AUSTRALIAN NEWS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1640, 5 August 1903, Page 17

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

A large proportion of electors are not entered on tho federal electoral rolls. Tho omissio s, at is stated, run into almost incredible figures, but the actual cause of the unintentional u.tsiraiichi.sement of thousands oi voters is hard to seek. Infuivatcd freo-a d-indepeuci-ents who are bewailing the loss of tuoir distinctive mghts in the columns of^ t-lio Sydney press unhesitatingly thuno tiie man in blue” as the weak point an the system ; wiulo others oi a niL.ro pin i anthropic turn cf mud —this nit tor class are, presumably, not disfranchised belie vo that a good percentage oi missing names can bo accounted for \>)7 electors moving from one electorate to another, thus forfeiting their right fox enrolment. Last week Mr F. G. Suttor, M.L.C., as preside t of the blow South v» ales Sheepbreedors’ Association, when moving tiio adoption of the anniual report, stated that olio pns i ora lists were now turning tlioir atte tio a to the question of feed, and it was evident that they must combine sheepbreedmg with agriculture. It may bo mentioned that the woolc’asset's are also recognising tho necessity for this change. Lu.ri.ng the ’ session just completed at the ELawkesbury Agricultural College, woolclasscvs took up a course of training in agriculture, and are arranging to pursue it in tho periods they are not engaged in classing wools on the stations. Thai? studies and practical work at tho college are chiefly in the direction of raising special fodders and grasses for eh cep. Tho Gommonwealih’s wlute-1 abour policy lias created a good deal of feeling m India, and, if a recent visitor to Australia from that. country is to bo believed, tho provisions cf tiio Postal Act prohibiting the employment of Lascars on man steamers lias greatly intensified the sp.rit of resentment, and wholesale threats of retaliation in trade are being made. In a leading article, tiio “Times cf India” thus attacks the attitude of tho Commonwealth Government; —“We sh-eereiy hope the Government v»;ill assume a stiff-necked attitude towards tho preposterous position taken up by the Common weak h Administration in the matter c-l the mail contract. Of ail the irrational and oppressive legislation the siahsorvient Barton Ministry has been forced into at the bidding of the Labour party, thus enactment agamst the employment of Lascars is tho most unjustifiable. Australia entirely depends for its markets upon communication with Europe. It has contributed nothing towards the oast of the splendid fleets of steamers which keep it in frequent contact with tiio 'West; it provides none of the business ability which manages them, and it takes no share m providing the odicers and men who man them. Tot. sin co the Commonwealth Government came into being they have deliberately adopted a policy'' cf harassing the great companies upon which they are dependent for their material prosperity. For some of these measures there is the justification that tho interests of tho shipping companies clash with those of the Australian firms engaged in tho coasting trade. But for tho crusade against the Lascars there is not oven this excuse.”

A Sydney Press Association message, dated lltli inst., gives particulars of the “sticking up” of the Bellinger mail coach the day before. The driver Drinkwater, who was accompanied by a passenger named states that when half-way between Nambucca Heads and Bellinger Heads two men on horseback stopped the coach, and demanded the Sydney mail bag. The driver replied that ho had none. The men then fired two shots, both going through the hood of the coach within Gin. of tho driver’s head. Ho and the passenger jumped off the coach, and made for the scrub close by, the men firing a third shot. Shortly after the driver caught one of the coach horses galloping along the road, and, pro-cim ing a saddle from a settler, proceeded Heads, and reported the matter to Constablo Southwell. *The constable, accompanied by the driver, went back to the scene, and found the coach capsized over a cutting, and considerably damaged. Tho mailbags were found intact, the only article missing being a small parcel. The driver gives a mast minute description of the men. Tho Queensland Council of Churches, is agitating against the sale of newspapers on Sundays,. Recently a deputation waited on tho Home Secretary for tho State, urging that the sale of newspapers on Sundays was a nuisance and a danger to yoiung people, and the well-being and health of the boys who sold the papers had to be considered. They further asked that the Bill dealing with tho matter which was introduced two years ago shofuld be reintroduced. Tho Home Secretary, m -reply, said ho found that they had twice approached Mr Foxton on this

matter. Mr Foxton had first drafted a Bill and tabled it, but as tho end of tho session was at hand it was found impossible to put the measure tjirougu. Then Mr Foxton thought tho present Act might sufiiee, hue upon making inquiries ho lomul that it would not be easy to stop tho sale of papers on Sundays. Tie would promise v iiat a Bill would bo tabied oarly in tho coming session, and ho would do his br-ct to see that it became law. Dr. McCarthy, even now, refuses to confess to absoluto failure in his endeavours to provide the thirsty thousands with rein at Broken Mill. Liy terviewed on his return to Mel bourne, and evidently smarting under the pain of defeat, ho delivered himself as follows i o a newspaper senbo: —“I. can produce rain under any conditions with the exception of frost.” and l bon with a supremo air of assurance and conduction he added: “Giro me an atmosphere without frost, and I will produce ram. Why, I brought raim here in Melbourne only a few weeks ago working in my back-yard. You can toll _ farmers and past or a lists who have their sheep and cattle dvi g from want of water that if they will send for mo I will go to them and bring rain, and they can pay mo what they like!” The trouble in the Government Pril ling Office at Perth over an order of tie Colonial Treasurer increasing the working hours from 46./ per week to 4.8, in anticipation of the Arbitration Court’s award, has been amicably settled. .Representatives of tho men interviewed tho Colonial Treasurer, who explained chat tho order was due to a misunderstanding, and that it was only into mind that tho permanent hands should work 48 hours, and that for tho present the work for casual hands and others would consist of 46V hours, as at present. The men are well satisfied with the arrangement. A sudden death occurred in tho Methodist Church at Spotblswoodo on Sunday, 10th inst., where service was being conducted by Mr Peter Abbott, a lay preacher. "While, the service was going oa Mr Abbott suddenly fell in the pulpit, apparently in a fit. Ho was at once conveyed to Melbourne Hospital by the St. John Ambulance Society in an unconscious condition. Attempts were made to restore consciousness, but ho died almost immediately after admission. His sudden death is ascribed to the breaking of a blood vessel on the brain.

Some interesting particulars regarding the work now being carried on in connection with tho development or tho phosphate deposits on Ocean Island are contained in Sydney files lately to hand. The German steamer Rapa.Ho, which called at "Wellington last month, (is at present there loading a cargo of 6000 tons of phosphates for Europe. Up to the time of starting phosphate operations, Ocean Island was probably one of tho least frequented places in the Pacific, there being no trade, with tho exception of sharks’ fins, to induce vessels to call. It is a little, isolated island, not more than six: miles in ciro:i.inference, lying several hundred miles distant from the Gilbert Group, and belongs to Great Britain. It was annexed in September, 1901. A loaso of the island has been secured by the Pacific Phosphate Company, Limited, from tho British Crown for _ tiio purpose of working the extensive phosphate deposits there. Tho companylias a staff of about 30 white men ou tho island, nearly all of whom arc from Sydnoy, and about 560 labourers from the Gilbert Islands are employed. Since its occupation of tho island the company has earned out a great deal of work. They have two settlements* one at the native village or Ooma and the other Taphva, which they are connecting bv a railway. Communication between the two has already been established by telephone. tramlines have also been laid down to tho end of Ion cy jetties, from which tho phospnato Ls shipped in large surf boats to the steamers. The earthquake in the Warnambool district on tho 13th inst.,_ brief particulars of which wero received here by cablegram, was attended with more serious results than it was at first thought. The reports to hand show that tho dam-ao-o to property runs into several thousands of pounds, and that many women have been seriously injured m health by shock to the system. Stone buildings in the low-lying parts of. the town and lin the vicinity of Hopkins river sustained the most damage, but for miles around chimneys wero either thrown down or seriously cracked, and work provided for the glaziers by the wholesale cracking of window glass. Had the shock occurred later, when the people had retired to bed', loss of life would probably have taken place, for in several cases heavy masses of plaster and brickwork fell on the bedsteads.