THE NEW AUSTRALIAN FIASCO.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4917, 4 January 1895, Page 3

THE NEW AUSTRALIAN FIASCO.

Nothing lias occurred in the p resent generation of men (says the Buenos lyres Slamhrd) to rival in importance and in solemnity tbo total failure of the Australian social scheme planted in Paraguay. When it was first mooted we throw cold water on it, and ivitb editorial scepticism doubted its success; subsequently, as the benighted Australians arrived we welcomed them with a faint heart, as our conviction from beginning to end was that the result would be a failure. Recent wo published a letter from the Key. F. Hasting, of Adelaide, who camo to visit the colony as special correspondent of the Australian papers. This gentleman has drawn up a special report on this unhappy scheme, and from this report wegive the following extracts, in the hope that the full publication of such a paper will dispel a delusion which even to this hour is breaking up mauy happy homes, and setting people adrift who will rue the day they exchange Paraguay for Australia. The report says: " Bitterly by word and pen has William Lane satirised the title given to the old Australia as a " working man's paradise." He ho lias tried to find a new Eden, Mateism is the password of entrance. All men and women are to be mated. They aro to absolutely trust one another. Tliey are to regard the degraded as deserving or only as the victims of circumstances. " None of us," he says," can help anything. We are all poor devils, within whom the human desire to love one another struggles with the brute desire to survive one another and be free." Mateism is the watchword of advance. Christian brotherhood is to take the form of Mateism. " Social injustice that breeds social wrongs and social conllicts" is to be stamped out by mateism, The idea has taken shape. It has moved many hearts. It has opened purses. It has led men to give up homes, business, friends, life-long associations, even fortunes. It has led to the purchase of a ship, It has led to the founding of a new settlement in the heart of South America. What if it should effect the regeneration of this country, wasted by mismanagement and torn by incessant petty revolutions ? How thankful one would be if this new idea and new movement should not only teach lessons to capitalism in other lands, but renew this land, swayed by decrepit races of mixed Latin and savage origin. " With these thoughts I step forth into the fresh air that breathes over the montes and swamps of this heart of Paraguay. " Eveea," or the sheep station, is the name of this first new Colony. Another, several miles away, is to be founded by part of the second batch coming by the "Royal Tar." But in this liveca one sees first the long building which I have

already described as library, stovehouse, and home of several families. Over an open space, still cumbered by a large felled tree, is the kitchen and common eatingplace, the former of mud and thatch, the latter of open timbers covered in part with calico. A large oven stands also in the open. A tank stands filled with water brought up daily by bullocks. Beyond is the schoolhonse. To the right is the single men's sleeping place—the most comfortable of all yet-built. By the orange grove are several dumpies, and away in the paddock several larger homes. One, that of aMr Watson—was apicture of comfort. It had a quaint gabbled portch outside, and within was an arrangement for lowering the sides so as to get plenty of fresh air. Drapery and a woman's touch made this the most attractive of all the homes, Mr Lane still lives in a doorless and undecorated hut. The garden is a large cleared space, whero beans, sweet potatoes, and water-melons gave a week ago great promise. Now everything but the mandioca is suffering from the ravages of caterpillars, locusts, and various pests peculiar to the country and perplexing to the colonists. Weevils and insect life of every kind make it difficult to bring any plant to perfection. Hornets are a great trouble. "They always tackle a stranger," said one. When the men were clearing the garden a man would stand with a branch to beat off hornets from the one swinging the axe. Three or four stings of these lanky and large hornets may produce such inflammation as to seriously endanger a man's life. "Unfortunately the blacksmith has broken down in health. He has worked too hard in the fierce sun. His place had not shade enough. It looked dreary with the fires unlit and the worker away. "Thero is an estancia or station at two or three miles distant. From ityoung Sibbald brought each morning cans of milk. "At the estancia are about 2500 lisad of cattle. They have increased ahont 100 since purchase. The community owns 170 horses and a number of foals; also 20 pigs and 100 fowls. It has put up about 10 miles of wire fencing aDd enclosed a large garden with wood fencing. It has turned over 50 acres for vegetables, maize, beans, etc. It has cleared 22

acres of wood, and put up what would make, if all stood together, about a quarter of a milcof huts and temporary sheds. Great is the amount of work done, and it would j have been greater if they could all ■L have worked together, ™ " There arc now at tho settlement about 50 men and 70 women and children. Three cattle a week have to be killed for consumption, Seven will be needed when the second batch arrives, The hides are dried on frames in the sunshine, and become a source of revenue. The bones make manure, and the horns knifehandles. They have good orange groves, but all the orange trees need attention. There are splendid springs of water around tho place. " Mr Blondel, formerly a baker of! Albury, and one of the men who voluntarily left the settlement, said that as far as he knew there had been little or no immorality or drunkenness to complain of, but there was something worse, a complete absence of liberty. A man could not go outside the settlement without leave. If he attempted to go he had no money to pay for a horse, or to spendin the nearest town. Having given up everything to the cause, haying himself paid even for his own employee to ono of the mates, having sacrificed everything at of Mr Lane, having sworn allegiance to tho idea of brotherhood, he tried hard to believe that bo had not been mistaken. Still the suspiciousness, the mutual fear, the boycotting, and the utter tameness and isolation of exiatehce in the New Australia compelled him to leave. He found that Mr Lane'B idea was that people should be forced to obey, He did not lead people, but issued peremptory edicts. He ejected men who | we opposed to him, and who only 1

wanted somo change in tbo internal management. He used threats, had police and even soldiers to enforce his will, posted notices that certain men would find ' carrctas' at 7 o'clock in the morning to take thorn to the nearest place outside the settlement. Mr Blondel said : " I conhl stand it no longer. I could not see brothers treated like that and 1 volunteered to go also We went to the Gonzalez colony founded by the Purnguaynn President. There are 15 families of us there now, and we have our own blocks. We have now no quarrelling and no suspicion one of the other. lam far happier, but, oh, it is nothing like Australia. I would give anything to get back again, and so would nearly all those on tbo settlement, only they dare not all say so."