AUSTRALIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 11049, 29 August 1896, Page 5

AUSTRALIA.

[Per Press Association.] THE NEW AUSTRALIA SETTLERS, BRISBANE, August 28.

In the Assembly the Premier stated that he had received information that the New Australia settlers were in an extremely necessitous state. The Government had already expended over .£IOOO in assisting settlers to return to Australia; and did not intend to take any further steps in the matter, unless proper evidence was produced and charity was justified. INCOME TAX. SYDNEY, August 28. The bulk of the Income tax is now paid, ,£160,000 having been received, but a few returns have still to come in. The Premier is confident that when the total is finally made up, his estimate of £168,000 will be substantially exceeded. LOCAL OPTION. In the Assembly, the Postmaster-General by 50 to 19 carried a formal motion in favour of introducing a Local Option Bill. The Premier and the leader of the Opposition voted against it. STANDARD BANK. MELBOURNE, August 28s-. At the half-yearly meeting of the Standard Bank the report, which was adopted, stated that the balance of interest on the reserve, £45,800, had been written back, as it was not likely to be recovered, and £224,000 had been transferred to the bad debts account, actually ascertained as bad. This would not cover the whole amount that would eventually have to be written off. THE MILDURA COMMISSION.

The Mildura Commission will report that the Government is largely responsible fpr the present condition of affairs; that it was its bounden duty when a breach of agreement was apparent, three years ago, to have immediately stepped in and put an end to the Chaffeys’ concessions. It will also find that there, have been a number of serious breaches of agreement by the promoters, and will recommend the State to give assistance to the settlers by the creation of a Trust, placing the machinery and water channels in proper ordey forthwith ; the Chaffeys to be asked to perform the work according to agreement, failing which the Government to resume the remaining land contained in the concession, about 200,000 acres. TASMANIAN POLITICS. HOBAET, August 28.

The Assembly rejected proposals to increase the number of responsible Ministers to five, and to increase the life of the Assembly from three to four years. The Womanhood Suffrage Bill was carried, but it is considered probable that the Council will reject it.