THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
paved with wooden blocks and are kept clean, the build¬ 
ings are solid and of pleasing arcbitccture, like most of 
the cities of Europe and South America, and are of almost 
uniform height, tall buildings are not allowed. Cable 
cars are used in the car system—trains they call them, 
the system and the service is excellent, though the fares 
are much higher than ours. 
Australia is the political experiment station of the 
world, all railroads, telegraj)!! and telej)hone lines are 
state owned and oi)erated by the government. Both male 
and female adults have voted for the ])ast tw(‘nty years. 
The street car system of Melbourne—one of the few 
I»uhlic utilities still under private ownership—will t)ass 
into municipal ownership within two years. 
327 
like Australia, with vast natui'al resourc(‘s. this policy 
will continue for a time, hut tin* (MkI must comt'. th(‘y can¬ 
not continue to j)ay twenty per cent, dividt'iids on six p(‘r 
cent, earnings. 
The railroads throughout Australia ar(‘ govc'iument 
owned and operated by a hoard of three commissioners, 
who are not responsible directly to the ])eoj)lc. hut to the 
ministry. Practically all suburban trallic is handled by 
the railroad, instead of interurhan or trolley cars as w itli 
us. This Suburban Railroad service is good, fares rea¬ 
sonable, trains freepumt, hut the operation of th(‘ country 
trains is rotten beyond dcscri})tion. The trains are on 
the English syst(‘m, first and second class compartment 
cars, cold and comfortless, there arc i»o facilities for 
View in Botanical Gardens, Melbourne. Governmental House ut Bear. 
Just at present the labor party dominates the i)olitical 
destinies of the country. It is labor unionism run 
amuck. The whole country seems overburdened with 
legislation, the proper functions of governmcni are side 
tracked to enable labor unionism to regulate and throttle 
industry and business. The average Australian lous¬ 
iness man is progressive and aggressive quite as imich as 
the average American, yet he is tied dow n by experimcji- 
tal law s. He can hire men, but the government decides, 
through the wages hoards, what hours their men may 
w'ork and what they shall be ])aid, also largely what 
work they shall do. Instead of the government provid¬ 
ing that a given amount of money he paid for a given 
amount of work, it provides that the money he paid for 
time used, hence it follows that every man does as little 
work as loossible for as large amount of money as i)os- 
sible. Few^ men do or can w ork longer than eight hours 
per day and the work done in those eight hours could in 
most cases be easily done in lour hours. lo a countiy 
handling baggage and a railroad jouriuw is om* to he 
looked forward to w ith dread ami prepared for days or 
weeks in advance. The sei vice is slow, except on a few 
main trunk lines. It took seven and a half hours lo go 
from Melbourne to Alherton, 132 juiles. M(‘lhoui'nc to 
Emerald three hours, 32 miles. M(‘lhournc to Moorooduc 
35 miles, two hours. The average rate of far(‘ is three 
cents per mile, lirst class—practically twic(‘ llu' cost of 
American railroad travel, w Inch is luxury by conq)arison. 
The ticket seller is not obliged lo furnish change, the 
comfort 01 “ convenience* of pass(*ug(*rs is not consid(*red. 
No wonder the Australian travels only oiie-third as much 
would throw' all their energy and enthusiasm against 
government ownership or operation. 
In this installment I have not mentioned anything 
about Australian nurseries, or the large fruit grow ing in¬ 
dustries, that will he the subject of the lu'xl Idle*!-. 
J -M ES .Moll i: TO H 1 soN. 
(The tliird .series of letters by Mr. McHutchinson will appear in 
the October number of the Xational Xurseryman.—Editor.) 
