| Show antipodean WEALTH A news item a day or two ago made a showing of the enormous gold yield of victoria Vio toria colony australia up to the present time the seven gold pro dubers of the australasian group have yielded something over ounces victorias s part being fully two thirds of the whole this for a long time went steadily to london for coinage but in the year 1855 the brit job ish government permitted the establish mont jentof of a branch mint in sydney the demands of the people interested to that end having at last amounted to a command which the royal powers that be as is usual when australia wants anything yielded to although it was the mearis means of taking g from the great metropolis much of its profit and prestige in 1872 a similar privilege was given to victoria and up to 1891 the coinage there was while during the longer period the sydney mint coined dulip g eighteen years past the london coin age was still per cent of the whole that of sydney 2690 and of melbourne prior to the last decade the output of precious metals from australia was practically all gold but during that period extensive silver mines were discovered in new south wales at silverton and broken hill on the barrier range the ledges uncovered proved to be of the most immense extent and great value the field extends over 2500 square miles of country the broken hill enjoys the reputation of being the greatest silver mine on earth the yield for the first five years being during that time the dividends paid the shareholders amounted to more than two thirds being in cash the remainder in shares of other mines belonging to the company the whole of this thin vast yield or the great bulk of it found its way to london from there a geat g eat deal of it has ban gone to it I 1 dla dis where coinage has been free but is in not likely to remain so long joni when we reflect how very limited a portion of australia has been explored and how much smaller is the portion that to is settled the enormous wealth of the country is more easily understood its ranges swarm with cattle and sheep its territory is nearly as vast and diversified as am that of the united states exclusive of alaska and the question of actual separation from the mother country independence it already has seems to be one of but a short time there is no danger of annexation to any other country being thought of in the case of such a grand empire situated so far away fromang from any power big enough to take it it will become a nation by itself an 1 that too ton according to all appearance in a very short time |
