AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9307, 7 January 1896, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Press Association —By Telejjraph—Copyright. THE NEW YEAR. Sydney, January 5. The New year came in with all the hideous noises which the juvenile community could devise, and the streets were a perfect pandemonium for some hours. Owing to the terrific crush the Arcades were closed to prevent danger from the exuberant promenaders. New Year's day was beautifully fine. The chief attraction in the city was the Highland Society's gathering, and for days previously the Press was careful to emphasise that the Governor would be present. This may seem insignificant, but the fate of nations sometimes hung on less. Lord Hampden's ancestor hastened a civil war, and risked his head over a matter of twenty shillings. No doubt his descendant, taking this fact in conjunction with the fate of Sir Robert Duff's handling by the irate Highlanders, with threats of a petition for his recall for neglecting his duty by not attending the gathering, felt impelled to attend. Lord Hampden, speaking at the banquet, said that he regretted he was not a Scotchman, though he had a high opinion of their favourite beverage. The braw Scot who went on the war path after Sir Robert Duff sought to make Lord Hampden Scotch by seeing a connection between Sir Walter Scott's story of Alice Brand and the Governor's family.

THE DEATH ROLL. The holiday rejoicings have the inevitable sad note. The death roll for the week has been large. No less than four persons died of starvation in various parts of Australia and one from thirst. These lamentable occurrences, with the exception of the victim from thirst, occurred in the outlying districts, but close to the large centres of population. All the victims were men. The fatality list is also a lengthy one. A man was decapitated by a train, a woman and a lad met their deaths by' burning, a farm hand lost his life by being dragged into a threshing machine. The suicide list was augmented by seven, one being a boy of eighteen. Two peculiar deaths occurred in Victoria and Western Australia. An old lady was shot dead by a guest who was spending the holiday with her. He saw what he took to be a bird moving in the bush, but was horrified to find that he had shot the woman. An exactly similar accident happened at Perth, where a boy sleeping under a bush made a movement which a man took to be of a snake, and shot him dead. THE WEATHER. The heavy weather along the coast has moderated. A small steamer lost her propeller during the gale and was piled up on the beach at Woolgoolga, but the crew were rescued. THE AUSTRALIAN SQUADRON. A pretty spectacle was afforded by the fleet. The Hauroto's passengers had an interesting sight of the vessels at sea, twenty miles off the coast. The manoeuvres include a naval engagement, four ships a side. DISMISSAL OP TRAM CONDUCTORS. Eight tram conductors have been dismissed the service for neglect of the regulations in respect to the destruction of tickets', which it was alleged might lead to fraud. A sore feeling prevails at the summary action. A GRUESOME RETURN. The first of the year brings in its train a wonderful assortment of star tistics on every conceivable subject. One of the most gruesome presented is the Coroner's annual return. This functionary had 541 deaths brought under his notice, only half of which necessitated an inquiry. The most striking fact was the great increase of suicidal tendencies to the number of 48 in the metropolis. A wide range of taste was displayed in "shuffling off this mortal coil." The greatest number took their happy dispatch with the aid of the revolver, next in favour being drowning and poisoning, arsenic being the favourite ingredient, and lastly came the razor and the rope. » TRILBY." The Australian public will soon have an opportunity of seeing the dramatised version of " Trilby," Messrs Williamson and Musgrove having purchased the Australian rights of the work. THE COAL TRADE. Although the difficulties in the coal trade have been simmering for a long time in the Newcastle district, it is gratifying to learn that the New Year opened free of trouble or the prospects of it. The difficulty with the Lambton miners has been amicably arranged. Some poverty exists, but the exodus to the West Australian goldfields has minimised the destitution, in fact, so many men have left the district that were a strike to arise it would be difficult to fill their places. It is conceded that the foreign markets will not permit the raising of the price of coal, but it is also generally admitted that at 7s 6d per ton the same trade is done. It is the selling at 7s, and even 6s, that causes harm. THE SEAMEN'S UNION. The Seamen's Union holds its annual intercolonial congress here this month. IMPROVEMENT IN TRADE. The local papers have received reports of a satisfactory nature from the various centres showing that trade is improving.