uthorities of the two colonies
had made their annual reports, the two documents were taken by a free
trade writer for an English magazine, and out of them, by the use of the
figures and facts that they contained, there was constructed an
admirable article, demonstrating, with great clearness, the advantages
of free trade in New South Wales. Almost simultaneously in an American
newspaper appeared a similar article, drawn from the same facts and
figures, which demonstrated with equal clearness and with equal
conclusiveness the advantages of protection in Victoria. There was not a
weak point in either of the articles, and the curious thing was that
they were drawn from the same sources. Each writer showed that the
colony whose tariff policy he had favored was far more prosperous than
the other, and was making progress steadily, while the other was running
behind."

"It's pretty much the same in our own country, is it not?" queried
Harry. "It seems to me that I have read articles in the New York
_Tribune_ and the New York _Evening Post_ that were flatly contradictory
of each other on the subject of the tariff."

"Yes; that is quite likely the case, as both of the papers you name are
ready to debate the subject, and it is evident that the writers upon
both sides of the question believe what they say. I don't think it worth
our while to enter into the abstract question here, and so we'll drop it
for something else. You are aware, I presume, that we have to make a
change of train at the frontier on account of the different gauges of
the railways of the two colonies."

"Yes, sir, I was aware of that," said Harry; "one track is six inches
wider than the other."

"Yes; that is another indication of the hostility between the two
colonies. When the railway between Sydney and Melbourne was projected,
it was impossible for the opposing interests to agree upon a uniform
track for the whole distance, and consequently each colony did as it
chose. The result was, that the Victorian line was of one gauge, and
that of New South Wales of another. Neither passenger nor freight cars
can run through from one city to the other, but all passengers and
freight must be transferred at the frontier."

"Let me call your attention to another thing while we are on the subject
of colonial disagreements," the doctor remarked. "Each of the colonies
has its own postal system and each its own postage stamp. In New South
Wales, a Victorian stamp would