The Land Fever in Melbourne.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2867, 7 April 1888, Page 2

The Land Fever in Melbourne.

—. nlH^' The Melbourne land "boom" promises to be of longer life than its silver sister. There is something solid about Mother Earth, but even that dear old dame may be appraised too highly. Land in central parts of Melbourne is selling at equal, if not higher, prices than in London City. .It is, writes Vincent Pyke, in the Dimedin Star, all the world to a sucked orange against such prices being maintained. But possibly, nay probably,, this game will be kept up until the'"doors of the Exhibition are closed. Only last Saturday a vineyard at Moonee Ponds was cut up into allotments and offered for sale. High prices were paid for corner allotments - corner allotments at Moonee Ponds, six miles out of Mel- - bourne !-so much, indeed, as £2B per foot frontage. But it is significant that only one-fourth of the property was. sold.

The fact is, this business is overdone and, languishes. The way iu which such sales are got up is thus;» A" syndicate" buys some lucky man W estate at a good round stun, and their' surveyor, tape-liner, and peg-driver, march into the property and "cut it up." Mendacious advertisements, flaming posters, free carriages, men and women to fill them provided gratis, and when the publio has been roused to the necessary high pitch of excitement—a champagne and brandy inflated sale. And thus the merry-go-round is kept in motion, If this sort of' thing can but be kopt up till the exhibition there will be a revival. But thereafter--Amen!