VARIOUS CABLED ITEMS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 July 1911, Page 5

VARIOUS CABLED ITEMS.

j [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.]' A CLOSE DIVISION. SYDNEY, June 30. After a continuous sitting lasting thirty-five hours ,the Assembly at five o’clock to-night carried the second reading of the Arbitration Bill by forty votes to thirty-six. THE OPPOSITION PARTY. SYDNEY, June, 30 . The annual conference of the Liberal and Reform Association of New South Wales was held to-day. In the course of a speech, Mr Wade (Leader of the Opposition) declared that their party was thoroughly organised and ready for a new Parliamentary. campaign. There was no room for a third party in State, and those who were not with their party were against them.

A CHINESE TRADES UNION. MELBOURNE, June, 30. The employees in the Chinese cabinetmaking trade hero have formed a union, numbering seven hundred members, on the same lines as the Trades Hall bodies. THE NEW SOUTH WALES PREMIER. SYDNEY, June, 30—The Assembly to-night granted the Hon. Mr. McGowan, Premier, leave of absence for the remainder of the session to enable him to tour Canada when returning from London. STATE REVENUE RETURNS. ADELAIDE, June, 30.—The South Australian State revenue for the past year amounts to four million one hundred and seventy seven thousand, three hundred and thirty one pounds. There is a net increase of one hundred and ninety-one thousand, five hundred and pounds. SYDNEY, Juno, 30.—The New South Wales revenue returns are not yet available. VICTORIAN FATALITY. MELBOURNE, June, SO.—Four men were overtaken by a train to-day on a bridge at Geelong. Two jumped into the river and one of them was drowned. The others escaped. KING EDWARD MEMORIAL AT SYDNEY. SY T DNEY, June, 30.—At an influential meeting of citizens here to-night, £he Lord Mayor presiding one thousand pounds was subscribed towards the proposed King Edward memorial. A strong committee was appointed to canvass all classes for subscriptions. A LARGE ESTATE. MELBOURNE, June, 30.—Fifteen thousand pounds in stamp duty lias been paid in respect of tho late Sir Malcolm McEachern’s Victorian estate. THE KURIKURRI TRAGEDY. SYDNEY, June, 30.—The young man Thomas Riley was to-day committed for trial for the murder of his brother, Beinard, recently at Kurikurri, by shooting him. The evidence showed that Bernard had started the trouble, and had severely assaulted Thomas first.

THE WOOL INDUSTRY. SYDNEY, June, 30.—Speaking today at the official luncheon at the sheep show, Sir Francis Sutton, referred to the decrease in the flocks of Merino sheep. He said that with smaller areas of land available than formerly, the man on the land was now going in for crossbreds, which ho could more readily get to market, and which paid better. All over Australia, New Zealand, and South America, crossbreds were increasing at the expense of merinos. In 1901 there were 39,000,000 merinos and 3,000,000 cross•ods in New South Wales, whereas there now wore forty-one million Merinos and five million crossbreds in the State. IMPERFECT CENSUS RETURNS. SYDNEY, This Day.—Members of Parliament are almost daily receiving letters from people enumerating families, sometimes in small .districts, who were not included in the census. The matter is of great importance to the State Government, owing to the 25/- per head Federal payments. MELBURNE TRAMWAYS. MELBOURNE, This Day.—The Tramway Fares Revision Committee has presented its report- The recommendations include that’ through fares up to two miles be one penny each and two miles twopence. Transfers, at present given with threepenny fares, should he given with the twopenny fare. Provision should he made for workmen’s fares of one penny each journey. The time of workmen’s fares should be extended to 7.45 o’clock in the morning. There is the alternative recommended that the Government purchase ' the companies’ rights to 1916. The actual dividends paid by the company on the capital of £250,000 in 24 years have varied from 9.6 to 72 per cent. There is no doubt the company exercised an absolutely free hand, Parliament having slept on its rights for a revision.