AUSTRALIAN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1717, 25 January 1905, Page 21

AUSTRALIAN.

SYDNEY, January 17. At the half-yearly meeting of the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney a dividend of 10 per cent, was declared. £15,000 was added to the reserve, and £21,000 carried forward. The chairman, referring to the decrease in note circulation, said it was due to shrinkage of trade and diminished expenditure in wages; also to the fact that gold was gradually displacing notes in all the States of the Commonwealth. SYDNEY, January 18. Further heavy ram has fallen in th.e north-western districts, amounting to three and a half inches at Tweed river. Dr Daysz, of the Pasteur Institute-, recently wrote to “The Pastoralist/’ describing an effective microbe culture for the destruction cf rabbits. The Minister of Lauds has cabled to Dr Daysz, asking if lie is prepared to visit Australia to conduct a rabbit destruction campaign, and c-n what terms he would come.

In consequence or’ the recc-nt killing of a boy, through the explosion of a shell which he found, a search was made in Jervis Bay, and the Admiral now reports that about forty practice projectiles were discovered and portions of others, but no dangerous shells were found- The space at the rear of the targets may be considered to be free of live shells. There may be one or two stray shed is in other parts of the bay, but it was hoped there would be no possibility of a recurrence of such accidents a.s had occurred. The Irrigation Conference-, which is meeting to' formulate suggestions for submission to the Premiers’ Conference next month, resolved that private enterprise could, with proper safeguards, carry out a scheme of water conservation if the State co-uld not find the money. SYDNEY, January 18. The births in New South Wales last year totalled 38,697 —the largest number since 1897. The birth-rate was 26.77 per thousand, compared with 25.28 in 1903. Dr Daysz, of the Pasteur Institute, who lias been asked by the Minister of Lands if he is prepared to conduct a rabbit destruction campaign in Australia, says the cost of operating with his microbe culture would be from £l2 to £2O for 2500 acres. Reports from Northern New Hebrides indicate that the natives are inclined to further hostilities against white settlers. A number of armed natives recently made a threatening demonstration at the Marist Brothers’ Mission It is also reported that a trader who disappeared was tomahawked. SYDNEY, January 19. The Irrigation Conference exhaustively discussed the Murray waters question, including the report of the Legal Committee, which, after dealing with the claims of the various States, recommended that it was desirable to have che law so shaped by New South Wales that, whilst no undue preference should be given to either upper or lower riparian proprietors, due encouragement should be given to settlercent°where water was available and irrigation practicable. (Hie conference subsequently adopted resolutions that in any scheme of conservation and irrigation provision should be made for safeguarding the interests of down-stream occupants, and in the construction of works for the maintenance of navigation South Australia should share the cost with New South Wales and Victoria. SYDNEY, January 20. The Lord Mayor’s Relief Committee reports that no application liati been received from sufferers by the bush fires wanting immediate assistance.

SYDNEY, January 20. The Irrigation Conference has ended. It was resolved that the report of the Inter-State Commission, which provided for the apportionment of the Murray waters among t-hU three interested States, be regarded as the maximum concessions that New South Wales should make.

The conference also affirmed that all waters where practicable should be used in production, instead of maintaining spasinodic navigr- l ion. SYDNEY, January 20.

Another plagued rat lias been found on the North ('cast Company’s wharf. MELBOURNE, January 17.

Tho captain of the steamer Marathon states that when at the Cape Captain Robinson, of the- steamer Armadale Castle, reported that on the voyage from England the vessel struck a. large fish, which doubled across the nose of the steamer, and in its violent efforts to fiee itself marked the uaint on both sides of the vessel, showing a length of 57ft and a thickness of about the diameter of the ship’s lifeboat. The head was bLunt and barrel-shaped, the eye fairly large and protruding. The body was greenish-brown, with large dark spots on the back and sides. The under parts were dull white. Owing to the violent contortions of the monster, the captain was unable to ascertain whether it was a fish or a mammal. It was a quarter of an hour before the steamer was freed, and x hen the fish sank tail first. MELBOURNE, January 18. The Federal Government will forward to the Imperial authorities. M-esrs Burns, Philp and Co.’s claim for £IO,OOO damages against Germany for interference with their steamers at the Caroline and Marshall Islands. MELBOURNE, January 18. The Federal Premier (Mr Reid) stated that the Orient Company had made a further offer of £140,000 for the conveyance of mails. The Government authorised the Postmaster-General to inform the company that no offer in the neighbourhood of its tender can be considered. In reply to a question, Mr Reid said he had heard that the Union Company was thinking of making an offer, but he had heard nothing further about the- matter. MELBOURNE, January 20. The arrangements for readjusting the inter-Sfcat& shipping service in accordance with the agreement recently adopted by five of the principal companies to employ only the better class of steamers are approaching completion. A number of steamers have already been withdrawn or are about to be. A large number of officers, engineers, and men have been thrown idle. It is also feared that there will be a fusion of the store staffs, necessitating further reductions. The situation is causing much unrest in labour circles. MELBOURNE, January 20. Tire Postmaster-General states that the cabled announcement that Canada is willing to subsidise the AustraliaVancouver service via New Zealand has nothing to do with the negotiations with the Union Company for a fortnightly service to take the place of the Orient contract, which is about to expire. He promises to issue a memorandum next week announcing the changes to be made if the poundage system is adopted. With the departure of the Orotava from Adelaide yesterday, and the Orontes from London on the 27th January, the contract with the Orient Company ends. In order to fulfil the existing contracts with apple shippers, steamers will call at Adelaide en route to England till the end of April. BRISBANE, January 18. Heavy rain continues to fall in many places. Nine inches fell at Gladstone; and seven and a half inches at Rockhampton, where the river rose six inches over the wharves. Merchants were engaged all day removing goods. The water is now stationary, hut further downpours in the outlying districts, it is feared, will result in a heavier flood. The departure of the mail train to Brisbane was indefinitely postponed, owing to the flooded state of the railway at Maryborough. A man was drowned in crossing a river in a dray. BRISBANE, January 18. There is a heavy flood at Bun da-berg. A number of settlers were rescued in boats. Much damage has been done to property. Later reports state that the floods are subsiding. ROCKHAMPTON, January 19. The weather is now fine, and the river is steadily falling. The railway is still flooded, and slightly damaged in places, but the mail train is expected to get away to-morrow. The river at Yaamba is thirty-one feet above normal, and is rising one and a half inches per hour.

Dauringa reports a high flood in tne river. Ten inches of rain fell at Glenooe.