AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 13979, 8 February 1909, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

By Telegraph.— Association.— MOTHER'S MAD ACT. (Received February 7, 4.30 p.m.) Melbourne, February 7. The Maheno has arrived from the Bluff, via Hobart. During the voyage a woman, named Field, living at Parkvale, gave her two children, a boy and a girl, a decoction of matchhoads and drank some herself. She also shot the girl in the head. The girl is out of danger, but the mother and boy have died. It is supposed that the woman was temporarily insane. THE ALL-RED ROUTE. (Received February 8, 12.53 a.m. Melbourne, February 7. Sir Ja,s. Mills, interviewed on the question of the All-Red route, said he was unable to throw any light on the subject. It was still being discussed. The Union Company, he said, was not building except for purely local purposes. There was no ship on the stocks for the Vancouver route. Sir James added that the matter is at present too uncertain. BROKEN HILL MINES. Sydney, February 6. Counsel for the Broken Hill Proprietary Company informed the Arbitration Court that the life of the mine as an ore-produc-ing proposition, so far as could be judged at present, was rive years. Ho pointed out tiliat if wages were increased the company would have to curtail its operations.