AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13048, 13 December 1905, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

By Telegraph — Association Copyright < '■■» ' THE ARCHBISHOP OP MELBOURNE- .-,...; . bourne, December 12. <■.; ; Dr. Clarke, Anglican Archbishop .of Melbourne, and Mrs. Clarke /eave Melbourne next month on a eix weeks' trip- in; New Zealand. '- , - ,<'' W'"\-.-' 'i : /i9>f / ■':■■'''M I - OBITUARY. ,'. t Melbourne, December 12. ' | . The death is announced of Mr. E. «3.' I Fitzgibbon, chairman of the'.Melbourne | Metropolitan Board of Works, aged .'BO. '[MivFitxgibbon, C.M.G., was a native'of Cork, Ireland, and for a time was employed under the- committee of the '. Privy Council on education. . He-reached Melbourne in 1852, and spent a year on ( ine Mount Alexander diggings. In 1854 ho entered the service of the Melbourne City Council, and 'two years later became town clerk, a post he held until 1891. In that year lie became chairman of the Metropolitan Board of Works, and held that office until his' death. He was a writer of verse.] '' ■'"■'",:■' ' : v - \^' [ y : ;y:'^M I ABORIGINES IN VICTORIAr~' Jf . | : . MjibßoriiNE, December 12. The aborigines and: half-castle in the State.of Victoria number, 365. '-■ Last year , : ; ; ;S> was the first time for a long period that the aborigines' births had equalled the deaths. CYCLING. . Melbourne, December 12.v ■:' > At ib& Melbourne cycle, races R. Arnaft failed in his heat for the, Austral Wheel Race,. owing to the collapse of a tire. ..■; £ INCREASE , OP RABBITS. ;"'"'" Sydney, December 12.; :■-.■}s Rabbits are "rapidly:' increasing in - the western districts of New,, South, Wales,'and in some stations the stock has -been,'eaten out, and has been removed.- A trapper on one holding caught 50,000 rabbits in fchrfe* nights." It is stated that millions• are'suiccumbing to poison and starvation.*'*'""'" " DEATH FROM ANTHRAX. Sydney,* December 12. A woman at Cootamundra has died "of ■..".: anthrax, caused by the uite of a fly. ' SWIMMING. 'Brisbane, December 12 At F. .i Marly Club's swimming carnival yesterday Pitts won tiic* - invitation handi« cap. while Frcybm-g, of New Zealand, was Fvcond. '. -.'."", i' ■■ ;' ' "v.\; -"■'': „ .-'..>- TEE COAL CONTRACT INQUIRY. SYi> ey, December 12. . The. Kailway Commission took further evidence to-day i.l 'ae western: coal con* tracts.. ...... Mr. Wilt r director of th« Lithgow Coal 3 Association, characterised the suggestion; made m Parliament that the association had spent money to secure the railway contract as outrageous. No attempt had been made to influence) anyone by .ibeiy or anything else no payment, direct or indirect, had i ever been made to any officials of the Railway Department in connection with the acceptance or continuance of the contracts to supply during the past five years. He admitted that he got higher prices from the .."')■% railways than from private, buyers. This .' P was due to competition from mines outside the association. If the association could put this competition down, it would do so. The Railway Commissioners paid a, higher v.;:? price because they were unable to . get the coal they wanted elsewhere. \