OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 420, 1 February 1909, Page 5

OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

..LAND '-SETTLEMENT IN VICTORIA. . [* H °M OtJlt OWN CORnESPONDENT.] .' ...'-.- Sydney, January 23. The new Government of Victoria proposes to enter upon a vigorous policy of land.settlement as one of its first duties. In his : speech to his constituents at Warrnambool on Tuesday night, Mr. Murray, the Premier, announced a liberal method to be followed in Sealing.-with lands still in the hands of the Crown and-fit for cultivation; and as a further inducement to settlement, these lands are to be entirely, : free-. from whilst, in the case of Crown lands which have.already been loaded—except those for railway deficiency purposes—the Minister isto have, authority to make reductions wherever this is considered desirable:' For the. future, • Crown lands ■will be classified • under the old.classification of £1 per acre for first-class land, 15s. for second-class, and 10s. for , third-class land; and settlers willbe allowed, forty years to pay this money. Moreover, ; ..the Government is convinced of, the necessity, for- securing more extensive and productive settlement of lands now in'hands of; private owners, and' hence it-is intended to. pursue;, Mr. Murray. says; .a. more effective, system for the compulsory acquisition of private' estate's. "Under the plan to be adopted;; the Government will enter into negotiations "with the owner of any estate-it desires'to purchase:. and should these, ; gotiati6ns provo futile, the Government will advise the Governor to proclaim that the estafe': should be compulsorily taken. ; The moment that proclamation is gazetted the estate "will.become the property of the Crown! W.lieir the bwne.- lodges his claim for compensation,, the. case will be heard by. a judge of, the -Supreme Court' without a' jury, and he-will decide the amount tote awarded the owner -The valuation of 1035 estates on the land tax,register, of Victoria is to be at orice.luiidertaken, and this valuation , is to form;.the':basis of future.proceedings in .ths ■direction- of land resumption.. Other importr ant'v'hieasures' proposed by the: Government ini;httle the simplification of the electoral systenv;and the adoption of preferential voting proposals, and it is also intended to do a great dea)i more'than, is .even now done' in; the direction, ,of ;wate"r, conservation.; ~ . ' .'•'■' .' //■ ■ Against Prize-Fighting. ; ; ;Mt;.would be useless to try to stop boxing; , and '-nc-one- ■■has , - ever ventured -.toy suggest that'-, this should be done/ But. the recent ■Burns : Johns6h exhibition was sufficient to : indicate ■ that: certain legislative, action is .necessary, to:.remove '.those .'features .which '.make a prize-fight of that which under other conditions would be a boxing match. The' :Wade Government accordingly hasresolved to -introduce a. Bill next session \ which . will confer upon the Government the power it 'doesjnot now possess to adequately supervise these; displays.." Meanwhile it is intended to prohibit , the/use of gloves of less than'six' ounces .in/weight.. -/In', the .Burns-Johnson 'battle, four-ounce,, gloves-were'.used,' arid it , is all, except; those; who .wentYto .seo.v'bloodV sheS; that., are' too -'light'. a development , of\th'e pastime /which; is 'exclusively American,.' and -was. here;,by. Burns, ;i is also 'toibe -for-" , ; bidden., Burns did' not .damage Johnson ■ very rhuich by'his; in-fightirig^the''black man ahd; nqfc fallow' him. to : do, so—though.' he'- gave .Squires' a bad. time through : it.;'-. and; the: ob'jeetiori to'.it-is;. that it: introduces 1 too much. ..prinisbiri.eri.t!/into, the '.'cpntcstj. both for the' it as.well as.his'opppnent;' .mcauures'.may do, .sbm&-., ■thing'-toViitiitigatei the .'evil's of p'rize-fighting', but.ii.t ;might :have'been well :also .to--limit; -the number of rounds -stillfurther. .At pre-' ;S.ent'.twenty,;irounds/are , permitted; arid a. good deal ; of punishment can: be administered ih.vthat time,' as..'Johnson proved' the other, day!,-/The continued punches about the.hea'd ■that v prize-fighters'.'' get send ; 'them silly in : , course' of time, because of the derangement of'; the .nerve *centres. : , : Hence." any nieasiire that ■: will L rnofjif brutal.result.: should ;fte welcomed. Certainly, the prohibition of. '> liri-fiplhting": may be/a .material step' in' that'.direction. ,; / ".,. :;..'"■,'' -!(':.■■• : -■■•"".* ■•■'■'■. . t'v" , ..*'"''--':'.' '\'~ ' - - /.■ ' ■{α-y'-' Sydney's' Electric Light. ; ■;) The electric lighting enterprise of the Sydney Corporation; "undertaken . five-years. ago, is .daily, growing ..with the .expansion of the .city/* Already the'council'has spent £419,035 upon,the work, the area.covered by streetlighting mains including big portions of Paddington.andGamperdown, and now the whole system includes the , equivalent of 236,900 16-candle-power lamps, this quantity representing not only street lighting but the power supplied to' private' consumers, about 2300 in' number. , - It.-is, therefore,'/ already a big ■enterprise, and itis becoriiirig :'biggerevery '.day, 'as ,is ..indicated by''the,,fact that the .cost -of the.extensions now in 'hand, arid those .contemplated; will'-be, approximately ;£180;QOO. Olt: is important; therefore, .that the: plait should be able.to - meet readily, all the demands likely' to be made upon rif'in the ;rioar : future.:-Hence.the Lord Mayor.(Alderman Allen-Taylor) has suggesfted.,.that the-original designer, of the system. ■Major .;Cardew, of; : : the' : firm of Ereece and t Catdew, London,'; .should: be asked:, to visit' Sydney''toVmake-.a.- thorough inspection of /the, 'buildings,■- machinery,.;and.'■ plant. This ■ ■he, is.iprepared to do for -.the -sum:of £1600, inclusive/of all expenses,'and the council has ■agreed'tp. the proposal;. ;., ■':■'■■■ . .-.-. ■