AUSTRALIAN AFFAIRS.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16883, 10 July 1920, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN AFFAIRS.

BALLARAT BY-ELECTION.

(By Cable—Press Association—Copyrigb.l.) (Australian and N.Z. Cablo Association.)

(Received July 9th, 8.45 p.m.) MELBOURNE, July 9. Much interest is displayed in the Ballarat by-election, which takes place to-morrow, as the result of the unseating of Major Kerby. Only two candidates. Major E. T. J. Kerby (Nationalist) and Mr D. C. .MoGrath (Labour) are considered seriously, the third candidate running merely as a protest against the: members' "salary grab." If Labour wins Mr Hughes's party will be placed in a minority, but if-the Farmers' Party continues to support him in the House, which is expected, the result will not mean a crisis. N.S.W. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. SYDNEY, July 9. The executive of the Labour Party is inviting nominations of persons eligible under the rules for appointment to the Legislative Council. N.S.W. POLICE ASSOCIATION. SYDNEY, July 9. The police have formed a non-poli-tical association to safeguard the welfare of members. THE LIVING WAGE. SYDNEY, July 9. The living wage has been increased to £3 18s weekly in the central tablelands districts. SCIENTISTS' PROTEST. MELBOURNE, July 9. Professor D. Orme Masson, chairman of the Science Institute, has resigned as a- protest against the Federal Ministry proposal belittling the status of the Institute. Members of the council are also resigning. [A previous message said:—The report of the Institute of Science and Industry, urging tho encouragement of the production of power alcohol, has been adversely reported on by the Board of Trade, whose decision has been accepted by the Mnister.] THE FALLINI CASE. SYDNEY, July 9. Further inquiries respecting the case of Eugenie Falling who is charged with the murder of Annie Birkett, reveal that Fallini took Mrs Birkett's boy to Watson's Bay about the date of Mrs Birkett's murder, and invited him to look over the "Gap," the famous "suicide sanctuary." Tho boy refused. On the following day Fallini took a bundle of clothes belonging to the boy's mother to a house at Woolloomoolloo, where she destroyed them. A FLOOD INCIDENT. SYDNEY, July 9. On Wednesday a rescue party from Warren crossed the Gunningbar Creek in a boat, and rescued a man marooned on a tree, where he had been for nineteen hours. He was suffering from exposure and hunger. CASE OF FATHER JERGER. (Received July 9th, 10.10' p.m.) SYDNEY, July 9. Mr Justice Gordon, in Chambers, refused an application by a friend of Father Jerger for a writ of habeas corpus for the release of Father Jerger, stating that the latter should personally make application. Leave was given to mention tho matter again. AVIATION. (Received July 9th, 10.10 p.m.) i SYDNEY, July 9. Under the auspices of the Aero Club, i two aeroplanes started to-day on flights ! to Brisbane and Melbourne respectively.