study of botany and astronomy, to schools of mines
and designs. State encouragement is also given to
mining, and to experimental work in horticulture and
agriculture, and prizes are given for fruit and many
other products. In Victoria, too, the state helps to
construct parks, and assists municipalities in making
tramways. Quite lately it has undertaken a great
system of irrigation. Victoria, too, curiously enough,
prohibits the sale of Sunday newspapers. The ques-
tion of an eight-hours working day has attracted much
attention la Australia, but the law has nowhere yet
interfered to make it compulsory, though it has gone
very near doing so. In the Victorian Parliament, an
abstract proposition in favour of an eight-hours legal
day has been adopted. In Queensland an Eight-Hours
Bill was passed in 1889 by the Lower House, but it
was rejected by the Upper House ; and the very same
thing happened in South Australia. In Victoria, how-
ever, an Act was passed in 1885 to make compulsory
early closing in shops. The power of putting the law
in force was left to municipalities, and was at first a
failure ; but public opinion was so strongly in favour
of it that it is now completely successful. In Victoria,
too, eight hours is the working day fixed for labour on
Government works. All the Australian Colonies have
excellent factory laws, and laws directed against sweat-
ing. Whether the anti-Chinese legislation must be
classed as State interference is doubtful, because it
is directed against foreigners. But, on the other hand,
it might well interfere with the liberty of those who
might wish to employ Chinese labour.
