The Feilding Star. SATUEDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1892. Protection and Politics

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 51, 15 October 1892, Page 2

The Feilding Star. SATUEDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1892. Protection and Politics

The fatal results of an ultra pro tection policy, combined with the disastrous land boom which appeared to have been consequent upon it, have dragged " marvellous Melbourne" down to a very low level. The following letter from a well known Dunedin man, published in the Dunedin Star, draws a very painful picture, of the state of affairs in the capital of Victoria. " This place seems to be almost collapsing entirely. The like has never been seen since the British Empire began. Here we have in one week one man (Fink) failing for a million and a-Lalf, and offering a £d in the £, which has been accepted. Again, within a few days, an enormous wholesale misappro-. priation of funds in another bank besides the Mercantile, implicating a number of men who have hitherto moved in the highest commercial and religious circles. I firmly believe that we have not yet, by a long chalk, seen the worst of it. I wish to God I could get away out of the filthy place, but I must shepherd my investments for some time. Nothing is safe here just now ; more banka will certainly come down. With all the other troubles, they are piling on more duties on almost everything you use, making the place awful dear to live in. Besides, it is very unhealthy indeed. Truly Melbourne has become a very vile place. " But we believe out of this evil will come good, and the hard lessons of adversity will teach the people wisdom. Victoria, as a colony, has recuperative powers quite as strong as any other in the World. Her people are courgeous and energitic, therefore their present difficulties will only excite them to meet and overcome the calamities which are now with them, or are looming in the near future. The population at the last census April 5, 1891 was 1,140,405 of whom 598,414 were males and 541,991 femals. Of these 309,9 13 males, and 309,668 females total 619,581 persons lived in the towns, Melbourne having 490,902. Only 285,555 males, and 231,530 females, total 517,085, lived in the rural districts. This is out of all reasonable proportion and no doubt the over population of Melbourne has contributed to the present sad condition of the city, and at the same time worked evil to the farming districts by withdrawing the necessary labor. Speculators and selfish politicians are mostly to blame for this, but the day of retribution has come for the former, while the " writing is on the wall" indicating the destruction of the latter. But the fall of these selfinterested men will mark the dawn of a new day of substantial prosperity resulting from the united industry of the people, and free from that taint of illegitimate growth which has been the distinguishing blot on the fair fame of Victoria during the past decade.