AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10037, 25 January 1896, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

* . Press Association.— Electric Teleßraph.-Copyrljhti THE QUEENSLAND BANK. Brisbane, January 24. The half-yearly report of the Queensland Bank shows the net profits to be £13,000 which with the profit of the last half-year, makes £49,000 for the year. After paying a dividend of three per cent, £36,900 ha' been carried forward. SIR J. B. THURSTON. Hobakt, January 24. Sir J. B. Thurston, High Commissioner of the Pacific, is among tho passengers by the Tongariro, which has arrived from London. THE HEAT WAVE. Sydney, January 24. After an oppressive day a cool southerly wind to-night brought up thunder and heavy rain. The Southern districts report that good rains have fallen, whilo the western districts say that the heat has nob abated. COMMERCIAL BANKING COMPANY. Sydney, January 24 At the half-yearly meeting of tho Commercial Banking Company the not profits fot the six months were shown to be £53,960. A dividend of 8 per cent, was recommended, and £14,700 to be carried forward. The chairman said with the exception of £17,000 not due the whole of the deferred deposits, amounting to about nino millions, and mostly maturing in 1898 and the three following years, had already been realised. Throe and ahalf millions were paid during the last half-year, and notwithstanding tins the balance-sheet showed greater strength. They had liquid assots totalling £3,230,000. Business generally had been well maintained, and there was every promise of greater activity. . The report was adopted.

A CYCLIST RACES A HORSE. Melbourne, January 24. An interesting contest was decided at a meeting of the Australian Trotting Association in the shape of a match between Harris, tho English champion cyclist, and Robertson's well-known trotting mare Mystery, for 50sovs and a purse of ?sjo>s. The race was run in mile heats, the winner of two out Of three to secure the prtp\ The first race was won by Mystery by b'.i yards, in 2in. 26 15th s. The mare eiw won tho second by ton yards in C«. 29 l-sth p. In both heats Mystery went off with the load. . Though Harris hung on to the sulky and made some fine spurts, he was norer able to head his equine opponent. The betting on tho first heat was 6 to 4 on the mare, and in the eeo.oud 3 to 1 on Harris. • ,