AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 142, 16 June 1906, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

COMMONWEALTH. Referring to the discussion in the Federal Parliament on the Address-in-Re-ply, the correspondent of tho Sydney Uailv Telegraph writes : — The whole parliamentary situation now suggests that the front-.r<vnk question is not the business of the session, but the business that ia to come after the se**ic-n is over. It wilt take time for members to realise that they have- ostensibly been brought together to transact work, and tn&t they are expected to pa«s a. number 'of more or lees controversial measures. ' At | presAnt no one refer* more then cursorily .to the Eeiaioiial proposals. Every one { refers to the divibion of parties, to the r iwue.3 created by recent developments, 'to the election prospects. The Oovern-mt-iit and its policy are for the most part I ignored. . I In connection with the Victorian claim* for the Riverina. territory, an , original j suggestion was made by tKe Mayor of ! Albury, New Sonth Wales. At the ' Borengh Council meeting ft letter was i read from the Premier acknowledging receipt of the pretest against the claim of i Victoria to Riverina, but adding thattlie claim was too preposterous for serious ! consideration. The Mayor moved— j "i"hat in order to end the controversy as I to who owns Riverina, this council re- ' spectfully suggssts to ,the Commonwealth 1 Government that this area, or so much of '• it as m*y be required, be made Federal ' territory." The proposal True received with manifftst disf«vour. It was seconded pro forma, and with a protest by Alderman Wilkinson, and Alderman • Br&un said it was a- case of "save us ' from our friends" with a vengeancs. It I was bad enough to belong to New South Wales; it would be worse to be annexed to Victoria, and worse atill to be taken under Federul control. More people bet on racing in Australia i than was the case twenty-five- years ago \ (says the Australasian) ; but the year's [ turnover then was probably much greater j than it is now. Silver betticg in tho early eighties was ftlmc*t unknown ; but iaen of means, who in those dsyo thought nothing of risking a hundred 'on, a horse, , now look upon £5 as a considerable- in- | vestmtnt. The change not only applios ] to tho rcink and file of backers, bat also to rich ownti-3. Mr. G. G Stsad, wo have been told by Mr. W. E. Daldn, who trained the horse, backed Le Loup for the Melbourne Cup of 1879 to win something like £80,000, and wo know f rom Mr. Stead himself that he backed Lochki for £40,000 in the Newmarket Handicap of 1887. Now Mr Stead never beta a shilling. He says hs gets more eatirfaction out of running for the stakes alone. It is extremely unlikely (says the Melbourne Argus) that a federal capital site will bo chosen this year. Mr. Watson, tho leader of the Labour Party, favours the Lako George site, and managed to induce the Houae to shelve the Dalgety Site Bill, which wpb introduced by Ministers list session. Ibat measure will agaiD be submitted this year. The advocates of a site in the Lake George district have receWcd unexpected support in reports which have been , obtained by Mr. Carruthera, tho Premier of New South Wales, on the available areas. The Prime Minister received copies of theso reports yesterday. % According to them, there is an ideal site at Mahkoolma, but its suittbility is dependent upon the* BarI ren Jack Reservoir being constructed, i "as, assuming that the reservoir were ever emptied, a fonl and stricken valley would 'bY exposed to the citizens of the federal capital, instead of a valtey and picturesque lute." t A plea, / persistently urged in favour of official recognition of the Australian union label as a "trade-mark" was that it would be accepted ca a guarantee of quality. This, however, js manifestly open to question, as it indicates do more nor less than that the goods weie" proj duced by union labour, wii«r<>a» an "open i shop" may, and sometimes does, employ more competent hands, pay higher wuges, and produce- better goods than a rival establishment conducted under union ] rules. This fact is recognised in the Act itself, which hfts an important provision for an authoritative grading or "standard" mnrk, which will afford a j State guarantee of quality. Where any J association or person undertakes the cxi animation of any goods 'n respect of j origin, material, mode or^ conditions of I manufacture, quality, accuracy, oi other 1 characteristic, a mark to denote the pos- ] session of these miy be registered for ! application to goods. This maik, foi 1 instance, could be registered by the cot- , ton-growers, who fix a certain standard | for each year's crop, or by the asEouia • tions which grade wheat. Tho regulations contain clauses covering applications for such marks, and saying: — "If, aitei consideration of the facts, tee Mm istei permits the registration of the- maik as a trade mark, it shall be registered accordingly, and the registrar enall, in accordance irith. eection 61 of the Act, enter m tho repst-er particulars relating to the mark, .and the words 'standardisation trade mark,' to distinguish the mark from other trade marks." Any pereon who uses the maik must of course comply with the conditions prescribed in it In othei words, the goods to wliich it is attached must be of the specified stand ard. NEW SOUTH 'WALES. Strong agitation is goint; on acraiost the oontinuance of abattohs on Gleba Island, and a league of property-holders oi the combined boroughs of the Glebe, Annandale, | Leichhardt, Burwood, Five Dock, Drutnmoyne, Concord, and Peter sham Iras Keen formed to secure their remqvnl Tlie mayors of soms of the boroughs nave identified themselves with th« movement. Tho report of the Royal -Coinmlrsion upon lands, just issued, -is of great length and even greater interest Ihe Australasian says it contains something to ouit tke most' varied tastes in popular r literature, including -many of the elenents of a political romance, with money Iss its. movintf agency. In the absence of Willis, the concluding part the i ctory has yet to be unfolded. "Tsut for I bhe main purposes of this remarkable enquiry Mr. Justice Owen has told pretty well all we want to know. He has told us how many hundred thousand acres of land have been improperly and illegally granted . under improvement lcaae, "and so shut out for many years fiom agricultural settlement. He has revealed the enormous sums of money (always in ensh, with no receipts piven) paid "by ppplirunts for theso lands tn certain " land asent* ; and he haa found that some £S3"000, nearly all in notefi, was paid during the period of tho transactions into the account of tho Minister for Lands (W. P. Crick) who granted the leases. A» to some of the icn.«ce, they ticre granted in opposition to the recomuwndiitior-» of responsible ofEcsrs of tha Lands Deportment. This, with much moie ol the sensational, is the dark eido of tlie story The brighter side of tho report 'v that ■which refers to the present Government and to officials of the Lauds Department." Reviewing the report of the Land CommiMion, tho Australasian says :— With regard to Crick's banking account *nd the moneys he received, it has to bo said that nothing is shown aa to what the large payments to him wero made for. Ho has owned to, or rather boasted of, heavy betting transactions on racehorses, and he accounts for his ca*h payments to his "credit in the bank iv that way. He banked during his period of office, apart from cheques, £28,245 18s 2d, all but £651 18s 2d in notes, tt

is found that in all £57,619 Is 5d was j banked in a similar way by five differ- j ent persons connected with land agency j transactions. "This amount," says tho expert's report, "is practically thi* samo as that shown by th« evidence to have been paid to land agents, biit this would appear to bo a mere coincidence." The roeant prosecution of Crick on a charge of receiving money from Close, and th« breakdown of the case owing to Close'n " lapse of memory," is brought back freshly to mind now. Close had, however, already made a definita statement before the commission of his payments to Crick, and Mr. Justice Oirta, in arriving at his conctntiona, finds no difficulty <n believing Close's statements. His Honour finds specifically that ot the pa>meiita made to Close for land agency work in rospect of matters dealt with by Crick as Minister Crick received onehalf. That -is tbe gravent feature of +he whole repert. in ikt» examination in the Bankruptcy Court, Sydney, of Henry James Stephens, of Stephens, Miller, and Adritu, formerly known as the " Success Publishing Com pany," considerable laght was thrown om the methods of a certain clrm of publishers.- Beginning practically without capital, they were able to show in then paper a good many catchy advertisements. The " Miller -Mail Order Company," for instance, advertised " suits at wholesale prices " — a suit at two gui neas, and a suit-case free. The publishers are themselves the " company. ' Remittances came by post, they bought, the goods of wholesal-o houses, sometimes for cash, but when they could on credit | ' — this accounted for some of the liabili- | [ties. Other advertisers in "Success! j were "Madame Alleyne " (rubber goods, | [ enemas, etc., much below chemists' ! prices), the " East and West Novelty Company," the " A.S. A. Inventors' Agency (aewing machine ra-p^oring outfits, harness-menders, and dress-cutting systems), also " Mrs. Wentworth Lsmg's Paper Patterns." All these lirnw were fictitious, and the goods w«re obtained in tho samo way as 'the cheap suits. To increase the circulation they offered competition prizes. A few prizes were paid, but tha partners soon found it more convenient to award the prizes to contributions written by themselves and to non-existent competitors. '' Did you riot think this was dishonest?" asked the judge. "No," answered the witness; " I don't think there was anything dishonest about what we did on the circumstances." The examination was adjourned for a week. VICTORIA. A return issusd by the Government Statist- shows the wool clip of Victoria, including fche quantity on skins stripped nnd exported for the season 1905-6, to be 75,738,303ib. J The Victorian Premier and Minister for Lands have arranged to grant a Japaneso who hao b-c-au resident in the State for a ye-ar an area on tho Murray, on which to experiment with rica-growing. The applicant says he thinks he could grow a ton of rica i.o the new. Referring to tho decision of tho Vic•torian Government to devoto £100,000 to the purchase- of rabbit-proof wire netting;, Bint (Premier) said it was intended to oall for t&ndsrs locally for the supply, and added : " Though we are starting with £100,000 worth, wo shall require £300,000 or £400,000 worth before we are done." At Warrnambool, Victoria, on the Ist June, Harold Jja^dlaw, aged fourteen years, was committed for trinl on a charge of having wilfully and malicionaly set fire to the houw of William Abrahams, at Nullawarre, om 21st May. Evidence showed that the jhous-s ' which- had be-sn destroyed was wnr,ch £200, and'tKnl accused had admitted to th-s polico that he entered the house to look for mon«y, and afterwards put paper in a corner and ignited <t. t ' We m«t a svrairman lrjtely on, a bush road as we were drirang (writes '•' Bushwoman" in tho Austrnlssiin. Ho was seated on a log with ,a w-sll-p-lcfteed expression on his face, positively beaming! Ho bide us good-day, nnd ent«r«d into conversation in an «ffable fa«hion. "This is thebest and most • liberal elistrict I «ver struck!' 1 he said approvingly. "Why I've had enough tinned m-eat and potted stuff giv' to me this mornir' U> carry ma on a good month. Don't know what's ! com© to the woman — &imply forced it on me. Here's pott-ed besf, potted hnm nnd chicken, no le:\«." Then I pondered d-e-eply as to whether I should tell nim about iAie nvrful revelations of "The Jungle" — whether 't was kinder to let him~be in ignorance and well fed, or in enltcshtenment and hunger. I chose the \ first, and drove on. | At a conference called by the committee appointed by tho Methodist Church ! for the suppression of gambling, the ftov. j T. S. B. Woodful, of tho Collingwood Methodist Mission, ssid that «t tbe present tim-o tbera were a hnndred " lotca " about M-elboume. The- police were practically powerless to do anything, ts the "tote-" people had spies among recruits for the- police force-, so as to bo able t« i distinguish the new men. Ths ootnmit- j tee submitted a report suggesting certain | amendments of th-o betting Jaws and urging tL«> n-coMsity for stricter supervision, and it was decidad that a deputation should wait on the Chief Secretary. A j deputation is also to be formed to wait on tlio. Prime 'Minister in reference to " Tattcrsall's " sweeps. The present high piico oi copper has attracted tho attention of a gong of thieves in Melbourne, and they havo within the l n st r-h: months stolen nearly three hundred copper boilers from \\a3hoiibi.d. The mctaod is lor one man to onter the yard, tear out tho copper, and hand it to his mates ove* 1 the back gate. As many r.s twenty or thirty have bcon taken in ono night. They aro cut into strips, and sold to founders or dealers, ai 6d. or 7d per lb. The detecti-ves a few days ego caw two wellknown thiavea cntor a brassfoundcr's uhop at Hawthorn, bnt on being observed the men made off. It was found that they had been trying to sell strip 3 of copper, weighing 841b. A washing boiler was reconstructed by_ tho detectives, and it was seen that it had been repaired, evidently by an amateur. They think it possible that the boiler may bo identified. * Tho Full Court in Melbourno had bo tore it on the 7th inst. tho question of relationship between medical man and patient, the question being raised in connection with a County Court action, Warnecke v the Equitable Lifo Assurance Society, in which the plaintiff claims £300 under an assurance policy on the lifo of Robert Warnecke, deceased. The defendant society pleaded that tho policy was scoured by fi material misrepresentation in the proposal. On behnlf of the society an application wa3 recently made- for tho examination on commission of Dr. Lang, now in England, who was the deceased's medical adviser, as to whether tho deceased was not in an advanced stago of consumption whon tho proposal was made. Plaintiff opposed it on tho ground that tho Victorian Evidence Act precluded a medical attondaut from divulging' information which ho .might have acquirod in attending a pationt. Tho court reserved judgment. The case o» certain young women who wero alleged to have endeavoured to "approach" a juryman in connection with a criminal trial at tho Melbourne, Goncrnl Sessions was referred to on the Bth inst. An application was made to Judge Eagleson in chambers for a reconsideration of tho matter. This was declined, but later in the day a writ of habeas corpus was granted by Mr. Justico a'Beckctt, under which tho women in question, who wero each sentenced to three months' imprisonment, will bo brought before the court and

tho case re-opened. The ground which the solicitor for tha women took up was that Judge Eagjteson, being only a iudge of an "inferior" court, viz., a County Court, as distinguished from a Supreme Court judge, possessed limited powers only in criminal jurisdiction, and had no right to proceed against persons for contempt committed outside his court. Tho only power, it was argued, which such judge possessed wa3 to deal with any contempt which might take place within tho court. Tho Melbourne public librarian has reported to the trustees the receipt of two very remarkable and valuable volumes from ths executors of tho late Heber R. Bishop, an American merchant and banker. The work, which has been in preparation for some twenty years, is a monograph on jade, treated from a scientific as well as an artistic and antiquarian point of view. The late Mr. Bishop had a remarkably fine collection of j*de work, ' which he bequeathed to tne Wew York Museum of Art. The two magnificent volumes prc'sented to the trustees contain a catalogue of this collection, sumptuously illustrated, with essays and treatises on tho stone by prominent scientists and others. The coloured illustrations are especially fine. No expense was spared in the work, which is beaiitifully printed on hand-made paper Each volume weighs about half a hundredweight, and tho cost of producing the work, which is limited to an edition of 100 copies was over £20,000. JN'o copies aro for sale, nor is it likely that the work can ever come into the market. SOUTH AUSTRALIA. A number ol country tow us liave already been connected with the- capital by telephone by means of the Buzzer j condenser systeim This number is being inoressed at every opportunity, and it is hoped tha(t soon all tha towns throughout the State will bo iinked up I The latest addition is that of Palmer, j 82 miles irpm Adelaide. No leas than 150 square milca of couu- ; try in the southern part of Yolk Peninsula has been *.eeurad by prospectors j with search licenses for oil. At \Varreni ben 125 square miles has beeD pegged out, and the remaining area is in the adjoining- hundred of Coonarie. There \ are at least thirty holdeis of search certidcdtes. •- A special parade oi tho Scottish Corps was held at Adelaide oi* the Bth iust. for the purpose of an enquiry baing made into the conduct of tome members who attended a conceit in uniform at Mount Barker, in contravention of .special instructions issued by Captain Smeaton. Captain Smeaton attenm'ds stated that he had had to take the .iitreme step of discharging three offenders. The amount of revenue received in stamp duties frum Ist July, 1905, in 2nd June, 1906, amounted to £61,300, an increase nf £4473 ovei the amount received for thii corresponding psriod of last year, aud £330 in excess of tho Treasurer's estimate for the financial year. The land and income tax leceipts -for eleven months amcrjnted to £210,614, 1 ft decrease of -614,310 compared with tho ' amount received during tho same time '■ last year. ' j Mr. Glynu, M.H.R., who is the re- [ presentaiive of South Australia on the I interstate committee of experts on the River question, has been busy for some time framing clauses for in elusion in tlie' Bill 1 which the committee will draw up for submission to the Par liaments oi South ■ Australh, 'Victoria, and Xew South Wales -Mr. Glynn h.is left for ilelborune, accompanied by the Engjneer'in-Chief, to meot the representatives of the other States on the committee — Mr. Stuart Milrrcy, Chief En- ! gin.cer for Wutei Supply in Victoria, ' iihd Mi. L. A. B. -Wade, Principal Engineer for Rivers, Water Supply) and -.Drainage, ,in -New South Waks • .The j Bill which they will draft will be based j on-the resolutions "of tho recent I'rcmiers Conference, «od will naturally be one of th«j important measures of the session I affecting South Australia. j South Australian Ministers • are tour- ! int, tht country advocating a Compul- | «niy Repurchase of Lands Bill. Since 1897 an Act "has been in force giving the Government power to' repurchase estate under the voluntary system, and I einco then they have purchased 252,294 , acres, which have been allotted to 916 jjersons. The total cost bass baeu £61y,306. Since June last the ('omniicsioner of Crown Lands has repurchased 54,468 acres, which have been divided among 183 allottees. The Surveyor-General considers that there are considerably more than 100 people in South Austialia waiting for land, and in addition to the repurchased estates before men- | tioned there is about 2,500,000 acres of Crown lands available, but this latter is second-class country. WESTERN AUSTRALIA. In the Licensing Court, Perth, on the 7th inst., an Application was X made for a club certificate for the CosmopoliI tan Clrfb, Clarence-chambers, Hay-street. I On tho comtnitUo of the club wero three prominent labour leaders, and on the list of members wns tho name of Mr. James Gardiner, who was Colonial Tretisnrer in tho James Ministry. Tho applicant statod it was intended to make tho institution a genuine working n;eii's club. The chnirman of tho Bench, in refusing tho application, on tho ground that sonic of the rules did not comply I v/ith the requirements of the court, stud I thut in the interests of the working'mcn themsolves it was ecsential that the committee of tho club should not have power to prevent any honest working man from becoming a member of the club for poli tical reasons ; it was necessary, thoroforo, that the rules should prevent such a possibility from occurring. A. remarkable oporation was recently performed at Perth by two local surgeons. A suburban doctor ha,d to deal with tho case of a woman who had been an invalid for a number of years past, suffering acutely from what appeared to be a, tumor in the abdomen. Tho growth could not be identified in any way with the ordinary tumors with which the doctor was familiar, and ho camo to the conclusion that tho trouble wa3 due to the presence of a foreign body. The diagnosis of a city surgeon was sought and ho brought to his aid tho Roentgen rays, with which he took two diagrams. Tho platc3 on being developed, disclosed what appeared to be a small pair of scissors or forceps in the abdomen. A operation wns successfully carried out, tho two doctors finding the cause of the trouble to bo a. small pair of surgical forceps, five inches in length, and much corroded. A very delicate and dangerous operation ivas carried to a successful issue, and tho patient is now on the high road to recovery. Somo years ago the woman underwont .an abdominal operation, and tho forceps must then have been left* insido tho /body, keeping the unfortunate patient in constant illkenlth' cvor since. TASMANIA. The Tasmanian Premier replied to tho Premior of New South Wales, who asked if he was in favour of tho proposal for Dnnyoz's experiments to proceed, that in view of .the gra-vo danger of tho experiment introducing disease among cattle, ho could not support i the proposal. The heaviest flood for many years occurred at Derby, Tasmania, n, fortnight ago. The Ringarooma and Cascade rivers overflowed? The Briscis Extended mino was endangered, but strenuous exertions diverted the flood waters. Tho Weldbrook mine waa flooded, but no damage was done. Part of tho roadway between tho Derby and Briseis Extended was three feet under water*