The " Evouiug Star "ib vow on tho market for flotation ; Phil. Hobinson, tho war co-roHpoodent, is understood to bo üboi]lt t9 pilot anothor evening print j and another woll-known journalist m about to vonliiro a l( Bua(J*y Tlinejß." Besides thin, t ljoar of an illiJßtratod aoriql woolly Jikely to bo started, not a newspaper but a journal of light reading ; whilst to my oortain knowledge, an intorprislng firm of publishoisia seriously talking of starting a good Außtraliun monthly magazine. Jf b.U theßO sohemos oorao to a hend, Molbourno will certainly bo well off m tho maiior of j?' UT *alt) and publications.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG18880525.2.7

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1850, 25 May 1888, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,192

MELBOURNE TOWN TALK Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1850, 25 May 1888, Page 2

MELBOURNE TOWN TALK Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1850, 25 May 1888, Page 2

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