AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12239, 7 April 1903, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

By Telegraph Press Association.— THE ROYAL ARTHUR. Stdstet 2 April 6. The Royal Arthur remains in Australia' till September. What class of vessel her successor will be remains in abeyance till the Federal Parliament has dealt with the naval subsidy.. NAVAL DEFENCE. StdneYj, April 6. The text of the draft agreement between the Secretary of State and the Prime Minis-, ters of the colonies on naval defence is published. Negotiations arc proceeding for giving effect to the agreement before the Federal Parliament meets. SOUTH AUSTRALIAN GOLDFIELDS. Adelaide, April 6. The Government geologists report that the Wumecke field shows auriferous stone, 1 but small compared with the main masses of quartz. This quartz contains very little gold. It is believed the reefs will prove as irregular below as on the surface. The Winnecke's Proprietary claim is more hopeful. The Gossan gives rich prospects, but has not yet proved the continuance of the reefs downwards. Reports from Arltunga -tate that three well-defined reefs have been found 10 mL^ _l east of Arltunga. A LOVE TRAGEDY. (Received April 6, 10.21 p.m.) StdneYj April 6. • A girl named Harriet Collins, refusing to accede to the reques* of her- lovei named Jivd*. not to attend a certain dance at Buriangora, was violently assaulted by Hyde with a stick about the head. She is in * critical condition. Hyde subsequently committed suicide by cutting hi: throat. A BOATING FATALITY. . (Received April 6, 10.21 p.m) Stdney 2 April 6. A boat containing four men, capsized fiv« miles off Newcastle Heads. Two of the occupants, named Rundell and Hemmingway, were drowned. The other, who were greatly exhausted reached the shore after clinging to the»boat for 14 hours. "'"..--..■ '" CROP AND STOCK RETURNS. (Received April 6, 10.25 p.m.) Sydney., April 6. The Government,; statistician has completed the crop aria stock returns, \ and the actual results of the harvest bear out the forecast made in December. There were; 50.000 acres less under crop than in the preceding year. Of the wheat .area about 700,000 acres failed to. yield any crop. The. wheat yield was 1,561,000 bushels, compared with 14,803,000 bushels for' the previous ' year.' The average was a bushel and a-quar-ter, while hay yielded less than a-quarter of a ton per acre. Maiza and lucerne were the only products to show an increase. ■. The stock returns show a decrease of 14,742,000 jshf-p, r 312,000 cattle, 57,000 horses, and 73,000 pigs.; . ' - _ - c_.