INTERCOLONIAL BREVITIES

Evening Post, Volume LX, Issue 72, 22 September 1900, Page 3 (Supplement)

INTERCOLONIAL BREVITIES

Mr. A. E. Wyburd, well known as a licensed victualler and amusement caterer, has died at Coogee, near Sydney. An expenditure of £10,OwU has been sanctioned by the Victorian Treasurer to complete th« Yarra improvements works. The total number of insane persons in Queensland is 1668, or 3.26 per 1000, a total increase of 95 on the previous year. In Queensland last year, 6568 unemployed were registered at the Government Labour Bureau, and 5750 obtained work. Six new Roman Catholic priests are expected from Ireland early m October to fill vacant parishes in the Ballarat diocese. Miss Nance Harris, daughter of Sir Matthew Harris, is to be married on 3rd Octobec to Dr. Carty Salmon, the Victorian Minister for Education. Owing to the drought, an Albury correspondent reports, most Of the stations on the plains will shear very much less than their carrying capacity. During fho past week reports received from Central Queensland show that grass in many localities is springing well, and artificially feeding stock is being discontinued. Tha South Australian Agricultural Department has received a cable from the Agent-General stating that the War Office is prepared to receive quotation* for hay and oats. The United Labour Party in South Melbourne resolved to present a requisition to the Rev. J. B. Ronald, Presbyterian minister, asking him to contest the seat for Southern Melbourne in the Federal Parliament. Mrs. Charlotte Holliday, who came to New South Wales in 1834, whoso husband died in 1858, and who leaves 54 grandchildren, and 68 great-grandchildren, has died at Balmain. Six of her 11 children survive her. and 20 of the grandsons walked behind the hearse. According to the Teturns from the Mines Department, the yield of gold in Victoria for August was 69,1970z, making a total output of 509,2650z for the first eight months of the year, being 38,3980z less than was won during the corresponding period of last year. Mr. A. B. Paterson ("Banjo"), who represented the Sydney Morning Herald aad the Argus at the front in South Africa, has returned to Australia. .Mr. Paterson intends to give a coirise of war lectures in Australia, and has concluded arrangements to that end with Mr. R. P. Smythe. Mr. J. A. White, the weaJfehy citizen of Maryburough, Queensland, who haa given £1000 to the Municipal Council for the erection ot public baths, wishes the donation to be regarded as a gift to the children of the town, and stioulates that the baths sliall be free to children for . all timo. The members of the original Syndicate of the Hantpden Coraper Mine, Conclurry, North Queensland, presented to the Malvern stall of the Children's Hospital Bazaar one fully paid-up share in the mine, of the market value of £250. It wag disposed of by art union of 250 tickets of £l each. A poll of the Brisbane ratepayers as to whether the proposed electric lighting should be carried out by the Council or outsiders resulted in favour of the latter. A return submitted to the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works showed that so fur 30,000 tenements had becri connected with the sowors. In a sermon preached at St. Andrew's i Presbyterian Church, Bendigo, on Sunday, the Rev. A. S. C. James said : — "The three greatest and noblest works of God are — (1) A minister of the Gospel ) j (2) tho editor of » newspaper; (3) the doctor of medicine whd goes about healing the sick. The pulpit is greater than j tho throne." • In the list of contributions al tha jubilee festival to the Australian Board of Missions by vhe tUoceses of Australia and Tasmania, Sydney is first with £1984, Perth second -with £1532. and Melbourne third with £1308. New South Wales contributed £3224, Victoria £1598, West Australia £1532. South Australia £735, Queensland £610, Tasmania £660, Missions £140. The income of the Sydney City Mission for the year just closed was £4133, in addition to gifts of clothing and blankets. This shows thaf the "heathen at home," as well as the "heathen abroad." are being cared for. The aeents of the mission made 92.000 visits'during the year, over 1200 families were- relieved, and at Christmas time special gifts were made to 5800 families. , The London Missionary Society's vessel, the John Williams, returned <o Sydney after an absence of five months, during which she eov«red 13,000 miles in visiting the ioeiety's stations in Samoa, the Cook grsup, Rarotohga, Niue, and otter places. She next goes on a cruise through the Samoan, Tokelau. and Ellice groups, and to New Guinea, returning to Sydney about the end of the year. With reference to the finding of the body o f Mr. S. D. Clark, manager of Lhatsworth station (Q.), on the Mackin-Jay-road, information has been received by the Commissioner of Police that the constable sent oTlt had returned with Mr. Clark's body. Near it lit found a matohbox, on whioh was scratched "Jam, I think, poisoned. Awful pains, fear I am dying. Love to dear mother and all: dear Jane.— S. D. Clark." Th« constabk took chargo of tha jam. For several weeks pa«t ,the Government has b««n negotiating with the owners of the Whitfield Estnta on the King River, near Edi, about 20 miles south of Wangaratta, for the purchase of the property, with a view of dividing it into dairy fttxms and settling a number of families on the land. The estate comprises nearly 4000 Herts, and the owners asked £9 10s per acre, but subsequently reduced the price to £8 10s, at which tho Government decided to purchase subject to Parliamentary approval. A Bill to provide registered earmarks for sheep and a fire brand for sheep sold out of pound has been introduced into the South Australian Legislative Assembly, in which power is proposed to be given to an officer of the Stock Department, on thft application of the o-wners, t6 allot and register— (l) An earmark for sheep ; (2) a sale earmark for sheep. No earmark or sale earmark is to be registered if — (1) It does not conform to the regulations for tho time being in forco under the Act} (2) it is similar to any earmark or sale earmark already registered by any person in the same district. A casa of catalepsy is r«porUd from Singleton, New South Wale*d. A man named Robert Dunn wa9 discovered on s\ Wednesday morning, apparently dead. His arms were drawn up across hi 3 chest, and tho whole of his body was perfectly rigid. The Coroner, medical officer, and a jury were ready to start out to hold «n inquest, the coffin had been ordered, and arrangements made for a post-mortem, when the man came to, having been in % cataleptic state. He drove into Singleton on a milk cart, and was apparently none the worse for his experience. He explained that during the past f«Tr days his hands and wrists were affected with a peculiar numbness, which to him was unaccountable. Little Elmer — "Papa, what is ft politician?" Professor Broadhead— »"A politician, my son, is a man who hungers and thirsts to sacrifice himself for his L country in times of tieace."