page 71

From Australia.

Trade is still comparatively dull in Melbourne, although the unemployed cry has to some extent died out. Parliament resuming has, no doubt, relieved a little of the depression, and also kept the hands in the morning offices going more steadily. Of late, the influx of comps from other colonies has greatly subsided, and when the unemployed were so severely sat upon, their cry was useless. Several advertisements were inserted in the morning papers shortly after the agitation for an increase of allowance (presumably by some of the aggrieved ones) offering to accept work at reduced wages, but as far as I can learn nothing came of the action. Another period such as the last land-boom would give the printing world a happy impetus, but the chances of that are so small, that the change of the season will have to be awaited.

The New Zealanders here all seem to keep steadily going. Those I have spoken to lately have all been in constant employment. Speaking to a few comps who came out of the Daily Times at the strike, they remarked on the good days they had on the « old Times, » and from their accounts it must have been a good office at that time for the compositor.

Mr Bailes, M.L.A., introduced a deputation from the Typographical Society to the Postmaster-General last week with reference to the advantages held by New South Wales publishers over those in Victoria, the former having the privilege of free postage into this colony. The Victorians maintain that they cannot compete with the New South Wales publishers, and that their interests are greatly damaged by the free admission of numerous journals into the colony. Several papers that had been in existence here for some years had removed their whole plant to Sydney, where they could participate in the free postage, and thus men were thrown out of employment. Mr Hancock made reference also to the fact that numerous supplements were imported from England and circulated in the colony free of postage, which, he maintained, was a glaring injustice to the colonial workman. Mr Hall, M.L.A., together with Mr Graves, M.L.A., and Mr Stevens (the secretary of the Society) supported the deputation, and until free postage is instituted here the cry will remain. Mr Desham admitted the disadvantages, and promised to open up communication with the Postmaster-General of New South Wales. It was clearly shown that the number of papers received from Sydney greatly exceeded those dispatched, and that undue advantage was taken of the privilege. From the experience of other colonies, there is reason to believe that the re-imposition of a duty on papers sent from Sydney will be the outcome of the movement, otherwise free postage throughout Victoria.

The Master Printers' Association have also begun an agitation in favor of having school-books, &c., printed in the colony, and this will no doubt end by their gaining that concession. The printing of all school-books used in the colony would be a considerable addition to the printing establishments, and will therefore receive general support from the craft.

A new trade journal is to be started here at an early date, and from the prospectus it would appear that the production would be on an extensive scale. It really seems unaccountable that a colony such as this has been so long without a journal of the kind. There is ample scope; for with an intelligent community, and perhaps the main feature for its success, a splendid field for circulation, it should flourish from the start, and if conducted on a systematic scale its success is a foregone conclusion,

The new evening paper (the Standard) continues to run out eight pages daily and the Herald has also increased its sheet to ten columns to the page. The Standard is securing a good field, and makes a special feature of fully reporting all football matches, thus gaining a point with the community who dote on that pastime.

A compositor named Hewiston, employed in the Age office, died from typhoid fever on Saturday morning.