AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 8241, 13 June 1905, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[PRESS ASSOCIATION.] (Received June 13, 9.53 a.m.)

MELBOURNE, June 13.

As a ru&ult of a day's canvass only 50 signatures were obtained to the petition calling a meeting to advocate the RussoJapanese peace movement, which is now dropped. - The Minister for Customs is enquiring, with a view to taking action, into tho alleged Customs evasions by placing an undue valuation on" imported American goods. He estimates the loss of revenue at teufi of thousands of pounds.

General Booth, at a luncheon at Parliament- House, explained the immigration scheme to Ministers, and mentioned the encouragement- _hc received in New Zealand.

(Kcei'ivcd Juiii;: 13,* 9.15 a.m.) - SYDNEY, June 13.

As a result of the recent rains the Homebush supplies axe beyond requirements, aaxd prices nre materially lower. Butchers complain that the sheep arc too fat for the local trade.

_ # „ - BRISBANE, June 13. Mr Reid (Federal Premier), speaking at Toowoofnba, referring to the Japanese successes-, said the. worid was astonished at Japan's conduct. There were moments when national character was strained to the utmost und one of the lessons of the wiir was humanity. She had shown her enemies our itle.il, and ho hoped to cultivate friendly relations, while preserving the integrity of_our rc#e. We could not shut our eyes to the destinies which were not_-only' involved in the development of our" own- territory- but. also on the seas and markets of the world. While he hoped to sec Australia the everlasting home of Australians, thay . could never claim a minority of the oceans which were open to all humanity. We arc prohibiting British subjects aud other colored members of the human race from working on ships and carrying -our letters between England and Australia and' this has aroused a feeling of hatrod i and antagonism for which there is no justification. He had tried to get the peopfa-of Australia to'6ee the pitiable mistake of this slur on a great national principle and the invasion of a great human right of the world. He would appeal to the people- on the same matter again and he hoped with better success.