Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 62

Australasia

Australasia.

Jenks, Edward (M.A.).—The Government of Victoria (Australia). 8vo. Pp. ix-403. London: Macmillan & Co. 1891. [Presented by the Publishers.]

The author was appointed to the Chair of Law in Melbourne University in May 1889, as successor to the late Dr. W. E. Hearn, so favourably known, not only in Australia, but also in England and America, as the author of the "Aryan Household," "The Government of England," and other works. Upon his arrival in Melbourne, he found it incumbent upon him, in order to fulfil the engagement made by the Faculty of Law, to lecture upon the Public Law of Victoria, of which at that time he had no special knowledge. The difficulty in the way of educating himself upon the subject was rendered all the more difficult from the fact that there was not in existence any work giving even an outline idea of the subject upon which he had to lecture, the authorities prescribed by the faculty being the Acts of Parliament for the time being in force in Victoria on various branches of it. How well Mr. Jenks equipped himself under the circumstances with the special knowledge required is exemplified after perusing his book. He states that his work is primarily a text-book for university students, and that it does not pretend to be a manual for practitioners, but this is undoubtedly underrating its value. It is a work which may be consulted with advantage by those seeking information upon the constitutional questions affecting the Colony. Mr. Jenks commences by giving an historical account of the Home government of the Colonies prior to 1885, and, having arrived at its present form as regards the Colony of Victoria, abandons the historical method, and subjects it to a process of dissection and analysis. The information which the author has gathered together consists of indisputable facts, all of them having been carefully verified. The volume forms a complete detailed account of the organs of Government in Victoria at the close of last year, and will undoubtedly become indispensable to the Victorian politician, as well as useful for purposes reference to the public men of the other colonies.

page 117

Mannering, George Edward.—With Axe and Rope in the New Zealand Alps. 8vo. Pp.xi-189. London: Longmans, Green, & Co. 1891. (Price 12s. 6d) [Presented by the Publishers.]

Most of the material embodied in this work has already appeared from time to time in the Christchurch Weekly Press, but its publication in book form is none the less welcome on that account. So little information with regard to mountaineering in New Zealand is available that it cannot fail to prove interesting to the large number of Alpine visitors to Switzerland and other European countries, who are probably unaware of the extent and nature of the New Zealand Alpine chain. The Southern Alps, the scene of the author's exploits, extend over a distance of about one hundred miles of the middle part of the South Island. The peaks range in height from 7,000 to 12,350 feet above sea-level, the majority of those over 10,000 feet being contiguous to the culminating point in altitude, Aorangi, more popularly known as Mount Cook. The snow-line is a low one when compared with that of Alpine countries in the northern hemisphere, and the author states, it may safely be said that the snow-line of New Zealand is from 2,000 to 3,000 feet lower than that of Switzerland. Mr. Mannering, who was born in New Zealand, has, in all, made five attempts to climb "Aorangi," and on the fifth occasion gained an altitude of 12,300 feet, the height of the mountain being 12,349 feet. The adventures and the troubles experienced by the author and his party are graphically and pleasantly described, and rendered all the more interesting from the fact that they possessed no trained guides, and did the whole of their own porterage and guide work, and are so enabled to chronicle that which they rapidly learned from the best of masters, "hard experience." The book is well printed, and contains several photographs of the New Zealand Alps, together with a map of the Mount Cook glaciers.

Kinglake, Edward.—The Australian at Home. 12mo. Pp. 159. London: The Leadenhall Press. 1891. [Presented by the Publishers.]

The Author's aim in this work is to portray, in a sketchy fashion, Australia as she is. His subject is divided into twelve chapters dealing with education, professional life, religion, sport, society, literature, &c. It is evident that Mr. Kinglake has made a careful study of life at the Antipodes, and has had the opportunity of mixing there with all classes of society. He has devoted considerable attention to education, and is of opinion that in no place in the world can a first class education be obtained more cheaply than in Australia. The Universities he describes as fine institutions, which are, however, making such rapid strides, that the question of finding employment for all the young men who go through them is now looming ominously as a difficulty. The legal profession in most of the Colonies is, the Author states, overdone, but there is on the whole far more scope for solicitors than barristers. With regard to sport, Mr. page 118 Kinglake states that every Australian worships the Goddess of Sport with profound adoration, and there is no nation in the world which treats itself to so many holidays. The hook is interspersed with many anecdotes, and many useful hints to those intending to settle in Australia are contained in it. The experiences of the Author, however, appear to have been confined chiefly to New South Wales and Victoria, for there is little or no information with regard to the other Colonies. Under these circumstances his statement that " after this book appears there will no longer be any excuse for any want of information on the subject of Australia," is a little out of place.

French, C. (F.L.S.,F.R.H.S.).—A Handbookof the Destructive lnsects of Victoria, with Notes on the Methods to he Adopted to Check and Extirpate them. Part I. 8vo. Pp. 158. Melbourne. 1891. [Presented by the Secretary for Agriculture.]

In Victoria, as in the other Australian Colonies, the principal troubles which those engaged in the cultivation of the soil have to contend against are droughts, floods, insects, and fungus pests, and the want of some practical and popular work bearing upon the question of the economic entomology of the Colony has long been felt. The Victorian Government, recognising this want, entrusted to Mr. French, the Government Entomologist, the preparation of a work bearing upon the subject, with the result that the first part has just been issued. This Handbook is intended to be a practical work, illustrated with useful figures and containing as few technical descriptions as is consistent with accuracy, so that those who use it may be enabled to readily recognise the various insects with which they may have to deal. It contains a systematic description, with an account of the noxious insects of the Colony which attack apples, pears, apricots, and cherries, together with a chapter on entomology which has been taken from Miss Ormerod's well-known and valuable work "A Manual of Injurious Insects." The plates with which this part of the work is illustrated are well executed, and it is intended that each succeeding part shall contain ton or more similar productions.

Records of the Australian Museum. Edited by the Curator. Vol. i. Nos. 8 and 9. 8vo. Sydney. 1891. (Price 2s. 6d. each.) [Presented by the Trustees.]

The following papers are contained in these two issues of the Museum Records.

No. 8.—On a new and peculiar Fresh-water Isopod from Mount Kosciusko, by Charles Chilton. Notes on "Rock-shelters" or "Gibba Gunyahs" at Deewhy Lagoon, by R. Etheridge, Junr. Description of a new Pelagic Hemipteron from Port Jackson, by F. A. A. Skuse. Note on the nidification of Edoliisoma tenuirostre, by A. J. North.

No. 9.—On the recent discolouration of the waters of Port Jackson, by page 119 Thomas Whitelegge. Descriptions of three new Papuan Snakes, by J. Douglas Ogilby. Note on the nidificaiion of Turnix melanotis, Gould, by A. J. North; on Hadra gulosa, Gould, by C. Hedley.

The Pastoralists' Federal Council of Australia: Official Statement of the Facts and History of the Shearing Difficulty in Australia, 1890-91. Folio. Pp. 24. Sydney. 1891.

The Pastoralists' Federal Council represents the organised sheep and cattle farmers of Australia, and embraces the Pastoralists' Unions of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Queensland. The importance of these unions will be more readily understood when it is stated that the amount of capital invested in the pastoral industry in Australia is estimated at £300,000,000; that there are 95,000,000 sheep and 11,500,000 cattle depasturing, and that the value of a season's wool clip may be estimated at something over £20,000,000 sterling. It is further computed that the operations of the Council extend over an area of one million square miles of pastoral country. Taking into consideration these facts, some idea of the magnitude of the interests threatened by recent labour developments in these colonies may be obtained. This report, which has been prepared for presentation to the Royal Commission on Labour in England, gives a complete account of the facts and history of the recent shearing difficulty in the Australian Colonies. The results of that struggle, which are clearly set forth in the statement, have been to establish the unquestionable light of every employer to employ whom he pleases, and the unquestionable right of every man in Australia to work for his livelihood under fair and reasonable terms, irrespective of whether he belongs to a labour union or not. A more conciliatory spirit has been established between pastoral employers and their workmen, and the former have been relieved of much irritating interference on the part of irresponsible representatives of the labour unions in the management of their business. The existence of this powerful organisation is purely for defensive and conciliatory purposes, and it is anticipated that its efforts may tend to secure to the great pastoral industry of Australia a continued period of industrial peace.