WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 79, 30 September 1905, Page 9

WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

Tho dead body of Hugh M'Kenna, a stockman, has been .found at Turkey Creek, in tho Kimberley district. It bore several spearmarks. M'Kenna is supposed to have been murdered by blacks. At a combined meeting of delegates from the Chamber of Mines, the Mining Managers' Association, and the Kalgoorlie and Boulder Chambers of Commerce, an emphatic protest was made against any increase in the duties on mining machinery and other articles used in the pursuit of mining. The man Licbglid, recently murdered at Broome, Western Australia, was a Polish Jew. He had been about fifteen years in Australia, during which time hs had visited his home in Warsaw on several occasions. His age was thirty-fire years, and he was unmarried. On tho afternoon of the day ol the murder, which took place about half-past 10 p.m., he was under tho influence of liquor, and flashed a ro.l of notes representing over £450 at his hotel. The murderers appear to have been alarmed ana to luivo fled, for the notes were found on his body. "If 3-ou nsk me to put my finger on tho canker that is eating away all that is best throughout Australia," said Premier Rason, of Weitein Australia, in his po.icy speech, "I say it is the gambling evil. We propose introducing a Bill providing for a tax on tota.isator receipts; for prohibiting races on unregistered racecourses, and providing for the licensing of all racecourses on which racing is permitted. " As an index of the prosperity of Western Australia — whatever opinion one may have oi the moral aspect of the statistics —the Western Star quotes the immense totalisator totals of the go.dficlds race meetings just closed:—Coolgardie'Meeting, £8553 ; Boulder Meeting, £46,527 ; Kalgoorlie Meeting, £76,531. The Kalgoorlie total, it adds, is a three days' record, distancing even the New Zealand figures, and surpassing the Perth total for the four-days' Cup Carnival. "If you ask of me preference for unionists," said Mr Rason in his policy speech', "you won't get it ; if you ask for the removal of a Judge when his decisions 3o not please you, yon will ask in vain. I! at the poll you defeat one of my colleapues," he continued, "you defeat me. In that event I shall ask His Excellency for a dissolution, and I shall expect to get it," QUEENSLAND. A girl named Gregory, living alone at Alomba, near Uairna, Queensland, was visited by a coloured man, lcnon-n as Portuguese Bill. As he refused to leave the premises, the girl took up a loaded revolver to frighten him, when the woapon esploded,^lrilling the man. The gift by an anonymous citizen of Brisbnno of city property valued at £25,000 to the Young (Men's Christian Association is described by the Courier as uniquo in the history of Quronsland. The financing cif the Queensland Government in one rocen^ transaction is characterise^ by Mr. M'Donald, M.H.R., as absolutely dishonest. According to tho ex-Postmaster-General (Mr. Sydney Smith), the Queensland Treasurer placed to tho credit of his revenue account tho money voted by tho Commonwealth Parliament to cover the cost of buildings erected in Queensland, and drew upon loan funds to meet tho expenditure. Thus, by using loan money for these works, he diverted £35,000 into bis Federal rovenuo account. At the' Brisbane Police Court, ono Charles Cook, committed for trial on a charge of bigamy, said he had not seen his first wife for tliTee year 6. She had been convicted of bigamy, and under tho circumstances he considered that ho was lice to marry again. At Bundaberg, James and William Wyper, trading as Wyper Brothers, ironmongers, pleaded guilty to two charges of rendering a wrong return of income, thereby attempting to evade payment of income tax. In the first case each defendant was fined £10, with £2 6s 6d costs, iuid ordered to pay double the tax short-paid, £53 13s ; and in the second case each was fined £20 and the same costs, and ordered to pay £51 each, double tho tax short-paid. TASMANIA. The Tasinnnian Government hns granted a seven-years' lease of Macquario Island to Mr. Joseph Hatch, of Invercurgill, New Zealand. Tho Electoral Bill which has, been passed by tho Tasmaniun Assembly embodies the Hare system ofl voting. In the Tasmnninn House of Assembly Dr. Crowlher brought in a Bill regulating cremation. Ihe Bill' was read a first time. Tho object is lo prohibit cremation without a certificate from at least two doctors as to the cause of death. In tho Tiismaniun Assembly, a motion was submitted expressing disapproval of reflections made by tho Treasurer upon the Federal Parliiiment.' Members, however, were very hostile to the Federal Parliament, and rejected the motion by 22 votes to 9. The debato gavo nn opportunity for some strong expressions of disapprov.il of Federal oxtravngauce, which is pressing hard on the State. Tho Premier snid it was owing to these continually increasing expenditures that the State Treasurer had to n&k for more taxation, which was enough to make any Minister .ftin.