AUSTRALIAN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7728, 23 February 1909, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN.

Per Press Association—Copyright. SYDNEY, February 22. r" The secretary ci' the Tennis Association of Australasia has received a cable from the secretary oi: the New Zealand Association strongly protesting against Australia alone making arrangements for the Davis Cup contest. SYDNEY, February 22.' The Lawn Tennis Association will consider the New Zealand protest on Monday, CREDIT OF NEW SOUTH WALES. SYDNEY, February 22. The Treasurer claims that the now loan is satisfactory. The State will have to pay £3 14s 3d in interest. He says that the credit of New South Wales is nearly at the ton of the tree* and only Britain can borrow to. betteradvantage. POPULATION OF NEW SOUTH WALES. . The population of the State at the end of last year was 1,605,032, an increase of 31,808, whereof 26,458 are due to the excess of the birth-rate over the death-rate. This excess is the highest on record. The births numbered 42,543—a record ; deaths 16,085, which, with the exception of the year 1906, is the lowest on record. Marriages numbered 12,015, equal to 7.94 per 1000 of the population—the highest for twenty-three years, and 3 per cent, above the average for the last five years. There were 115 males in the* State to every 100 females. STOCK RETURNS. ADELAIDE, February 22. The number of horses in. New South Wales at the end oi last year was 472,534, a decrease- of 931; cattle, 2,414,825, an increase of 99,023; sheep, 41,531,000, ** decrease of 1,248,000. The increase in cattle is attributed to the development of closer settlement, and the decrease in sheep is principally the result of drought. POPULATION OF ADELAIDE. (Received February 23, 10.20 a.m.) ADELAIDE, February 23. The population of Adelaide on December 31 was 407,180. THE LADY MILDRED. MELBOURNE, February 23. (Received February 23, 10.20 a.m.) The wreck of the Lady Mildred has been abandoned. CHARGES AGAINST SIR THOMAS BENT. (Received February 23, 10.20 a.m.) The State Cabinet has agreed to appoint a Royal Commission to enquire into the charges against Sir Thomas Bent in connection with land transactions while Premier. THE YELLOW PERU,, MELBOURNE, February 23. (Received February 23, 10.20 a.m.) Mr Levien, Victorian commercial agent in the East, states that a large syndicate exists in tho East for the purpose of transporting Chinese to Australia, placing them in the northern part of the continent for transference to other parts of the Commonwealth. The Minister for Internal Affaire is taking steps to prevent the invasion.