AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Evening Star, Issue 14307, 4 March 1910, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

The Queensland pioneer who claims from the Queensland Government £12,000,000 for having, as he asserts, discovered nine, payable goldfields, and thus created a considerable security on which the .Slate went, into the money market to borrow, has written again to Mr Deakin urging him to use his influence to have the claim settled. On a previous occasion. April 1 last, he informed Mr Deakin that his bill. 4 i>er cent. interest, since 1861, totalled £11,724,678 4s lOd. Tt has grown to £12,205,000. '•This," he says, "is the amount of my claim, which is due to me by tho Government of Queensland. Tf the Government are not satisfied to give me my money, I will take my land, 300 square miles, which 1 prospected and explored with my money, and I am entitled to. 1 wish tliis claim to be settled within fourteen days to save further trouble." In concluding his letter to the Prime Minister lie says: " I therefore ask you as a gentleman to see that the Queensland Government do justice between mo and my country."

The Chinese community in Sydney'formally opened a school for students of their own nationality on the 16th tilt. The institution is the first of its kind in Australia. The teacher is ]y>ok Yet. who has had charge of Chinese schools in Java and at Singapore. Twenty scholars, mostly young boys, were enrolled. The open ing proceedings were invested with the ceremonial dear to the Eastern heart, and the youngsters listened. with commendable patience to several somewhat long speeches in fluent Chinese by prominent Celestials of the city. Each pupil is uniformed in dark hluo with cap and silver badge. Before the student enters upon his day's labors, he makes obeisance In Confucius, and pays a mark of respect to the teacher. The children were reminded that they must, though good citizens of New South Wales. never forget their duty to their country and their Emperor.

Recent information received by the Minister of Industries mid Commerce sho.vs tlie Tapid progress which is being made by Western Australia as a wheat-srrowing country. For the 1909-10 season "416.1 M acres were sown in wheat lor grain an increase of 161.143 acres an compared wilh 1908-09. The otiiciai forecast of ibis season's crop was 13.4 bushel* per acre, equal to a total yield of 5 ; 978,829 bushds. as against 0.6 bushels per acre, yielding 2.460.823 bushels last season. It was expected that the quantify of wheat available for I'.xport- front Western Australia ibis seasnn would be 3,681.000 busliels. or 98.598 tons. Naturally, the authorities, who have been, actively promoting settlement and agriculture in the State for several years past, are expressing great satisfaction, at the development recorded. A strange assortment of " foreign bodies'' are found from time to time in sacked grain when if comes to the mills (says Jho Mdliourne ' Argus'), and in order to prevent these from being consumed by fhe public the milling machinery has to be provided with a huge variety of "screens." The manager of one of the city milling films explained that the screens at their woiks have been called upon to reject, amongst other things, snakes, .-panners, old hals. hoofs, lizards, and oilcans. Last week, however, the unexpoct-ed came along in the shape of an old pair of tough moleskin trousers that had been sewn up in an oat pack. Not one of the (screens proved capable of coping with these garmenls. and eventually they found their way into the rollers. Much' good meal was spoilt, and the moleskin clogged the machinery, so Hint the firm had to incur a heavy loss in shutting down at a particularly busy time. In Australian grain, the manager stated, they had no record of articles of any value having been found: in Eastern produce. however, it was not an uncommon thing to discover coins that would represent a considerable purchasing power to an Oriental laborer.

An out-patient at the Bendigo Hospital bad been given medicine to be faken before mails. He returned a week later with the bottle half-empty, and in a worse condition than a week before. When asked why he had not taken all the medicine, he said that it was labelled "To he faken before meals." As he could only get one meal a day, he bad only taken seven doses. Recently a prisoner who is undergoing a three months' sentence at the Pentridge penal establishment (Victoria) for having no lawful visible means of support was questioned by Senior Chief Warder P.udrum as to whether he bad ever been in gaol before. The prisoner most emphatically stated that he bad not, and adhered to hi.s statement even when confronted with bus own photograph and the evidence of hi.s finger-prints. A charge of making a false verbal statement to a chief warder was a-ccordingly laid again.st the prisoner, and at the usual Pentridge Court the [recused, who pleaded not guilty, was ( sentenced to an additional seven days' imprisonment, with hard labor. Two sales of freehold properly m George street. Sydney, wero reported last week—£l.o64' was the price per foot in one. ease, £B6O in the other. Apropos of this it may be recalled that John Lang, an early writer on Australian subjects, states in one of his sketches of Sydney : " Four acres and a-ha!f in George street, nearly opposite to the barrack gates, were sold to a man. a regimental tailor, for twelve dozen of port' wine, six gallons of hollatuks. two pieces of broadcloth, 251b of American tobacco, one chest of tea. two ha»s of sugar, one set of harness for gig. one «iddle'and bridle, one single-barrelled fowling piece, two canisters of powder, and four bags of shot. And a. nobb bargain it wa.s considered by everyone \ strange case is reported from 1 arkes (N.S.W.) "to the effect thai- two Ticbbourne, farmers were fined £2 and £3 respectively by the local Land Board for "I'owin"' wheat on land on their special Teases 'which they were not permitted to cultivate under the terms of fho lease. In one instance about fifty acres had been cultivated, and in the other a smaller area had been brought under the. plough. The cases (which were instituted at the instance of the Department of Mines) are the first of the kind in that neighborhood, and as there has been emne misconception with regard to the conditions, the chairman of the Board said that minimum fines woud be imposed, but in future those'who put a. special lease to a purpose not authorised would be more severely dealt with. Another name was added last week- fo the long list of surf bathers who have lost their lives. Charles Knight, a resident of Waverlcy (New South Wales), and employed lis ranger at Centennial Park, was drowned at Bronte. He left his home at an early hour for a surf bath, and as be did not return by eight o'clock investigations wera made. His clothes were found in the dressing shed, and his body was washed in by the. rollers later in the morning. Knight was a good .swimmer, ami rarelv went far out. The sea was fairly rough, and he had apparently got beyond his depth, and been unable to fieiit against the waves. °At Svdney last week, at the Central Police (Jourt, a woman who was seeking an order from her husband for support explained that he earned £3 6s weekly ns ;i bricklayer, and ho had besides a doll joint. " -\ doll joint? What was that?" she was asked. The witness explained that it was something you threw something at, and if you could hit it you got a prize. " A sort o'f an Aunt Sally," observed an officer." She went on to say that doll joints were remunerative, and that her husband earned as much tis £4 a day at it on holidays, while £5 on a Satmday wa.s nothing* phenomenal. Referring to the oidiiianre concerning gauze wire netting of butchers' shops, the Mavor of Singleton (New South Wales), at the"last meeting ol tho Municipal Council, said he regarded the regulation as a farce. A customer going into a. shop carried a lot of flies in on his back, and the netting effectually bottled them up. Gauze netting was'the biggest rot he knew of, and he 'didn't blame aiiyono for refusing to carrv out the ordinance He would defy the "Board of Health. The whole thing was monstrous. He would like to shut I)r Ashburton Thompson up in a shop for air hour or two, and he'd know all about it. Mrs Jane Stookhani, who was 101 years old last July, died at Nairne (South Australia) on the 22nd till. A few days ago she had a fall and broke a bono in one of her thighs. In consequence she had to

take to her bed; but the cause of death was congestion of the lungs. Prior to the accident Mrs Stockham was active and mentally bright. Mrs Anna Gubin, the wife of a settlei' at Kwollyn, near Kellerberrin (Western Australia), was lost in the bush on February 10. Her husband was absent at the time, and several days elapsed before her disappearance became* known. She was tracked, and ni'ler three days' search her body was found in a decomposed state twenty miles .from home, death having taken' place about the- 14th. The value of teaclung the police ju-jitsu was exemplified at midnight on the 19th. lilt., when Constable Colbey was (set upon ;icd knocked down by a crowd of larrikins at Payneham (South Australia). Getting a ju-jitsu grip on the ringleader, the constable scattered the others by firing a revolver in the air. The sequel was enacted at St. Peter's Magistrate s Court en the 21st, when Charles William Amber, a laborer, of Maylands. was lined £lO, or two months' imprisonment. When an inspector of weights and measures visited the bakehouse of Frederick William Lewis, of St. Peter's (Sydney), he found 433 21b loaves of bread which were deficient in weight by 3260z. Lewis was at the Newtown Police Court fined £Bl 10.s. or at the rate of 5s for every ounce short of the standard weight, the alternative being two months' imprisonment. It was ordered that tho bread should In' svnt to charitable institutions.

A boy named Clement f'onnois was charged at the Hobart Court with using a. telephone, to the public annoyajsce, on January 51. lie went to a public telephone on tin- wharf, rang up the exchange, and said : "Are you there?" On receiving a reply in the atlirmative, he advised the. attendant, with some, emphasis, to stop th"ie. When spoken to by the poike, he gave his name as Joseph C. Wilkinson. The Magistrate said that such conduct was, in its way, on a. par with the giving of false fire alarms; he would impose a> fine of ss, with 5s <osts.