AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Feilding Star, Volume IV, Issue 1134, 15 March 1910, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

3Y ELECTRIC TELEGHAPH— COPYBIGHT. [PEB PEESS ASSOCIATION.! (Received March 15, 10.5 a.m ) WELCOME BAIN. ~ Sydney,. March 15. Soaking general rain is falling. A SHORTER MAIL ROUTE. The Postal Department is considering a, despatch from the Colonial Office dealing with the question of openthe transcontinental railway and suggesting a shorter mail route between Australia and England. It is estimated that mails from England could tln 'sl)c landed at Sydney in 2? days. LI he transcontinental railway scheme is one that will rank among the most remarkable achievements of the world. It is the first transcontinental railway in South America irom the Atlantic to the Pacific, and terms one of four outlets by which Chile, separated completely by the natural formation of the territory from most of her sister republics, will be able to communicate feely with the world at large. The railway will shorten the distance between Western Kurope ami Australia by about 1000 miles mid effect a saving of about nine days m the connection~*with EuJ'ope. It is expected that the third section of the railway will be opened liy June, 1910, and that the railway will he oi)ou to through traffic by March, 1911. The scheme will then have taken 37 years to carry out.] FEDERAL ELECTORS. Melbourne, MarcTT 15. J'ederal electors in Victoria number women exceeding men l>y over 11,000. SHOE PLATES PROHIBITED. The Victoria. Racing Club has decided, owing to a number of horses having been injured through being galloped on by those shod with plates, to prohibit the use of plates at Flemmgton. i MURRAY WATERS COMMISSION. The report of the Murray Waters Commission urges that except for stock and domestic supply for settlement within reasonable distance of streams, irrigation should be deemed oi paramount use in the Murray system. The report advocates the canalisation of the Murray and Mvrrumbidgee by means of locks and wens, and suggests that in the event of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia failing to come to an agreement regarding the regulation of the river and its tributaries an agreement of some purpose should ,c entered into between Vnv two or the States concerned, also the appointment of an interstate Board to consider the whole question