AUSTRALIAN CABLES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 304, 22 December 1903, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN CABLES.

VICTORIAN ELECTIONS. (Received. 10.7 a.m.) MELBOURNE, this .lay. The elections to fill the vacancies iv the State Assembly, owing to the resignations of members to contest the Federal elections, resulted in the return of Messrs. Methven (Independent) for Bourke borough, Glasson for Villers, Ht-ylesbury and Tunieliffe (Labour) for West Melbourne, unci Roberts .(Labour) for .Richmond. The Government did not put forward any candidates, and little interest was taken in the elections XEW CALEDONIA. (Received 10.7 a.m.) NOUMEA, this day. The session of the Consul-General has closed. A motion in favour of the re-establishment of the transportation of convicts on lines differing from the old system was carried. The partisans of transportation maintained that it was the cheapest labour to be had for the development of the mineral resources of the country. THE LEATHER TRADE. (Received 10-7 a.m.) SYDNEY, this day. The export leather trade is in danger of extinction owing to the practice jof adulteration by the use of norzssa, a chemical which increases the weight of the leather, but detracts from its i value. A leading exporter states that his trade has fallen from £60,000 to £5000 in twelve months. THE TEST MATCHES(Reeeived 10-7 a.m.) SYDNEY, this day. The motion to provide a gold cup for the test mutches between England and Australia has been rejected by the New South Wales Cricket Association by a large majority. XEW SOUTH WALES REFERENDUM. SYDNEY, December 21. The counting 'of the rc-f erendum vote has commenced. So far there is t; r. overwhelming majority for reduction cf tin State House to 90 members. ! SOLOMON ISLANDS. j BYD2JEY, December 21.' Mr Woodford, the BriticKi Commissioner for the Solomon Isl •. ids, reports that 'the ancu-il exports i.. the group amount to £35,000. A -ilreet steuni servke -with Aust.rJia is needed to push, the developrociit of the islands. INTER-STATE -CRICKET. ADELAIDE, December 21. New ijouth Wales, in their first iim'ings in 'the match against South Australia, made 624. Trumper scored 60, Noble 147, Syd. Oregon- 152, and Howell 39. THE ENGLISH CRICKET TEAM. MELBOURNE, December 21. The Englishmen in the match against 18 juniors made, 410 —Hirst 87. Rhodes (not out) 42. The Juniors, ; ji their first innings, made 124. McSpeerin was top scorer with 20. Tn the follow-on the Juniors have lost two wickets for 41. A BOATING FATALITY. SYDNEY, December 21. A boat with a fishing party on board capsized on Lake Macquarie. A man named Davidson and a girl named Roaehford, were drowned. The others were rescued in an exhausted condition.