VICTORIA.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 46, 22 January 1884, Page 3

VICTORIA.

(FBOX OCR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) Melbourne, Jan. 17th, 1884. I am not going to inflict on the appetite of your readers a dish of dry bones ; but it has occurred to me that some of them may be interested In the perusal of a few items of commercial news. It seems to have become the fashion of late years to review the various incidents of the past 12 months, much in keeping with what good Christian people are taught to observe and do. Hence, the Victorian journals stick to the practical phase of life; and, instead of trying to take the wind out of the clerical sails, by pulling long faces, and preaching sermons about “ Peace on Earth and good-will to men”— when they don’t mean anything of the sort, aud, if they did mean it, would not act up to it—they turn over the Colony’s ledger and see how it Brands with itself and the rest of the world. Without being “ levitous” (a freshly coined word to express the active form of levity), I must say I am glad that the holidays are over, for, after a day or two in this enervating climate, one “ gets weary, worn, and sad.” With the re-iterating sameness of the amusements at hand, and we find occasion to agree with Shakespeare, that, “ All things that are, are with more spirit chased than enjoyed.” And as for the Old Year, what’s the use of it to us now ? It is like an old friend; it has done its duty, it has answered our purpose; and now we have no more need of it, we turn our backs coldly upon the aged form that goes before, to bear witness for or against us in the Great Hereafter. We do not like the parting, but ■entiment will not sustain a man, who has much friendship and little money. Reverence for the aged, virtuous, and poor is soon forgotten in the necessity put upon us to bend the knee to the vicious and young, but rich Baals, which the world introduces to otir notice with every coming year. Old years that can bring us no more cheer are like old friends that can be of no further assistance. They have got into the sear and yellow leaf. The fruit they once bore to us palls on our appetite to satisfy; though we look on the withered branches

with indifference. Besides, the philosophy of this eminently practical age, teaches that one cannot always be shaking hands • even with his friends, and the older they grow the greater nuisance they become. And the reason is obvious, for latter-day friendships have as many seasons as the year they typify—their Spring brings a welcome Summer only when the harvest is golden ; but that is succeeded too surely by a chilly, falling Autumn, ending with the icy coldness of a dr earv, cheerless Winter, But, nevertheless, it may serve a good purpose, after all, to be able to forget; since it is a truism that many so-called past friendships are as little worth remembering as the by-gone years that brought them. The few remarks that I propose to make re trade, are in reference to the general beni-

ficence we see around us. On every side we see the Horn of Plenty exalted. Harvesting advanced with us, and of those crops are not garnered, the most encouraging accounts continue to reach us. In most districts an excess of expected average is reported. Wheat particularly shows to the front, of which the latest computation is that at least 200,000 tons will be available for export. Several vessels are now on the berth, grain laden, for London, the cargoes of which have been purchased ahead. South Australia particularly is to be congratulated on a bountiful harvest, for trade there has been stagnant for months past, and I am not saying too much that, had the harvest failed, a wide-spread bankruptcy must have resulted, and a general exodus would have taken place. In Adelaide itself the effects of an impoverished country and a low public exchequer have been almost chronic. When I was there in June last year it was pitiable to see the state of affairs, and to hear the universal wail. And to add to the stagnation of trade a kind Providence or the laws of Nature (by whatever name unwelcome phenomena are known now-a-days) so timed their table that the winter was of the mildest. During my three weeks’ stay I wore lighter clothing than in Melbourne. Consequently, it was no uncommon thing to see even the leading drapery houses ticketing their goods most temptingly at 20 per cent, (so they said) below English cost. While whitewashed windows and poster-bedaubed fronts intimated to multitudes who, evidently, had not any money to buy with, that “ alarming sacrifices” could be had within. I was assured by some lady friends (and they are pretty goo ! judges) that if anyone could afford to lay out say £lOO in. winter apparel (I forgot to say that that was the class of goods found unsaleable) at least £3OO or £4OO of value could be obtained, and the best and most valuable articles were more ready for the sacrifice. I should like to write my opinion of Adelaide, which I regard

as the most English and attractive town I have visited south of the line. But the heat h too “fryable” for me. And one of the reasons that I have for entertaining a good opinion of that place is that, notwithstanding the “ hard-upishness” of all around, there were little x no outward and visible signs of squalcur and poverty. There were unemployed, truly, but they were not to be seen idling and slouching round the public-house door. “ The poor we have always with us,” but the Adelaide artisans and laborers ate a self-dependent and self-respecting class. They live in neat little cottages, surrounded by well-kept and cc--y plots, of ground, each preserving its inuhiduality, and respectable appearance. They do not huddle, and sweat, and stew together in filthy dens and backslums, as in Melbourne and’Sydney, nor, indeed as in many such places that disfigure your New Zealand towns, The tram-cars traverse the suburbs of Adelaide, King William Street--a grand thoroughfare—being the centre, and nothing can exceed the pleasure ot this kind of travelling on a fine day, and to note the extent of what I may term humble respectability during the journey, A gentleman I had met in New Zsaland was with me, and after I had drawn his attention to the fact, he exclaimed on its correctness on several subsequent occasions, and so warmly did he dwell on the circumstance that he took a note of it, for ulterior purposes. I have not heard whether he has made use of it or not. Surely you will accuse me of digression, but as my mission is to unite discursively, a few degrees of latitude, or longitude, won’t make much difference.

I left off some distance behind on the item of wheat supply. You may be surprised to learn that, in this Colony, the year 1883, commercially speaking, has not been a good year. All through, money has been “ tight,” and, towards the end, scare. This, of course, was consequent on a Had harvest, and a falling-off in the wool clip in 1882. Fortunately, however, the heavy shipments from the Home and other markets, which ushered in the beginning of 1883, have been largely diminished, the first portion of which shows a fallin-off in importations amounting to £654,800. An increase in Colonial manufactures, or a larger demand for them, under the fostering guardianship of Protection, has tended much to shut out the foreign article. In my letters to your predecessor (the Standard), a year since, I pointed out, and compared with New Zealand, the extravagance which then characterised the financial bungling of the O’Loghlen Ministry, which was not lessened from the fact that, when the four million loan was put on the market, the debentures would not sell ; consequently, many thousands sterling had to be further squandered, to keep up a credit which was becoming shakv through having anticipated* nearly the whole of that large sum, in coquetting with constituencies, and jobbing amongst political friends. The effects of that sad fiscal mess are not wholly obliterated yet. Local credit is like local jealousy, and local scandal; it is soon injured, but it takes a long time to become re-established ; and were it not that opposing factions saw the wisdom of coalition, it is probable that Victoria would still be in the throes of internecine dissension, political intrigue, and financial turmoil. Now all is peace. Contentment and plenty reign around. Trade is sound ; the general credit is good, and probably the secret of both lies concealed in the fact that we are negotiating with John Bull for another advance of £3,000,000. The wool clip is reported, so far, to be excellent, both as regards quality and quantity. Exception is to be taken to the clips coming from the Darling, and Lachlan river, some of them being of an inferior quality. Prices compare favorably with those of last year, and present inquiries do not indicate a low tendency. One of the advantages of living in a big city is that one is not so liable to rust (I won’t say rot.) If a certain speculation fails one can turn his attention to another. So long as a man has money — the necessary medium — and an enterprising spirit, the opportunities are many, I may illustrate this by the means that nave been adopted lately, and not quite unknown in your own colony, of forming syndicates. The instance I am specially alluding to now is land; though syndicates are formed for nearly every purpose requiring aggregation of capital. Syndicates do away with the clogging formalities, as well as the attached responsibilities, of shareholders in companies. These have become what may be termed common in Melbourne lately, and have formed quite a feature in the last year’s business. The idea is to buy a block of land, generally in a rising suburb ; subdivide it into building lots, give it a pleasant name (the latest is Roseberry Park), and auction it on deferred-payments, in bills bearing a nominal rate of interest. And it is astonishing how the public rush to buy—enticed, no doubt, by the invitation of a cheap trip to the ground and a gratuitous “ feed,” generally accompanied by champagne. As these sales average from one to two, three, and four thousand pounds sterling almost weekly, the auctioneers make a good thing out of them; but it is thought that even that means of raising the wind is played out, though it cannot be denied that it will stimulate the building trade, and tend to relieve the city proper of a large sleeping population, Through the possession of your Nelson and other plantations you will be interested in the hop question, I have lately visited one of the prettiest, and what, I believe, will soon become one of the chief hop-producing districts in Victoria—namely, Gippsland—where the yield is regarded as very prolific, and to the fruition of which the planters are looking with great expectations. At the beginning of 1883, it will be remembered, hops were held for abnormally high rates — rates which, in many cases, were never realised. This spurious state of affairs was caused by the high prices ruling in England, owing to a partial failure of the crop there. Advance agents were sent out thence to the colonies to negotiate for the coming crop, and Gippsland was the cynosure of attraction. So high did the temperature of the growers’ avarice run tiiat 4s. 9d. per lb. (or about 200 per cent, above the market, and at least, 300 per cent, above that which would pay and leave a profit) was refused for crops that were still on the poles. Many made money, but a number lost; and I can quote instances where the hops for which extra high prices had been refused, being sold after some months for 9d, per lb. in England I There is one noticeable anomaly about this hop question, which is now waking up the growers from their slumber, and that is the glaring absurdity of Protection. These hop plantationists urge that they cannot (like many other of their co-industriallsts) grow and cure hops at remunerative prices, against the importer of the foreign article, unless they have an impost of 6d. per lb on the latter. This they have. Yet, in the face of it, they can afford to despise Colonial requirements, and send their crops for competition in the English market! My idea of protection has been that an import duty is required, on account of the extra price of labor, and varying causes, so as to enable the local-industry man, with small capital, to compete, in his own local market, with the importer who grows with cheaper labor, employs larger capital, and produces under more favorable circumstances. So soon as the supply of a locally-produced article is more than sufficient (no matter whether from inferior quality or excess of quantity) for the local demand, and the producer can afford to export, the theory of extraneous assistance breaks down. Yet, such is the state of affairs in this Colony, that no matter how untimrous may be the cry of the Protection infant, the feeding-bottle is at once applied, until it is surfeited with Protection food ad nauseam. Of course you will have learnt that the cricket match—N.S.W. v. Victoria, was won “hands down” by “our” team. Since that, commencing on New Year’s Day, the Australian Eleven have been petted against an united Colonial team, a few particulars of which may not be devoid of interest. Appended hereto is the full score, which you can place in’ this letter or excise therefrom, as your fancy may dictate or your space afford. You will have heard, possibly without surprise, that the first game with the “ Uniteds ” is the last. Indeed, it is openly stated here that the whole affair has been a fiasco from the beginning, and should never have been formulated, and would not have been but for the respected gate-money, which did not “come off.” Professional cricket is I like everything else ; it affords as good an op- ' portunity for swindling the public as horse* [ racing, and, so long as the public will pay to be swindled, the swindlers will always be “ all there.”