The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1874.

Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1804, 14 October 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1874.

The proposal of the Victorian Government to resume assisted immigration to the colony does not find favor ■with the people in some par's. [Representations have been made to the Government that the labor market is already overstocked, and that any attempt to introduce more immigrants must result disastrously. There can be no question of the capabilities of Victoria to sustain a large population, bufc the land law of the colony does not appear to work at all satisfactorily, or in a way calculated to induce the absorption of the population in so rapid a manner as could be wished. In view of this difficulty the working classes look •with alarm upon any proposals for further crowding their ranks.' At a crowded, meeting held at Cluues recently the following resolutions wero carried with acclamation :-—■

"That any attempt to appropriate a portion\ of the public revenue of the colony in^the interests of one class, and to the serious detrimeDt of the masses, is •unjust, and'should meet general condemnation." " That the agitation now being carried on in favor of assisted immigration is un-

justifiable, and especially uncalled for in the present overcrowded state of the labor market, and that if recognised and acted upon by the Legislature of Victoria it will be injurious to tho well-being of the working classes of the colony." " That this meeting, while deeply sympathising with tho largo number of'the unemployed in this district, as well as in nearly every other of the principal centres of our population, desires to express, in the most unqualified terms, its extreme indignation at the attempts now being made by interested parties to re-introduce free or assisted immigration at the expense of the State, and pledges itself.to use all possible means to prevent the infliction upon tho toiling 'and struggling masses of tho colony of a measure fraught with so much oppression and injustice."

Recubiung- to the Telegraph Department we perceive, from a comparative return of the number and value of telegraros forwarded during the quarters ended 30th June, 1873, and 1874, that ihe department is still progressive. During the 1873 quarter ended 30th June there were 154,317 telegrams forwarded, of the value of £10,45712s Od. During corresponding quarter in 1874, there were 209,147 telegrams forwarded, representing a value of £12,461 Is Od. It will thus be seen that the increase in the number of. telegrams forwarded in 1574 over the corresponding quarter of 1873 was 54,830, of the value of £2,003 9s Od. The value of Government telegrams forwarded during the same quarters was as follows: —1873 quarter, £3,524 lls 6d ; 1874 quarter, £3,218 4s 3d ; showing a decrease of £306 7s 3d. We are the more pleasedto notice the increase in the business of the telegraph department because we look forward to the time when a considerable reduction will be made in the tariff of charges. The working of the 'New Zealand lines is not nearly perfect yet. Over those routes where the most of the business is transacted there is a want of more wires. There is also a serious interruption at Cook's Straits, owing to the cable difficulty. But we still look forward to a better state of things, and in view of the rapid progress which the telegraph has made it is not too much to expect that before many months communication will be complete between JSTorth Cape and Stewart's Island —the Dan and Beersheba of the colony— and not only complete, but so efficient that telegrams can be transmitted in less time than it now takes, and with a greater degree of certainty. In a very short time sixpenny telegrams ought to become a great business medium, instead of as at present being confined to those interested in shipping; fsr, unless the rapid progress and successful working of the telegraph department result in affording additional facilities to the public, the advancemennt of this branch of the public service will cease to possess any interest for us.