MELBOURNE TOWN TALK.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume V, Issue 628, 4 July 1891, Page 3

MELBOURNE TOWN TALK.

[Bi Standabd Special Correspondent—- •• Telephokus.”] Melbourne, June 16. Our public men are terribly worried just now, and the fourth estate is beginning to be counted among the terrors of life. A certain daily took it into its head recently, to forecast the report of the Railway Committee. To some extent it succeeded, but only by the adoption of measures which, half a dozen years ago, would have been scouted as being those of Yankee journalism. A persevering reporter was told off to interview every member of the committee, and see what would happen. He had not a rosy time. The first person he called on was a member of the Legislative Council who had made himself rather conspicuous as Ques-tioner-General during the sittings of the Committee. By this gentleman he was accused of tempting him to dishonor, and was sternly ordered out of the house, the M.L.C. going before, throwing the door wide open, and assuming the “Go forth, young man’’ attitude in which Mr Pecksniff is depicted by the artist who illustrated. Martin Chuzzlewit. The second told a tale of woe as to how he himself was ready to reform the railways and the world, but, at the end of an hour’s dissertation, avowed that he differed with bis colleagues and would not sign their report, and did not know what would be in it. Finally, at midnight, the reporter reached the house of the last man on his list. It was in darkness and tho M.P. had gone to bed, but he rang, and the master of the house himself, in nightgown and slippers, opened the door to the untimely visitor, who held him in discourse until the Legislator’s better half screamed out that he ought to come back to his bed, and not stand there collcquing with newspaper trash.

When that reporter reached the office, and began to reckon up what he had learned, and to set it down in good order, he found that in spite of all the rebuffs he had experienced he had obtained a good idea of what was going on, and he managed to forecast events very fairly. And oddly enough the main clue had been given him by the irate M.L.C. who had ordered him out, since that gentleman had replied " I’ll see you blanked first ’’ when asked a leading question, and the reporter had wit enough to see that it was the question itself, and not the feet of being questioned that was uppermost in the good man’s mind at the moment.

Mr Speight, who knows how to drag a herring across the trail of reform as well as any man, has prepared a paper on the Betterment system, as established in America. He is sure it would not answer in Victoria. The great peculiarity of Mr Speight’s reasoning is that it is never directed at other people’s points, but always at some side issue. Its direct aim always is to prove that nothing will answer in Victoria if it is unsuccessful anywhere else. No one has tried to introduce the Betterment system here, but certain deputations have now and again told Mr Speight that they would very gladly submit to some Such impost to secure railways provided the assessments were levied, not merely on the bi-sected lands, but on all that were improved in value by the making of the line, the aasesament of course being based on the valuation. He is therefore answering, not the Committee, but the people who want the lines which the Committee have to consider.

Privately, various members of the Ministry have intimated that is the intention of the Government to assent to the proposal to be made to-morrow by the Conference of Vignerons, that licenses to sell Victorian wines shall be issued and also renewed quarterly instead of yearly. It is felt that this course will stimulate the distribution of our wines among our people and remove the Colonial wine trade from the ordinary hotels whose licensees do not like it and who do not want it. In any ordinary Melbourne hotel you haye to drink Colonial claret out of the same thimble size green glass which is given to you for French claret, and you pay the same sixpence too. But the wine shops of which we have too few, will sell a bottle of wine for a shilling, and give a tumbler full for threepence, and the more we have of them the less spirits we shall put away.

Melbourne is bigger, richer, and more populous than Manchester, and is also quite ps full of people who understand and appreciate good music, yet Manchester has supported for many years Sir Charles Halle and his Orchestra of 105 performers all the year round, while our Victorian Orchestra of 35 in all is fizzling out like a damp squib, after an inglorious existence of two years, during which time it has received £6OOO of public money. The real reason was conclusively demonstrated on Saturday night, when Sir Charles Halle engaged this same orchestra, added 2o more fb it and gave a concert, attended by an immense audience, which yielded a handsome profit after all the business was paid for. The truth is that our orchestra has teen managed by a fussy and faddish committee, while Sir Charles Halle has managed his own orchestra himself. Had he settled in Melbourne instead of in Manchester, be would have made as big a success here as there,

By the way, of the multitudinous teachers of music in Melbourne, there are over twenty who average at least a thousand a year each, and fifty more whose incomes are not less than £5OO a year, to say nothing of the vast crowd who earn smaller sums, and of that still larger assemblage who live upon credit and only get a trifle now and then,

Sarah Bernhardt’s Saturday’s work we; a ' goqd ' ppe. Sqe rehearsed Adrian peCouvreur all the morning, played Cleopatra In the afternoon and again in the evening, and after the Theatre was over started for the Black Spur with a large party, travelling all bight, breakfasting at Healesville, and pushing on to have a regular rainy day on Bunday instead of the sun-shiny picnic expected, She Is a good soul, and has actually shortened the intervals between the acta to oblige her budjence, who dislike thirty five minute

Our race is supposed to be brave, of course, and co we will suppose that the hero of the following anecdote was a foreigner. At any rate he was an old Melbourne resident. Ha was not well and got a lotion anfi a draught. He swallowed some of the lotion instead of the draught, and when he found out what he had done he rushed off to the hospital, where it was discovered that the lotion was harmless and no evil resells could ensue ; but they did. He fainted with fear before he could be reaeeored, and he fainted again when told that h® was safe, end the fainting fits returned again and again, each time being more difficult to cure, Until at last after a few days’ prostration be died from failure of the heart’s action induced by shock, the doctors said in their Certificate, but of sheer fright and unmanageable fear in real sober earnest,

AU preparations have been made for the work of the session, the Ministry tell us, but truth is that the preparations for the end of (he eeijian are very nearly as forward, A dissolution may ooms at any moment after the House assembles. It is true that the direct Opposition and the Ministry are at one over the Federation question, but that counts for little. The great difficulty ties in the financial part of tho business.' The Ministers will not propose a single railway, faerefore all those who dasiro railways will combine to turn them out, This is a dead certainty, and the agreement concerning the Federation question will only make matters worse, because a new Ministry would be entitled to claim their support on that question. The workmen can hardly believe pheis ears when they hear that in spite of the distress railway construction is to be absolutely stopped, and tlic publicans are brings »l the inspired proposal to reimpose toe beer duty, which appeared to-day. The feeling is that whoever comes after can do no Worse than this, and if a vote of censure be proposed it Will go without difficulty,

“The Influenza Epidemic,” The influenza is raging agaiu this year with unprecedented deadliness. The paralysing influences of thia terrible malady have assumed the alarming dimensions of a plague. The distemper is of a powerfully destructive character, and shatters its victims with tearful suddenness. The severity of the visitation eclipses a'l previous attacks. The medical faculty fails to account for the outbreak, and is powerless to control its spread. Doctors, nurses, and hospitals are doing everything possible for sufferers, but are overwhelmed by the multitude crying bitterly for relief. A despatch from one town states that 300 people died in one day—this was about the daily average, and the streets were crowded with vehicles carrying the dead to their last resting place ; and the sad vacancy of death depressed every household. Such trying times as these demand immediate attention. The doctors fail, and the many advertised cough and cold cures are only sedatives which interfere with the proper secretions of the respiratory tract. Recourse must be had to a genuine stimulalating restorative, which, whilst curing his grip, will also strengthen and support the patient, and no article the world has so far seen can compare to Clements Tonic for these effects. During the great outbreak of influenza in Sydney in 1890, over 50,000 bottles of dements Tonic were consumed, and its praises were sung in every quarter as the disease was completely stamped out by the use of this remedy in four weeks. Such facts as this prove beyond the doubt of the most unbelieving sceptic, the value of Clements Tonic for such diseases. Mrs M. Kellett, Parramatta, N.S.W., wri es “ Sir, —Four years ago I caught a severe cold which settled in my head, and chest, and caused an incessant cough and copious discharge of phlegm ; this brought on great weakness and debility. After considerable attention and doctors’ treatment, the cough was relieved and finally cured, but the debility remained and seemed to defy the skill oi medical men and the power of medicine. I hud no appetite, and could scarcely eat a particle of food, and was almost reduced to a skeleton, having entirely wasted away. I had taken pints of cod-liver oil, malt extracts, and other medicines without relief, when I was recommended to take Clements Tonic. I procured a bottle, and am thankful to say that I immediately began to improve; I could eat better, and relish and digest what I did eat. I gained flesh every day, and my strength rapidly returned, and after six weeks’ treatment with Clements Tonic, 1 felt a new woman altogether. I took Clements Tonic six months ago, and have never had any sickness since, and am only too glad to add my name to your list of grateful sufferers.” Remember you must get the genuine " Clements ” Tonic, sold by chemists, grocers, and storekeepers, everywhere.