AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15249, 12 March 1913, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

SHORTAGES IN STOCK. EFFECT OF LAST YEAR'S v ; ; ".' ' DROUGHT. '"v \ ; " r • • l \ .*• *?£*■■.. .-.v, • vv.s: ♦> a-s/.■ ■1' By Telegraph . —Press . A asocial ion—Oopy rlfljl'. (Received March li'/12.50' a-to.). ' ; V ' Sydney, . March KL. . i The stock inspectors' reports • indicate ' that last year's drought, seriously affected } the State's flocks and herds. It .is estimated- that at the end of 1912' there were i 6,000,000 sheep, o over . 250,000 cattle, and 11,000 horses less ; tha6 at the end of the previous year. ;v 7.7 Last Saturday's storm has caused great i mortality amongst the droughWeakened 1 dairy herds in the south coast district*. / i ■—_ " ' ■■ Uv■ - i HOSPITAL SCANDAL. ! SERIOUS CHARGES ■ PROVED. L . Melbourne; March 11. . The police magistrate's report 0%. . the } administration of the - Queen's Memorial k Infectious Diseases, Hospital states','; that ' the charges that a body was allowed-"to ' remain for. ten days without the relatives " being notified, that the relatives were inj formed that a patient was improving, and ?. > that another was " just the same," when ) both were dead, that children; were sent > to the hospital .clean) and returned vermin- - i infested and were allowed to run about ' imperfectly • clad, .. were proved,,.*. - -Th# other allegations .were disproved. \ • v ;' LABOUR'S "HERESY HVTXT& V CHARGE AGAINST SIX MEMBERS. Stonby,. 11; The Political Labour League Confereno® debated last night the report of the socalled "heresy hunt'' committee. Though . the proceedings were behind closed doors, . the Herald publishes. A lengthy accotfit, in which it states that. the committee inj quired diligently into two specific countsT of alleged unfaithfulness to the leasehold' plank,' and of giving left-handed support ' to Mr. Beeby . during the BJayney ' byelection campaign. > .The : committee pro- ' poses lo . ostracise the following six members of the I*ew South Wales ' Labour Party in Parliament Messrs. Cfcrmichael, Griffith, and Trefle (Minister*), G. Black, McGarry, and Lynch. The debate was adjourned. TRiWSPmiT WORKERS PIKED#

TaJulsrUnl wuamas . *««»• (Received March 11, 10.10 p.m.). Pebtk, March 11. A number of transport - workers have 3 been; fined tinder the vprovirions of the Arbitration Act for participating in .the strike, which has been declared off. MYSTERY OF A MURDER. - (Received . March 11, 9.5 p.m.) I ' . Sydney, March 11. The Government is offering a reward of g £250 for information that will lead to the . r conviction of the murderer of the 14-years--5 old girl named Porter, whose body was ' found in the bush last week, near the 8 Mount Punchbool railway station, with the 8 head battered in. f . , MB. McGOWEIT TO RESIOIT. . (Received March 11. 10.10 p.m.) > , Sydney, March 11. Mr. McGowen confirms the report that he intends to retire from the leadership of the Labour Party at the end of the present Parliament. He declares that the r responsibilities attaching to the office* of I Premier have weighed v<jry heavily on him a lately, and that in justice to himself he feels it necessary to relinquish ; the position. He does not say that lie is retiring -v from politics altogether, but he states that he will never"; again accept ' office. " He denies a rumour that he is resigning the . .y leadership of his party in order to, take the Agent-Generalship.