Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . All Letters must bear the name and address of the writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

ELECTION TACTICS . To the FBEEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR S IR AND BROTHER , —Your correspondent of last week seems to imagine the elective " rulers of the Craft" are selected purely on account of their merit . In the majority of cases it is nothing of the sort , they merely secure office as the result of active

canvass on their behalf by friends , although I admit a Brother must have some special abilities , or he would not get a number of energetic members of Grand Lodge to work for him . As a matter of fact I imagine the candidates for the different Boards are practically unknown to the Brethren who attend Grand Lodge .

By far tho largest number of those who vote do so in answer to the request of one or other of the Brethren who take part in the canvassing I have already referred to , but I cannot see any great harm in such a course , indeed it strikes me as the best that can be

devised under the circumstances , for despito the lack of personal knowledge in regard to the differont candidates the most popular Brother , or tho nominee of the most popular party , must secure a place , and that is all that is needed in any office decided by vote . Yours fraternally , AN ELECTOR . 20 th Juno 1894 .

Australia.

AUSTRALIA .

THE following extracts are made from a letter recently forwarded by Brother R . K . Threlfall ( late of Manchester ) Treasurer . of the United Tradesmen ' s Lodge , No . 4 , Adelaide . After a description of the magnificent Australian weather : not a cloud in the sky , a gentle breeze off the sea , —a day for a scamper over the beautiful hills , he says , " we have now nice blackberries

on tho table , and yesterday we had fine pine apples , the former grown in tho cooler climate of the hills , the other in the tropical parts of Queensland . There are at present exhibited in the shops , pears , apples , grapes , pines , bananas , lemons , green figs , and lots of other fruits which are very cheap . Of figs I have got two baskets full , taken from my own trees on tho previous Saturday

evening . They are very luscious , and are considered wholesome , being generally picked before breakfast , which is the best time to take them . As for tomatoes , if you give a penny per lb . you should get good ones , and large . I can generally eat about six for my evening meal . On my vine trellis are hundreds of bunches hanging just over head , coming ripe . I never sell , but visitors are welcome to as many as they can eat or carry away . "

Bro . Threlfall mentions the codlm moth ( which came originally from Tasmania ) , an insect which attacks the apple , and virtually kills the fruit . He had it in his trees . The minute fly lays an egg in the eye of the apple just as it forms from the blossom , and when the apple gets to a fair size , the grub , which has now grown , eats its way through from the kernel , and the

fruit falls off . It is so destructive that the Government employ inspectors , who go round to see that proper means are being taken for its eradication , sometimes ordering whole orchards to be destroyed on this account . It is a great pest , but almost every season they are troubled with some parasite . This year , however , there had fortunately been a good crop .

Tho eucalyptus oil is obtained there in very large quantities , and finds a ready market . Bro . Threlfall reverted to the excitement about gold , which had lately been found in various hills in Western Australia , nearly 2 , 000 miles from his residence . He said that many people bad been there and returned to float companies from specimens

exhibited . One party , consisting of three persons , having discovered something good , had made £ 40 , 000 in a few months . Another party of two , who in the first instance had been compelled to borrow money from a friend of his to pay their way , made £ 16 , 000 in a very short time . He cites other cases of people well known to him , who were but recently poor , and who are now rich men by this means .

It is an immense country , and for hundreds of miles gold bearing , but down to the present time it had been impossible to construct dams or sink wells , and the people had to depend on surface water . " All is not gold that glitters" however , for the place is a six days' steamer journey , then fourteen by land , and being no railroads , the latter portion must be done by team . Water had been sold as high as 3 s per gallon , and rarely less than

Is . Bio . Threlfall mentions other things which proportionately are quite as dear , and says that though gold is worth 77 s 6 d per oz ., yet it takes something to get it , exclusive of the hardships and rough living . A steamer had recently left Adelaide with a load of camels and horses , and every vessel is full , although freights are dear . " But then the people havo the gold fever , and they will

He wrote of another kind of emigration to Paraguay , in South America . A demagogue had been stirring up the people with fine prospects , describing in lectures the beauties of the new El Dorado , where people had full liberty to do as they liked , could live cheaply ,

Australia.

and govern themselves without taxes , and without control . So glowing an account did he give , that two ship loads of people wont from thence ; but unfortunately , from accounts gathered , serious disseutions and bickerings had arisen amongst the residents . Ono friend who returned managed to get back his money ( £ 60 ) , and he is now in Sydney . Another managed to back out after having gone to the trouble of building for himself aud wife a one-roomed hut .

After the former comforts of home he did not relish tho discomforts of Paraguay . This man was Master of a Masonic Lodgo last year , a very nice person , quiet , level-headed ( and here the writer compares him with Bro . Holland , a Past Master of the Albert Victor Lodge , No . 1773 , Pendleton ) , a coach trimmer by trade , earning from £ 3 to £ 4 per week . Many others whom he knew had sorrowfully returned from this new Utopia .

He describes trade as being dull , the price of their products ( of which he mentions silver , copper , wcol , wheat , butter , etc ., many tons of which had been sent to England ) , being in the ascendant , and this prevents shipments . Butter they had sold as low as 4 ^ d , but now it is 9 d to lid per pound retail .

They had tho unemployed difficulty to cope with , many being out of work , such as bushmen , labourers , and that class of men . When these begin to agitate , the Government provides stone for them to break , which kind of labour they do not like . In matters Masonic , Bro . Threlfall had not much fresh news . When he returned from what he described as " your dear old foggy , wet , cold country , " he had the pleasure of giving his Lodge an

account of his reception by the Albert Victor Lodge , and also some of the Bolton Lodges . He should never forget this , nor yet his old friend , John L . Smith P . M . 1773 . It was intended to request Bro . Threlfall to stand as a Grand Lodge Officer , of which the Earl of Kintore is Grand Master , tho Chief Justice being Pro G . M . He writes very enthusiastically of the position of Treasurer which ho holds in his own Lodge , saying that ho was a regular attendor , and liked the duties .

Garrulity.

GARRULITY .

WE are told that the Scythians ate their grandfathers when they became old , prosy , and troublesome ; and in the Spanish legend , the garrulous man has no soul to last after death ; he turns into wind , and is happy in making throughout eternity a noise which nobody can understand . Of this man , the witty

Frenchman says : — "He speaks much , but says nothing . " Tho cynic says of him , " He always talks of himself when I want to talk of myself . " Sydney Smith said of a great talker , that it would greatly improve him if he had now and then " a few flashes of silence . "

This individual confronts us under nearly every condition of life , and the mildest term which we apply to him is that of bore . When you are tired , and seek in the homo circle a few hours ' rest from the distractions of business , he drops in to give you a stale or uninteresting account of somebody about whom you do not care a rap . He will inflict upon you the arguments contained in the recent utterance of a great man , tho important points of a

sermon which he has ] ust heard , the plot of the newest novel or of the latest theatrical production . If he takes an interest in public matters he will treat you to a " rechauffe" of his own attempts at oratory , and if elderly he seems to have relapsed into a sort of dotage which consists in telling senile anecdotes about himself or acquaintances . The genus bore is described in the following illustrations :

Done with Time . —A member of the Irish House of Commons , who was a fluent but prosy talker , was making a long and tedious speech against a bill which Cuvran the celebrated orator defended . The speaker at last reminded him that his time had expired . " Time , Mr . Speaker ! " exclaimed Curran , " he has long since done with time ; he is now trenching on eternity I "

A Rebuff . —Lord Ellenborough , showing some impatience at a barrister's speech , the gentleman paused , and said— " Is it tho pleasure t f the court that I should proceed with my statement ? " " Pleasure , sir , has been out of the question for a long time , but you may proceed , " was the answer .

Too Lazy to Stop . — " How is it , " said a man to his neighbour , that Parson — , the laziest man living , writes such interminable sermons ? " " Why , " was the reply , " he probably gets to writing , and is too lazy to stop . " Tired . —An old Fife gentleman had been to church at Elie , and listening to a young and bombastic preacher who happened to be

officiating for the Rev . Dr . Milligan , then in the church . After service , meeting the doctor in the passage , he introduced the young clergyman , who ou being asked by the old man how ho did , elevated his shirt-collar , and complained of fatigue , and being very much " tired . " "Tired , did ye say my man , " said the old satirist , who was slightly deaf , " Lord , man ! if you are half as tired as I am I pity ye . "

Lincoln and the Bore . —When Abraham Lincoln was a representative in Congress , a prosy member was wearying the house with a dull and prolix speech . When Lincoln moved to adjourn , the tiresome member exclaimed— " I hope the house will not adjourn until I get through . " " Oh very well , " said Lincoln , " at the rate you're ' boring , ' I suppose you must be nearly through . "

_ Sententious . —Mr . Pennant tells us in his " History of Hindostan , " of an Indian monarch , that in giving audience to two ambassadors whom he forsaw would weary him with prolix harangues , cut the first short with this sensible remark , — " Be not too tedious , life is short . "

Colouring a Sermon . —A reverend doctor of Georgia had a rather slow delivery , which was the occasion of an amusing scene in the chapel of the Lunatic Asylum . He was preaching' and illustrating his subject by tho case of a man condemned to be hanged , and reprieved under the scaffold . Ho went on to describe in vivid language the gathering of the crowd , the bringing out of the prisoner , his remarks under the gallows , the appearance of the