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 803 AUSTRALIA history] portion of the tonnage consists of minerals on which there is law have been complied with, and to avoid permanent usually a low freightage. Excluding coal lines and other lines settlement. This has greatly facilitated the formation of not open to general traffic, the length of railways in private hands is only 382 miles, or about 3 per cent, of the total mileage large estates devoted chiefly to grazing purposes, contrary open. Of this length, 277 miles are in West Australia. The to the policy of the legislature, which has everywhere divergence of policy of that state from that pursued by the other sought to encourage tillage, or tillage joined to stock states was caused by the inability of the Government to construct lines, when the extension of the railway system was urgently rearing, and to discourage large holdings. The importance needed in the interests of settlement. Private enterprise was of the land question is so great that it is hardly an therefore encouraged by liberal grants of land to undertake the exaggeration to say that it is usual for every parliament work of construction ; but the changed conditions of the state of Australia to have before it a proposal to alter or amend have now altered the state policy, and the Government have already its land laws. Since 1870 there have been four radical acquired one of the two trunk lines constructed by private enter- changes made in New South Wales. In Victoria the law prise, and it is not likely that any further concessions in regard to has been altered five times, and in Queensland and South railway construction will be granted to private persons. Posts and Telegraphs. — The postal and telegraphic facilities Australia six times. Apart from the settlement of agrarian offered by the various states are very considerable. There are questions, recent Australian politics have concerned themsome 5800 post offices supported by the different Governments, or about one office to every 600 persons. The letters carried amount selves with the prevention or regulation of the influx of to about 54 per head, the newspapers to 27 per head, and the coloured races, the prevention or settlement of labour dispackets to 10 per head. The length of telegraph lines in use is putes, and federation. The agitation against the influx 42,200 miles, and the length of wire about 2£ times that distance. of Chinese commenced very soon after the gold discoveries, In 1899 there were about 7,745,000 telegraphic messages sent, which gives an average of two messages per inhabitant. The postal the European miners objecting strongly to the presence of services and the telegraphs are administered by the Federal Govern- these aliens upon the diggings. The allegations made concerning the Chinese really amounted to a charge of ment. Banking.—Depositors in Savings Banks number about one-fourth undue industry. The Chinese were hard-working and had of the whole population. In June 1900 the sum deposited was the usual fortune attending those who work hard. They £27,111,360 to the credit of 851,000 persons. In the ordinary banks the amount on deposit was £86,959,208, of which spent little on drink or with the storekeepers, Ch,nesc £50,562,108 bore interest. In 1871 the deposits in the Savings and were, therefore, by no means popular. As Banks amounted to £3,003,393 ; in 1881, £7,524,186 ; in 1891, early as 1860 there had been disturbances of a £14,982,175 ; and in 1899, £27,111,360. serious character, and the Chinese were chased off the goldfields of New South Wales, serious riots occurring at Recent History. Lambing Flat, on the Burrangong goldfield. The Chinese The history of Australia since 1873 is mainly comprised difficulty, so far as the mining population was concerned, in its industrial progress, for, with the exception of the was solved by the exhaustion of the extensive alluvial advent of the Labour party and the Federation Government, deposits; the miners’ prejudice against the race, however, there have been no occurrences of such political import- still exists, though they are no longer serious competitors, ance as to call for special mention. The four eastern and the laws of some of the states forbid any Chinese states had the privilege of responsible government to engage in mining without the express authority in bestowed on them at various dates between 1855 and writing of the Minister of Mines. The nearness of 1860. After the establishment of responsible government China to Australia has always appeared to the Australian the main questions at issue were the secular as opposed democracy as a menace to the integrity of the white to the religious system of public instruction, protection as settlements; and at the many conferences of representaopposed to a revenue tariff, vote by ballot, manhood tives from the various states, called to discuss matters suffrage, abolition of transportation and assignment of of general concern, the Chinese question has always held convicts, and free selection of lands before survey; these, a prominent place, but the absence of any federal and indeed all the great questions upon which the country authority has made common action difficult. In 1888 was divided, were settled before the year 1873. With the last important conference on the Chinese question was the disposal of these important problems, politics in held in Sydney and attended by delegates from all the Australia became a struggle for office between men whose states. Previously to the meeting of the conference there political principles were very much alike, and the tenure had been a great deal of discussion in regard to the influx of power enjoyed by the various Governments did not of Chinese, and such influx was on all sides agreed to be depend upon the principles of administration so much as a growing danger. The conference, therefore, merely upon the personal fitness of the head of the ministry, and expressed the public sentiment when it resolved that, the acceptability of his ministry to the members of the although it was not advisable to prohibit altogether this more popular branch of the legislature. For the most class of immigration, it was necessary in the public part, therefore, the history of the colonies is a catalogue interests that the number of Chinese privileged to land of their domestic events, such a thing as a foreign policy should be so limited as to prevent the people of that race being quite unknown. The leading politicians of all the from ever becoming an important element in the comstates have felt the cramping effects of mere domestic munity. The New South Wales parliament was considering legislation, albeit on the proper direction of such legislation a Chinese Exclusion Bill when the conference of 1888 was depends the well-being of the people, and to this sense of summoned, and ultimately passed a law which in some the limitations of local politics is due, as much as to any- respects went much beyond the agreement arrived at. thing else, the movement towards federation, now happily Under the New South Wales law masters of vessels are forbidden, under a heavy penalty, to bring to the colony more consummated. Taking the states as a whole, agrarian legislation has than one Chinese to every 300 tons, and a poll-tax of £100 been the most important subject that has engrossed the is charged on every Chinese landing. In Victoria, Queensattention of their parliaments, and every state land, and South Australia no poll-tax is imposed, but Agrarian ]ias been more or less engaged in tinkering with masters of vessels* may bring only one Chinese to every leg s at on. ]anq ]aws. The main object of all such 500 tons burden. West Australian legislation was until legislation is to secure the residence of the owners on the recently similar to that of the three last-named states, land. The object of settlers, however, in a great many, but has now been superseded by the Coloured Immigrants perhaps in the majority of instances, is to dispose of their Restriction Act. Tasmania allows one Chinese passenger holdings as soon as possible after the requirements of the to every 100 tons, and imposes a poll-tax of £10. These