AUSTRALIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14988, 7 May 1909, Page 8

AUSTRALIA.

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright NEW STEAMERS. SYDNEY, May 6. Advices have been received that tho Weir Company ha« placed orders in Glasgow for the construction of four high-class 'cargo steamers for the Sydney, Auckland and San Francifcco service. THE KING'S ACCESSION OATH. A large meeting of Orangemen passed a resolution opposing Mr Redmond e> Bill for the amendment of the King's oath on accession. It was decided to cable a protest to Mr Asquith. AUSTRALIAN BUTTER. (Received May 7, 1.5 a.m.) The butter shipped from the Commonwealth from July 1 amounted to 15,431 tons, compared with 21,558 tons for the same period last year. CABLE RATES. MELBOURNE, May 6. The Postmaster-General intends to place & proposal for cheaper ca.bles before the Pacific Cable Board. The scheme \» that the present 3s rat* should stand, but that a Is 6d rate for code, and 1b for plain' English should be charged for delayed delivery cables. FORGED ENDORSEMENTS. PERTH, May 6i Bishop Gibney was sued for the recovery of £220, said to be due on promissory notes bearing his endorsement. The notes were issued by the late Father Keogh in connection with a. land transaction. Bishop Gibney'stated that he never saw tho bills, and that the signatures were forgeries. Tho Judge, in giving his decision in favour of tho Bishop, said that the conclusion to be drawn from the evidence was that the deceased priest had either committed the offence or had obtained Hie assistance of someone else. .

QUEENSLAND WHEAT HARVEST BRISBANE, May 6.

The wheat yield for the past season was 1,203,000 bushels from 80,898 acres.