AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 71, 26 March 1910, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

COODE ISLAND AS A NAVAL DEPOT. A scheme is on foot in Melbourne to induce the Federal Government to establish a naval depot on Coode Island, formed by the Yarra and the canal which connects with it. Eighteen months ago the Commonwealth took over from the State authorities a timber reserve. To this was to bo transferred the naval depot, now at WilHamstoTvn. It is contended that since the new naval programme will be on a much larger scale than tho mosquito fleet which was proposed by the Fisher Government, more extensive accommodation will be required if Melbourne is to have a sufficient naval station. The proposal is now to induce the Federal Government to take over Coode Island, at a cost of £5000, and to utilise the timber reserve as a depot for stores for the Postal Department. The State Government/ expects Mr. Davidson, its principal engineer, who has for some time- Deen in Europe, to report in favour of building docks fit for repairing and even shipbuilding. A site- at Williamstown or at Gellibrand Point may be proposed for the purpose. There is serious apprehension that the contracts for building the new destroyers may be given to the Fitzroy dock in Sydney. Pressure will (says the Sydney Telegraph) be brought on the Federal Government to have some of tho work done in Victoria, and jf the docks can be built to have the shipbuilding operation*, as far as practicable, concentrated in Melbourne. The proposal for the naval depot has been made with the idea of retaining as largo a proportion of the new fleet unit as possible in Victoria, and while the capital lemuih* in Melbourne there will be an infinitely greater prospect of more of this being done than is either necessary or desirable in Australian interests. CRUELT\ PUNISHED. An Incident at the Sydney Zoo, happily of rare occurrence, claimed the attention of Mr. Payten, S.M., at the Water Summons Court, Sydney, recently, when Walter Freeman was proceeded against for cruelty to an animal in captivity. • The evidence of Overseer Robert Spencer was thnt Freeman made a motion as if to throw food to one of the Japanese bears, but instead threw a lighted cigarette to the animal, which howled with pain as it vainly endeavoured to get rid of it. The cigarette had to be swallowed. Freeman said that the cigarette was thrown accidentally. A tine of £5 was imposed, the alternative being imprisonment for one month. -*lr. Pay ten informed Freeman that if he had not borne a good character he would have been sent to gaol without the option of a fine. SEARCH FOR DESIRABLE SETTLERS. There are indications that probably all the mainland States of the Commonwealth (with, 1 perhaps, the excep tion of South Australia) will co-oper-ate- with -Victoria in the search for desirable settlers from abroad. Mr. Wade, Premier of Xew South Wales, last week telegraphed to Mr. Murray, Premier of Victoria, asking that Mr. Klwood Mead should be allowed to come to Sydney to confer with the New South Wales Government, and Mr. Mead left Melbourne by the Sydney exprei-s the same day. Queensland has already indicated its willingness to cooperate in the mission, und Weet Australia has also shown her sympathy by taking part in th« recent inter-State conference for advertising the resources of Australia. SIR JOHN FORREST'S PENSION. A candidate who passes through the ordeal of & contested election usually has few secrets left for the Day of Judgment (remarks the Sydney Daily Telegraph). Sir John Forrest, the Federal Treasurer, has battled through" many a hustings campaign, and still held something back, but he met his Waterloo the other day in Perth, and was obliged to make a clean breast of "that little pension matter." It appears that when responsible government was granted to Western Australia, certain executive officers were compensated for the loss of their positions. The Colonial Secretary (Sir Malcolm Fraser) received a pension of £750, tho Treasurer (Mr. Lefroy) got £650, and Sir John Forrest himself received £500. This happened nineteen years ago. But while the two firstnamed gentlemen drew their pensions regularly, Sir John — and this is wherehe turned the table on his questioner — refrained from claiming a penny of his as long as he held office under thf» Crown, whether as Premier of W.A. or as a member of the Commonwealth Government. When out of office for about two and a half years he did draw the pension, but all he had received in nineteen years was £1200, though he wan entitled to draw about £9500. He had presented the other £8300 to the country !" DAMAGES FOR INJURED SIGHT. Mr. Justice Pring and a jury was engaged in the Supreme Court, Sydney, last week in hearing an action brought on behalf of Herbert Oliver Hole against the Government, to recover compensation for injury to his eye, owing, as was contended, to the negligence of oue of the Government's servants. Hole was a pupil at the Marrickville West State School, the headmaster of which is John Benedict Doyle. Hole was one of a class of pupils who were taught elementary chemistry. One day in July last Doyle was about to give a chemistry lesson, and he called out to Charles Smith, another of the pnpils, to bring a tumbler from his room. The tumbler contained a, email quantity of brownish liquid, and Smith, thinking that it was dirty w\ter, threw it out. Tho liquid proved to be diluted sulphuric acid, come of which struck Hole in the right eye, causing what was stated to be a permanent injury. It was submitted that the accident was caused by the negligence of Doyle in sending Smith for the sulphuric acid without explaining to him its dangerous nature, and warning him to be careful. The jury returned a verdict for plaintiff, with damages £431 0s 9d. A stay of proceedings was granted until next term. During the hearing of the case the question of non-liability of tho Govi ernment in the ca*e of a school teacher was rained. Mr. Justice Pring said that the point was an important one, but he thought it would be belter to leave the rase to the jnvy. PRISON ESCAPEE RETURNS. After enjoying nearly nine months of freedom, William Thomas, alias William Roberts, jravc himself up to the w*tchhouse authorities at Adelaide, and admitted that he had escaped from gaol. Enquiries showed that he was sentenced on 11th June. 1909, and escaped about Itt ' July. In the police court he stated that he had been anxious about his wife and children, and "broke out" to look for them. He wa* sent to gaol to serve the remaining nine days of bis sentence, and an extra week* impriaonmeot for

VICTORIAN STATE COAL MINE. The Victorian State coal mine at Powlett River, was Inst week a scene of great activity daring the housing of the winding plnne. The work was completed in three days. The fifth shaft was started, and the poppet legs erected. This shaft is about a quarter of a milo from the main shaft. The No. 3 and No. 5 shafts have been named the Hunter and Mackenzie, in honour of the managers. Mr M'Clelland, the foreman of the closed- in bores, reported that coal has been touched in the bore 30 chains south of the main shaft, at a depth of 65 feet. Commissioner Hay, of the Salvation Army, accompanied by a party of staff and field officers, visited the coal field. He was received by Mr. D. C. Mackenzie, on behalf of the Government, at the request of the Premier, and dined with the mine officials. The object of his \isit was to select a cite for a new barracks. A branch of the Savings Bank has been opened on the ffcld, and is doing good business. Owing to the largo amount of business in the post ofiice, steps are being taken to have the letters delivered at the houses