AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1289, 12 November 1896, Page 38

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

At a large meeting of carpenters and joiners at Adelaide, it was decided to give the master builders notice that on and after December 1 a minimum wage of 9s a day will be adopted. The duplication of the telegraph line between South Australia and West Australia is approaching completion. The West Australian Government has laid a line on their side as far as Eucla, and the South Australian portion will be finished in a week or two.

A lad named Garrity was bitten on the calf of the leg by a large black snake at Walelia. He cut the bitten part with a knife and drank a bottle of brandy, pending the doctor's arrival. Dr Stevens injected strychnine, and the patent recovered. How is this for Prohibition ?

News from Attunga, 12 miles from Tamworth, states that fears are entertained that most of the crops are doomed to complete failure, owing to the absence of rain, if this should unhappily prove to be the case, it will have been two years in succession that the farmers there have lost their

crops. At a place about 20 miles from Taralga, two boys named Henry and Sydney Matthews, aged nine and six years respec tively, were fishing from the river bank, when a limb of a falling tree struck the elder boy on the head, knocking him into the water. The younger brother at once ran for help, but before the body could be recovered life was extinct.

Bessie Mann was charged at the Adelaide Police Court with the murder of her child, Frank Mann, who was found drowned in Torrens Lake. Directly the name of the child was mentioned the girl cried out piteously, "Oh, my child, my darling," and was on the point of fainting. The scene was most pathetic. Speaking of the Hunter river wines, Professor Blunno says that when the season is favourable and there is no rain, " these wines are simply delicious." Some reminded him of the best table wines, both rod and white, of the vintages of the temperate zone of Europe. Mr P. R. Gordon, Chief Inspector of Stock for Queensland, reports that in the north, where ticks have been bad, the continued drought is playing sad havoc with weak cattle. Inspector Rose, of the Cook district, writing to Mr Gordon, states that where the drought has been felt there is a large mortality from ticks amongst cattle, but where there is grass and rain has fallen cattle are doing splendidly in spite of the ticks. Considerable alarm has been occasioned among stock-owners in the Euroa district by the outbreak of a disease locally known as cripples. A veterinary expert was sent to report. An old resident of Broken Hill, named Sayers, celebrated the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar by inviting a number of his friends to a banquet. A good deal of patriotic feeling was displayed when. Sayers announced that he had received a telegram from Admiral Bridge thanking him, on, behalf of the British Navy in Australian waters, for his patriotic action. The Council of the Sydney Zoological Gardens have resolved to open the gardens to the public on Sundays. They are precluded from collecting money at the gates on such days, and have decided to admit by ticket. A wonderful escape from death occurred at Nevertire, New South Wales. As the mail train was leaving for Nyngan, the clerk (H. Hernfield), while in the act of jumping from the footstep, was caught by his coat on the handle of the guard's door, and fell backwards, his head striking the train. Fortunately, he was thrown clear from the wheels. He sustained a cut across the right temple, and was taken to Nyngan, wherehe is progressing favourably. Two children had a narrow escape from a terrible death in Narrabri, the house in which they were sleeping being burned down. The building took fire while the parents were absent at a Salvation Army meeting, and the flames had reached the bed in which the children were asleep, when a man named Sam Cunningham, who lived next door, rushed into the house and rescued the children.

There are now three cancer patients in Albury, who are receiving the Rontgen rays treatment, and in one case, that of a well-known Krewa farmer, named Connors, a marvellous improvement has been shown under the treatment. Counors is suffering from cancer in the throat, and a week or two ago went to Albury in a prostrated condition. He could take no solid food, and had to be carried about. Since then he has had two exposures daily, and is now able to swallow solid food without difficulty, and walks to and from the operating room. The lump has been greatly reduced, and the man is eloquent in praise of the effect of the treatment. In another case, the cancer is being greatly reduced, but the sufferer still undergoes pain, particularly at night, and the developments generally are not so assuring. In the third case, an improvement in the condition of the patient is apparent. Mr Garrard, the Minister for Labour, Victoria, proceeded to Leongatha recently, and made a minute inspection of the work and methods of the labour colony. Mr Garrard expressed complete satisfaction with what he saw, and said he considered the system an excellent way of dealing with the unemployed. An extraordinary affair has occurred at Obley, N.S.W. A man named Ramsbottom, employed as tutor at Obella Station, became suddenly insane, and going to the local post and telegraph office informed the postmaster that he was Christ, and that he wished to send telegrams to all the bishops in the world to meet him at Obley. He was arrested without difficulty. It is understood that he is an English solicitor, but ho was compelled to relinquish his practice on account of ill-health.