AUSTRALIAN CABLES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 306, 23 December 1912, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN CABLES.

LOSS ON PENNY POSTAGE. j (Received 10.10 a.m.) MELBOURNE, this day. The Australian postal revenue for the past year increased by £10.584. It is estimated that the loss through the introduction of the penny postage will be £470,000. FIRE AND FUSILLADE. (Received 10.20 a.m.) MELBOURNE, this day. A fire at Bendigo destroyed Faul, ironmongers, and Marks, auctioneers, shops. A quantity of cartridges kept up a f.isillade and caused excitement, and interfered with the suppression of the the. Tho damage is estimated at £18,000. A SURFER DROWNED. (Received 10 a.m.) SYDNEY, this day. A musician named Cowan was drowned while surfing yesterday. His son ie at present visiting New Zealand. SYDNEY'S MEAT SUPPLY. (Received 9.10 a.m.). SYDNEY, this day. An interim report by the. Royal Com- , mission which inquired into the meat supply of Sydney recommends sweeping changes in the carriage and treatment of cattle and meat, and declares improvement is most urgently required. Speedier transit appears impossible without duplication of the Main Trunk railways. The Commission recommends the establishment of a municipal meat market. POSTAL RETURNS. MELBOURNE. December 22. The report of lie Australian Postal Department siiows that during the past year 566.000.000 letters and post-cards passed through the post office, an increase lof 70.000.000. This shows an average of 95 letters and post-cards per head of the population. The report states that the Government still strongly favours a State ; owned Atlantic cable, and advocates the : calling »of a conference.

I The Federal Parliament has adjourned till Januarj 15. _ ««r -^.-