AUSTRALIAN AFFAIRS

Evening Star, Issue 15540, 9 July 1914, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN AFFAIRS

THE DARWIN TRAGEDY. LINDSAY SENTENOED. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. BRISBANE, July 8. R. Lindsay, who was convicted of the manslaughter of hk wife at Darwin, was to-day sentenced to seven years' imprisonment.

[Lindsay, who was formerly president of the Amalgamated Engineers' Society in Sydney, told the arresting constable that he shot hie wife twice, and meant to finish the job and shoot himself, but the hammer of the revolver jammed.]

POST OFFICE THEFT. £l,-000 DISAPPEARS.

MELBOURNE, July 8. A bag containing £I,OOO in cash and non-negotiabio drafts and money orders has disappeared from a safe at th© General Poet Office. The bag was securely locked in the strong room on Monday t evening., and was missed on Tuesday morning. The safe was not injured, which leads to the belief that the thieves used the propel keys. The authorities aro reticent con corning tho matter. VICTORIAN RAILWAYS.

SMASH NARROWLY AVERTED. MELBOURNE, July 9. A bolting train,crashed into a sleeping van stationed at the dead, end of Sydenham station, seriously injuring three employees. The Bendigo passenger train was late, otherwise it would have met the runaway, and a terrible smash might have resulted.

MEAT TRUST. ANOTHER QUEENSLAND VENTURE.

BRISBANE, July 9. A meat company, said to bo representative of a large American firm, lias secured a site for meat works on the Brisba.no River.

SOLOMON ISLANDS. A CLERIC'S CHARGES. SYDNEY, July 9. (Received July 9, at 10.30 a.m.) The Rev. Mr Goldie, chairman of the Methodist Missions to • the Solomon Islands, reported that his visit to Ontongjava disclosed that native converts were being cruelly persecuted. Their property had been devastated and fowl intended for the relief of sufferers had been intercepted. Mr Goldie, on landing, was surrounded bv hundreds of hostile natives, who threatened him with uplifted weapons. The Commissioner of the Solomon Island has promised an investigation into the charges.

Dysentery is reported to be raging in the Vera Cruz group, and several deaths are reported.

THE AFTERNOON SHIFT. GOVERNMENT BACKING DOWN. SYDNEY. July 9. (Received July 9, at 10.30 a.m.) The prosecutions against the striking M.aitland miners have been postponed for a week in view of the conference of parties now proceeding with the. object of reaching a settlement. THE TASMANTAN CRISIS. GOVERNOR ACTED WRONGLY. READING THE DECISION.

HOBART. Juiv !». The decision of the Colonial Secret;?

in the British Cabinet (My Lewis V. Haroourt) on the Cons! itutional fpipstioii which precipitated tiy recent crisb between the Governor .nd Parliament. " :!S read hi the Tasmn;;ien Lec.ishit ; ve Assembly. It delayed ''nit l'':" Governor had no power to impose conditions in regard to a dir-sohr. : .>:i. ai'd that Iv must ahvavs a.; cm tlm .n'vce of !c, .Ministers.

[Oil the d.-feal :,) the Libe;'::! Government through the turnover of one ni their supporter;', the new Governor of Tasmania. (Sir Win. Ellison-Macartney) sent for Mr Earle. Leader of the Opposition, and entrusted him with the task o.f forming a. Ministry conditionally on his at once seeking a dissolution and on his including in his Cabinet as Attorney-General a member of the legal profession, otherwise His Excellency would nominnte a lawyer for that office. Mr Earle protested against those conditions, but formed his Ministry, and when he met Parliament repudiated them, Parliament passing practically a vote, of censure on the Oovernor. The. matter was then brought bebefore the House of Commons by a Nationalist member. Mr Lvneh. |

SMALLPOX. SYDNEY. July 9. hive cases, of smallpox have ben re ported in the city.