MELBOURNE GOSSIP.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2668, 17 August 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)

MELBOURNE GOSSIP.

(Fiio.M oi;j; own ooiuiKsi'oNi)] Man iron i -;re tliu drvi.i.; i,f u,-:i.kim! fur ; vi mil; im.ncy. J'hc Jaw pi'i-.-'-iibes incmUsr.t t>i I lie Legislative Council b.s |;<.B?cdss<l of curtain property qual:,.;ns, and ihat any member i«ii.<i;s.; w iilinut such qualifications is li.ibk i<» i line of X'JOO lor every time lie till-..;-- his seat, Any person may sue any member for the recovery of the line, and Lho presumption is that he may keep the money—when lie gets it. In filling in the statutory declaration upon taking his seat in the new Council, Dr. Le Fcvre inadvertently included a property which Jie had not held dining the requisite twelvemonths. It is not pretended that the lion, member is not possessed of far more than the necessary property qualification, but the fact is not disclosed in the declaration of the property just alluded to is struck out. Technically speaking, Dr, Le Eevre would therefore bo disqualified, although he i-t in fact more than doubly qualified. These circumstances have come to tho ears of a man named M'Calla, and he has issued a writ against tho doctor for the recovery of the trilling sum oi JJ.10,2U() in respect of lho 6U times lie has sat in the Legislative Council. I have not the honor of Mr M'Calla's acquaintance my.~elf, though I should certainly like to seo a mail of his mental and moral celibre. lie can hardly be fool enough to imagino that ho will get any money, though he must be an idiot, if he spends much upon his action. Hits some enterprising lawyer got hold uf liim, and is using liiui as a catspaw for the sake of annoyance ? One would like to get at the bottom of the little game.

V\ hatever may be tho motives of Mr M'Oalla, mercenary, vindictive, or other wise, thero can bo uo doubt whatever respecting those which actuate tho Hon. Thomas Bent and Syndicate in tho mattor of tin it- Van Yean property. Most people remember their unsuccessful raid upon tho Public Treasury last year. Tin y acquired possession of a tract of country that drains into the Van Yean, and then proponed that the government should buy that land for XL'>o an aero, its actual value not beitifj more than XI 0 fin Hi re. \\ lien it became plain thai the public were not to be victimised, this Syndicate cut. up their section into small buiMiii'f iots, knowing full well that the drainage from human habitations, stables, )10.,' would pollute the dunking water of ll)(i,(i00 | ooole ; but I hoy hoped by such 1 proceeding to foieu t'uo baud of the •o'.••n.i.i •••'. coioptl tho purchase on an:L .ry ir!onoi!.. a 1 in. ir ".vn joloano hu ■ {~..111 :i 1j: :: i' I. ■ ' ju • ,1' .-a:! >w 101. »».[' ' 1 tin' . :■ j ; it. l i 1.. il,-. M j:'!..' I'! : ' li i.i" ! !' r in. a. lliul.> 1 <,* h ; '.v I'' !i u-'iat"<! Vhev hav-> ov/ : ; i'.i i-. id willi au oiie' lo oil. ;!.i at £7'> per acre—just half

what I'wv asked last year. If their prc.-;:«!'H bargain is mi valuable, ou« is (.■;;r;■!•»i lo a-.!; why they do not keep it ? Af. :!iy rale, although it. m.ay I-e de-ii-il:)-.' that tho iluv.-rr.ment -11 ;i i ! bul.l tho land, it is undesirable tha'. thews sp-enla-. iors should get a shilling an sore omro than tho ground is worth. They, no doubt, thougnt they were doing a 'cute thing when they became its owners, getting, as they thought, iho " whip " him ! over tho Melbourne people, but the law provides an i i'ieient " curb " to restrain even (hem. They e mnot built! upon the property, so thiy had better turn it into a -rraziiig-grouui!, and if thistles ur- plentiful, use ft for their o-.vn feeding. I casually mentioned the week before laM what, in fact, is becoming patent- to cverv one, namely, the va>t inllueuco which the irrigation colonies of Benmark and Miidur.i are destined to exercise upon tlio future of Australia, I also connected tlieui with the fruit preserving industry of Victoria, and alluded to the pos.-iVilify of our rivalling California in that respect. I did not know then, what I have since learned, although it might have occurred to any ono that the proceeding I am about to mention could not be very long delayed. The question has frequently been asked, What arc the settlers at Mikiura to do with tho fruits . they-are preparing.to grow? Where aro they to find a market for them '!' Herein has laiu a difficulty which many people havo beliored would not bo ea.-ily overcome. Oh ! yes, they have said ; we admit that with a constant supply of water we can grow fruits, but can we be equally certain of a market for them ? That problem, it appears, will bo solved sooner than was expected. In this way. The Daily Telegraph of last Friday contains tho following informatiou :— "Negotiations aro at present being carried on between Messrs Ward and Felstead, the proprietors of tho Ked Cross Fruit Preserving Factory, South Yarra, and the Chaft'ey Brot-hors towards the establishment of a large fruit-canning business at .Uildura. Large quantities of strawberries and tomatoes will bo available during the incoming season, so that if arrangement." can be made to havo these fruits o inned at Mildura, the advantage of a market to the irrowcrs right on tho spot will tend to sliil further cnhance tho value of irrigable land. During the fruit season of 13 W it is expected that tho first crops of apricots, figs, lemons, oranges, etc., will lie gal leered at Mildura. Messrs Ward and Felstead leave Melbourne for Mildura on Saturday morning for the purpose of selecting tho most suitable site on which to erect tho canning factory." Mr Ward, whom I happen to know, for some years managed a large fruit preserving concern in California, and is conversant with the most approved methods of canning in that country. The early introduction of canning into the Mildura settlement will give a fillip" to fruit cultivation there, which cannot be overrated, as many people will be induced to migrate thither who have been deterred by doubts —not of successful cultivation —but with regard to tho accessibility of a market. These doubts will be removed. Melbourne will purchase vast quantities of fresh fruits, and the factory or factories—for there will soon be more than one—will absorb the rest. As to the disposal of the fruits when canned or dried, that is a question which may be very safely left to the manufacturers. Mr David Syme, tho hard-headed proprietor of tho Ago, bears tlio name of being rather a screw in money matters. He is not generally considered one of tho most liberal paymasters by bis staff; but, bo that as it may, lie knows how to do a good action as well as any one. Mr Iv. D. Bennett, a member of the Age staff, died quite recently leaving a young widow unprovided for. Tho staff wished to do all they could for the bereaved lady, and started a subscription list, every employee in the ollieo putting down his liamo for a subscription, ono mouth's salary, This would have raised a good round sum. Whan things had progressed thus far, the list was laid beforo Mr David S.yino for his eontiibntion. llis reply was that he intended to settle upon Mrs Bonnet n life aniunhj of £200 a year. That example is worthy of imitation. During tho past few months gangs of men have been busily laving down some remarkably thick and heavy waterpipes, of rather small calibre, iu several leading business tbrou.ghfares in tho city. These pipes aro strongly bolted together by means of flanges at each end, and it is plain that they aro intended to resist an enormous pressure. 'Iliey are being laid by the Melbourne Hydraulic l'ower Company, and it is difficult to calculate the value of the services which will be rendered by means of them. They are intended to convoy motive power to all sorts of places, and for all sorts of purposes, and will, in a great measure, supersede both steam and gas as motive power when over it may be desired by those who ars at. present dependant, upon t.hcso two good servants but terrible nuisances. The capabilities of this hydraulic power is as tremendous as they arc diversified. Thcv drive goods and passenger elevators in high buildings, capstans, cranes, pumping machinery, dumping and other presses, organ bbtvers, dynamos, lathes, sewing- machines, knife cleaners, punkahs, aud, in lact, all kinds of machinery. Instead of having electricity stored up and delivered at our doors in accumulator for domestic lighting—the dream of eloetricans—people can have a small dynamo set up in closet fir cellar, and manufacture their own electricity for lighting purposes. Ail this is possible, aud its accomplishment lies in the near future. Contracts arc already being entered into for some of ihc.se purposes.