AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 11027, 4 August 1896, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

. 'POLITICAL PYROTECHNICS. ; * TIN TACKS AND BICYCLES. A MUNICIPAL LOAN CASE. WOMEN AS MISSIONARIES. [Per Press Association.! SYDNEY, August 2. POLITICAL PYROTECHNICS. After plodding wearisomely along, tne financial debate took its departure with a fireworks display between Mr Reid and Mr M’M'illan. The'latter made a bitter attack on Mr Reid, and accused the Premier of a lack ■ of magnanimity to his predecessors? His surplus, he said, was nothing but a manufactured one. He charged the Treasurer that the whole of his administration consistently and, persistently ■ misrepresented .the real state of tho public accounts, and -that during his two .years of office hq had made •a deficiency of - P‘851,000.' . Mr ■ M Mi lion pledged his personal reputation on these figures. , Tho Premier, in replying, gave to the world a little bit of secret political history. If tho charges against him were true, lie .said, then he’ was unworthy to occupy his position; but these atlaiks arose but of the feeling engendered,*in, this way :-rMr M’Millan' told him, that lieSvould not take thq office of-Treasurer .unless he was also Premier,' while he (Mr Reid) was doing all the work and; all the fishing. There were two or throe aspirants to the Premiership, Mr M’Millan being one of tlicin.__ He denied tho latter’s charge. Mr M’Millan, •by way of rejoinder, admitted that he declined to take a subordinate position in the Government. The only apparent result of the debate has been waste of valuable time. The Opposition, to whom, when in power, a surplus- was an unknown quantity, pooh-poohed the idea of anybody else /having, one. Tin public has.been given plenty, of Choice, if not much satisfaction—a surplus by Mr Reid arid a deficit by, the Opposition, ‘ with another of a different amount by Mr M’Millan. COMPARATIVE BUDGETS. With the Budgets of three large colonies before one, tho comparison emphasises tho impression that the greater prosperity, and shorter and -clearer statement of Queensland afford a bright example to the southern colonies. Tho budget is clear to the meanest intellect, while the Statements of Victoria and New South Wales are calculated to plunge one in densest fog. THE POLICE AND THE LAW.’ “The King can do no wrong,” arid, therefore he is rtot responsible for. his servant, the policeman. It will be news to many that the Government is not responsible for the acts of constables, done by reason of their allegiance and duty to the Crown. Such was the ruling of the full Court in a case brought against the Government for wrongful arrest. The police, according’to counsel, did not perform their duties on behalf of the Government, although the latter necessarily had the task of appointing them. The Court coincided with Sir Julian Salamon’s arguments and gave a verdict for the defendant. A TEAM FOR ENGLAND. The generosity of Miss Edith Walker will result in a team of four Mounted Rifles proceeding to England to compete in tournaments there. Miss Walker donated £320 out of £4OO required for the purpose. A SCURVY TRICK. Tin-tacks and pneumatic-tyred bicycles are not an agreeable combination, as-the contestants of a road race from Goulburn to Ashfield, a distance of 125 miles, discovered to their sorrow. When a few miles out from Goulburn the tyres began to collapse wholesale, and it was found that the road was strewed for a long distance -with tacks. These must have been scattered by a horseman or cyclist just prior to the race. The League of wheelmen, under whose auspices the race v, r as run, are seeking to discover the perpetrator of the outrage. The New Zealander, Body, was amongst the contestants, and had his tyros spoiled. COUNCILS AND LOANS. , An important decision of the full Court has been given this week with regard to the non-liability of municipal councils for loans. In IS9O the Lambton Municipality obtained the permission of the Government to borrow *£7ooo' for the purpose of erecting an electric lighting plant and carrying out other permanent improvements. The money was borrowed from the Commercial Bank of Australia with the knowledge that it was to be expended in paying the liabilities to the contractors who erected the electric plant. The Council mortgaged the municipal revenues to secure repayment of the loan, and having made default the bank made application - for the appointment of a receiver. The application wa,s heard by the Chief Justice, who dismissed it with costs, on the grounds that the notice of the intended loan was insufficient, and that the money having been borrowed' to pay off an existing liability and for not making or completing permanent improvements, could not be recovered. The bank then appealed, and the full Court upheld the decision. WOMEN AND THE CHURCH. Paul’s doctrine that women should not take a prominent part in aggressive church work finds a conditional supporter in Lord Hampden, but on grounds different from those urged by the apostle. Speaking at the Board of Missions festival Lord Hampden, referring to women’s work in mission fields, said that incidents had arisen in years gone by in the shape of catastrophes and horrors of an awful character, because

women had gone out to mission fielcs. This had occurred so frequently that '.ho thought it would be well if women wore not subjected to the awful risks entailed by going to teach savage and barbarous races. He did not like the idea of women missionaries. He know that there was no use in addressing his arguments to women at present, because they scorned any suggestion of the kind, but he thought that the Board would gain more support if the leaders discountenanced, as far as possible, self-sacrifices on the part of women. MELBOURNE, August 2. THE VICTORIAN BUDGET. Although the Treasurer claimed that after allowing for the profit the working railways revenue showed a shortage of .£362,500, as compared with the previous year, the Budget figures show an actual loss last year, including interest, of =£576,000, making a total for seven years of £3,320,000. Of last year’s decrease £200,000 is attributed to drought. The estimates provide for the expenditure of £365,000 for railway maintenance and renewal work. This large amount is required, according to the report made by the Commissioner of Railways, owing to the insufficiency of rolling stock. In consequence of the depressed times since 1892, the necessary extensive renewal has not been effected. Besides large assistance towards the development of the mining industry, the Government proposes to spend £35,000 in promoting the agricultural and wine industries, in the shape of bonuses on exported dairy produce, in the encouragement of manufactures, the cultivation of fibre and oil-producing plants, raisins, currants and figs. The Treasurer gave some interesting details with regard to the Civil Service. Notwithstanding the retrenchment policy during the past five years, there are still 22,226 officers employed in the public service, the total salaries amounting- to £2,710,600, or nearly onehalf the entire revenue of the colony. Since last year the number of officers was reduced by 500. During the year the public debt, which now amounts to £47,636,000, was reduced by £303,000 chiefly borrowed from trust funds. The Treasurer defended this course, as it reduced the public debt and saved interest. He strongly advocated an Intercplonial Conference to consider the question of consolidation of Australian loans, with the view of obtaining uniformity in the reduction of the rates of interest. PARLIAMENTARY .WORK. . The only progress made in the Assembly has been with measures of purely local import. The second reading of the Exported Produce Bill, prohibiting the exportation of live stock, meat and fruit, unless sound, and providing for grading and stamping butter, was adjourned. The Insolvency Act Amendment Bill was read a second time. THE TICK PEST. The forthcoming Intercolonial Tick Conference in Sydney is to have the advice of Professor Wallace, of the Edinburgh University, who is at present visiting Melbourne. Professor Wallace, who is considered the highest authority on the subject, recently published a book as tho outcome of a visit to South Africa, in which he treats of the tick plague as found there. In the course of an interview the professor stated that his investigations showed that no remedy was effective against the pest, which must run its course. Remedies might check it, but unless the cleansed animal was taken out of the infested area, directly it stepped into the pasture it became covered with a fresh supply of ticks. In Queensland the only hope is to strictly define the tick infested areas, and preclude horses and cattle from leaving. When the pest takes thorough possession of a tract of country, in the course of time the animals become inured and tick proof. BRISBANE, August 2. QUEENSLAND FINANCE.

The Treasurer explained in his Budget speech that he had carried into effect the arrangement for paying during the year the liabilities actually incurred during that period, instead of allowing them to stand over as previously , till' next year-; otherwise the surplus would Lave double the amount showij. >c ,Allowing for loss of revenue under free list, be anticipated an increase in the next year’s revenue of £26,000, hut against this he anticipated an increase of £33,500 in expenditure, of which £IO,OOO was required for the increase of the payment of members. The expenditure last year was less than when the population of the colony was 50,000 smaller. Dealing with trade, he said that last year the value of the exports was £3,385,000 in excess of the imports, while the imports increased by £1,000,000 on the previous year. There was every reason to be satisfied with the progress of the colony during the past year, and with tho prospects for the future. The debate was adjourned till next week. ADELAIDE, August 2. SOUTH AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

The Assembly passed the Northern Territory Crown Lands Bill, which validates the special permits granted for mineral prospecting and horse breeding. The Labour leader strongly objected to the Bill because it did not prevent the introduction of coloured labour. The never ending hospital dispute got into the House again, hut its career was cut short by the application of the closure, although the Ministry for form’s sake voted against it. The Licensed Victuallers Bill passed its second reading.