AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 18, 20 July 1907, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

COMMONWEALTH, In the couise of the Patents Office enquiry held recently the statement was made that quite a number of patents had been granted illegally. The Minister for Customs has decided that thematter cannot rest in this condition, and ho has asked the Attorney-General's Department to mako investigations. Among the "thirty-nine articles" of part 5 of the Constitution is one which reserves for the States power to deal ; with aborigines. The Customs Department has received a notification that Queensland intends to take advantage of it, and refuse licenses_ to aborigines to work on sugar plantations. Complaints arc general among the business community at the practically prohibitive charge — six shillings for a conversation of three minutes between Sydney and Melbourne. Eight calls from Sydney in one day and throe from Melbourne were recorded lately. It is pointed out that throughout Scandinavia, and Germany sixpence threo farthings is the maximum long-distance charge, .rom Hamburg through Dnmark ~and Sweden to Christiania, over a thousand miles, through four countries, the charge in 2s 3d. Tho Doakin Government (says the Adelaide Observer) numbers eight Ministers and a, Whip, with 'eight or nine supporters, in one House of seventy-five members; and two members and one ; supporter in the other house of thirty-six • members. Clarly the Administration exists on suffrance. It may nominally lead the Parliament, but it cannot exhibit independsnee or force. The Go-vernor-General's speech promised that j the tariff revision shall bo undertaken ' "as soon as possible." The sooner the ' better for the resettlement of parties and tha recovery of responsible government. An estimate has been prepared by the Customs Department of the quantity of sugar ihat will be manufactured and amount of bounty that will bo paid during the coming sugar season. The total production is estimated at 199,305 tons, being 181,000 by white labour and 18.205 tons by black labour. xiie bounty to be paid, should this estimate . prove correct, will amount to £572,000. The figures given for the two States of Queensland and New South Wales are as follows: — Queensland, 157,000 tons white, 16,870 tons black; bounty, £500,009. New Soulb - Wales: 24,100 tons while, and 1335 tons black ; bounty, £72,300. The Acting-Prime Minister (Sir .William Lyne) in the House of Representatives repeated his assurance that theimported Danysz microbe, or any other intended for inoculating rabbits, would noi, ba allowed, and every effort would be made to enforce ths prohibition. Ho had boen informed on 21st June that the ] only visitors allowod to visit Broughton Island, where the Danysz experiments were being made, were those connected with, the fund established by pastoralists, members of the scientific staff, and in one or two cases friends of the staff. , Few articles in commerce are more subject to adulterations than white lead. Some years ago, a colonial importer vidting Britain calkd on a manufacturing firm with a view to obtaining better terms, and was amazed at the high price asked. "Why," he said, "that is higher than the retail price in New Zealand !" 'Ton did not tell us it was for export," was the answer. "Our export quality b " something liks t half the rate previously quoted. At that time, the ordinary grado of white paint in the colonies, used, when dry, to come off on people's cloths like whitewash. The Commonwealth Government is endeavouring to put a stop to this stato pf tilings. The Icting Comptroller of Customs has issued the following j order: — "Sulphate of barium to the extent of 19 per cent, has been discovered in a white-lead paint. This percentage of barium is regarded a& extensive adulteration, necessitating action under Order 916 if the paint is so described ao to falsely suggest that it is a gonnins white-lead paint. Sfilphats of barium is an indispensable basis for white colours, but analysis will show whether it is presont in a paint as a colour only or aa in Higfedienb in tho white 'lead." Order 916: — "A recent importation of white lead was described on the' kegs as 'ground whito lead reduced.', Analysis showed tha white lead was adulterated with barium to the extent of about twenty-five per cent. The term 'leduced' does not in this case, sufficiently describe 'adulteration* for purposes of the Commerce Act, although in the trade it has that meaning. In future the percentage of barium, or any other adulterant in whitj lead, must be as clearly and as permanently shown on 1 th-e. coverings of the goods as tho ordinary trade elescription applied thereto, and delivery should not be permitted until this condition is fulfilled.''