AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue 9303, 20 March 1907, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[PRESS ASSOC'^TIQN.I (Received March 20, 9.45 a.m.)

MELBOURNE, March 19,

The domestic maid problem is being solved in a new way, houseboys and housemen taking the places of female servants in many private and large boarding-houses in .the city. They axe also exclusively employed in a number of restaurants. The •general opinion, is that they give less trouble than women.

The contention is often heard that every Australian should hs a citizen-soldier, but what kind of a warrior would a man make who, when the trumpet called, rushed from bedmaking and dusting to meet the enemy knocking at his country's gates?

It now appears that the agreement made in the Anglo-French New Hebrides agreement will remain in abeyance until Mr Deakin's arrival in England.

Two nuggets, 108 and 58 ounces respectively, have been found at the Poseidon rush.

Speaking with regard to the Vancouver service the Postmaster said there would most possibly be an improved service with a smaller subsidy from Australia, and that end would he attained by bringing New Zealand into the service. It was not very easy to say what might happen if the San Francisco service were diEContimied.

The Postmaster-General added that a suggestion had been made sometime ago to transform the Vancouver and San Erancisco into a four weekly schedule at an accelerated speed. Then if the two lines alternated they would have a regular fortnightly servica, which would be equally valuable to us and New Zealand. Such a service might lead to greatly increased business. The Union Co. seemed most anxious to meet the Government but other companies were ready to compete for the carriage of mais.

PERTH, March 19.

Trouble has again, arisen in the timber trade. The employees at JaTrahxMe and Karrup Tefused to accept the Arbitration Court's award fixing the minimum wage at 7s 3d for eight hours twenty-five minutes a. day, and struck for 8s and an eight-hour day. The demand was conceded and work has been 'resumed. Trouble is expected at other centres.

PERTH, March 20. "The strike in the timber trade has spread to seven^ large mills. Two 'thousand! five hundred men aire out.

The Gascogne river is the highest it has been ia flood for 25 years.

Many washaways have occurred along the railways.

The captain of the steamer Buraumbeet wires from Carnarvon that the Miildura is a total wreck. The Burwumbeat took off the passengers, crew and mails, all well. The cattle which had been without water for five days were in a pitiable condition. The fittings of the Mildura were cleared away to give the cattle a chance to swim asnore.

SYDNEY, March 20.

The Arbitration. Board fined a. mani for working for the .Government for less than the prescribed wage. A member of the court paid the fine.

HOBART, March 20.

A buyer from Monte Vid-co, travelling the world in search of stud sheep, purchased the ram Patron for a thousand guineas and two ewes at 200 guineas each.