AUSTRALIAN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7829, 23 June 1909, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN.

Per Press Association—Copyright,

SIR JOSEPH WARD IN AUSTRALIA.

SYDNEY, June 22. Sir Joseph Ward was entertained at luncheon by the Government. In an interview he said that the position of New Zealand was good. Some of the reports were very much exaggerated. The cause of a great deal' of the slump was due to the fall m wool values a year ago and over-speculation m land m some parts of the country making a tight money market. The wool exports had now improved, while the Bank of New Zealand had experienced a remarkably good year. The tightness of money had caused a few people to employ as little labour as possible. The financial condition of the country, from the Government point of view, was ■ good. The most pessimistic must rea- ■ lise that the resources of New Zealand were so great and so widespread that a cheek must be of a temporary char•acter. only. Sir Joseph Ward left for Melbourne to-night. "V SYDNEY, June 23. / The Herald, commenting on Sir Jo- ' seph Ward's interview,, says: "We scarcely need Sir Joseph Ward's assurance that New Zealand is sound and that her production this year will be greater than ever; and there is no reason to apprehend that there will be any serious halt m its steady expansion. • for an indefinite number of years to come." The Herald adds: "The fact] that a drop m the value of the chief product—wool—should have given the . country such a severe shock is the best evidence we can have that there was an inflation of land values."

STEAMERS ASHORE.

Received June 23, 10 a.m. BRISBANE, June 23. The Malliwa, which went ashore on Hagerstone Island, near Torres Straits, lias been. refloated, and is coming to •Brisbane. The Van Spilbergen, which went on Newton ' Island, was still aground yesterday.

EXCHANGE OF BANK NOTES.

MELBOURNE, June 23. The banks trading m Victoria intend to follow the lead of New South Wales, m the adoption of a system for exchanging one another's notes, whether issued m Australia or New Zealand, 'up to a reasonable amount, free of charge to the persons presenting them.

DISCOVERY OF RUBIES.

ADELAIDE, June 23. An important discovery of rubies is reported from WilHamstown.

LEPROSY AT THE COOK ISLANDS.

SYDNEY, June 23. The secretary of the tendon Missionary Society has received from a missionary a report stating that leprosy is increasing to an alarming extent at the Cook Islands. This is attributed to the ignorance and carelessness of the natives. The report adds that unless very severe measures are soon taken and strictly enforced, all the islands m the group will, m the course of a few j Tears, be full of the disease, and the people will be doomed.

RUST IN TASMANIAN POTATOES.

The prevalence of brown and dry rust m Tasmanian potatoes has led to the Department of Agriculture empowering the inspectors to condemn tubers suffering from this disease. This is having a considerable effect on the supply, and is causing uneasiness regarding the future. Out of 15,000 bags which arrived on Monday, 2000 baas were condemned, and the inspection was not completed then. Local growers on the north coast, who last year obtained their seed from Tasmania, also find that their crops are seriously infected with rust.