AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 830, 17 March 1909, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

[BY ELECTRIC TELBGKAPH— COPYRIGHT.] [PEE PRESS ASSOCIATION.] RELEASED FROM GAOL. Melbourne, March 16. Mr Murdoch was released alter intimating that ho was prepared to produce the document by authority of tho Presbytery, which had been March 17, 9.47 a.m.) Melbourne*, March I<. Mr Justice Hodges, in ordering the release of the Rev. J. P. Murdoch, said that he was no i-espeotor of creeds. All were the samo befoi;e the law. He had a profound respect for the Presbyterian Church, but t had been reserved for that body to set »n example to less educated and poorer members of the community in endeavouring to defy the law and defeat justice. If the Presbytery had come to court in tho same atti- . tude, they might have been lodged * with Mr Murdoch. [The Rev. P. J. Murdoch, Clerk of the South Melbourne Presbytery, was committed to prison for contempt in refusing lo produce a copy of a Tetter sent by the Presbytery to tho defendant in an action brought by tine Rev. Mr Ronald against Robert Harper, a member of the House of Representatives. Mr Murdoch insisted that he had sworn to keep all documents of the Presbytery, and ho could not give them up even to the Court without the Presbytery's authority.] WARSHIPS " WIRELESS." Sydney, March lb'. The warships lying in Port Jackson (Sydfcwiy) and Hobson's Bay (Melbourne) succeeded in establishing wireless communication, and several messages were exchanged. Naval authorities are convinced that it is only a matter of time when wireless service will be in operation between the ships of the squadron in the various ports. MORE MEN IN VICTORIA. Melbourne March 16. The population of Victoriaat; the end of last year was 1.27^" ma£ c ™> «« follows: Males, 649,189, females, 633,331. SHIPPING AGREEMENTS. A series of conferences of representatives of inter-State steamship companies and the Federated Seamen™ Union resulted in arriving at afireemeni^ covering a period ot two years. The agreements apply to sailors, firemen, trimmers, greasers, and donkeymen. SHIPPING. Arrived- Whakarua, from New York; Sanderdale and Taien, from ' Npw Zealand. . , ■ \Liled-Selwyn Craig, for AucklW^ Sydney, March 16. Ariwed-Mary Isabel, Whangape. (Received March 17, 9.47 a.m.) Adelaide, March 17. Arrived— Kaitangi, from New Zealand. , ,r . __ Fremantle, March 17. Arrived —Mongolia, with the following passengers for New Zealand: For Wellington—Messrs McCarthy, Elgar and Ridiford; Misses Rawson Elgar and Ridiford, MiMsses Rowson anS Elgar. For Lyttelton—Mr Mathias, and Miss Creykc. For the Bluff—Miss Kennedy. VICTORIAN WHEAT YIELD. (Received March 17, 9.47 a.m.) Melbourne, March 17. The Government Statist's second estimate of the wheat yield Is 23,345,---649 bushels, average 13.12 bushels pei* acre, with an exportable surplus of 1,100,000 bushels. UNIONISTS v. NON-UNIONISTS. Sydney, March 17. • In the Junction North Mine settlement, combined unions undertook not to interfere with any of the nc*iunion men employed at the Barrier mines. ___^_______