AN AUSTRALIAN BUDGET.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVIX, Issue 2997, 8 December 1896, Page 1

AN AUSTRALIAN BUDGET.

Hens and Holes by lie Kail, A telegram received in Adelaide from Wells, leader of the Calvert expedition, in describing his travels, says that his cousin and Jones left him in latitude 22-50 longitude -123-63 on October 11th to rejoin him about 30 miles south of Johanna Springs, but Wells arrived at Johanna Springs six days late. lie had a moat trying time crossing the sand ridges at right angles since August 10th. The party ca ne on a good well on September 29th in latitude 25deg Slmin, longitude 123d0g 53miu. Thence travelled north and north - oast. The last 300 miles were almost destitute of camel food. There was only a little water. The sand ridges were found more numerous and steep and high, crowned with red drift. Owing to this and the intense heat the camels collapsed 150 miles from the Fitzroy. Of tho latter distance 30 miles were traversed by moonlight and 120 by starlight. Ho was unable to work tho camels after 9 a.m., and was three times in a critical position through tho want of water. Five camels wore abandoned and tho collections and most of tho equipment, only taking sufiicient necessaries to enable tho party to reach tho Fitzroy. When they arrived they had one bucket of water in the kegs only and two camels able to l carry light packs. They wero obliged te look for water on foot, tracking the-, natives over the sandhills on shoit allowances, and walking TO miles to 14 miles a day. They had to discontinue, being exhausted by the intense heat and thirst. Tho heaviest storm' that has visited Sydney for some time passed over tho city recently, Tho lightning was exceptionally vivid, forked and zig-zag lines showing brilliantly on tho background of black cloud in different directions. Tho lightning struck the grocery establishment of Messrs Bowers and Sous, New South Head road, and shattered the flag-pole and fused a number of the gas-pipes in parts of tho building, sotting on fire the escaping gas, which ignited parts of the building. Tho fire was extinguished by tho inmates, the damage done not being serious. George Boniface Thompson, 62, and Octavius Lnroux, 33, wero charged at the Paddington Police Court with breaking and entering Woollabra House, Eoso Bay, the residence of Sir Astloy Cooper, and stealing a photo, photo frame, ten silver boxes, a. scent bottle, a silver watch,- two matchboxes, a measure, and a badge, the property of Lady Cooper, and other articles, tho property of Sir Astloy Pastou [Cooper,, to atotal value of .£IOO. They were committed for trial.

James Dixon, a woodcarter, whilst taking a stroll near Sampoy's Flat, about 400yards from tho Forrest road, near Fromantle, found tho collar of a man's coat sticking out above some earth in a disused sawpit. He made a tug at tho clothing t ch see what it was, and- the next moment he was horrified to find the skull of a human being: Judging from the appearance of the body it must havo been in tho ground; for three months. Tho skull was parted from the body and altogether devoid of flesh. Apparently a rude attempt had been made to conceal the body. Frederick Cannon, aged 65, a resident of Queensland for 40 years, and an employee of the Brisbane municipal council for tho last 20 years* fell off a cart he was driving,, and the wheels passing over bis body, ho was killed instantly. A lady, Miss Beyer, has undertaken a bicycle trip from Sydney to Melbourne.. Miss Boyer, who is accompanied by her brother, is- driving a 66£- gear. She is an excellent rider. ' , A wire from ICorumburra, Victoria, states that through tho accidental upsetting of a kerosene lamp, a four-roomed tenement occupied by a minor named Divorsage, took fire. Liversage was away from homo at the time, but his wife, with the assistance of a young man named Apps>. managed to get the children out of their beds. In the confusion the youngest child, Charles, aged five years, got back into tho burning building and perished. The Hon Joseph Cook, ■ PostmasterGeneral of Now South Wales, speaking to> a newspaper representative on tho subject of the federal mail service (discussed in.camera by tho Postal and Telegraphic Conference) said that the Home Government* had called for tenders, which were sent iniin July last, and They were now trying to' obtain as good terms as they possibly could both as to speed and regularity of arrivals and departures. It at present that owing to some vessels being.' taster tbau others thoro was-nothing like regularity in the arrival of mails*. for sometimes two were received in one week, and sometimes a week would elapse - without any mails coming to hand at' all. There was also the question as to ; ’ what day the mails should leave King: George's Sound in order to suit theWestern Australian people, and when they should leave Sydney so as to suit thcr convenience of the people of Queensland;McCook does not think these difficulties' insuperable, and he remarked that they could fix the times all right if they could get the tenderers to work to their time-tables.-The service tendered for w'aa a weekly one the same as at present, but they woulch like to get a faster one still—26 or 26 days from Adelaide if they could get it —but he feared they could not, as it would mean, a very costly service. In connection -with the death of Sydney Weston, whose body was found in a hollo-v tree near Menindie, a man has been arrested on suspicion of being concerned in Weston's death.

A serious accident happened in the Black Coon Claim, at Yalgogrin, New South Wales. A scraper fell down the shaft and; stuck into the back of a miner named James Petit. The implement penetrated his body four inches. He was taken ter Wyalong Hospital in a precarious state. .Regarding the employment of women irs the Public Service, the report of the Public Service Board, New South Wales), contains the subjoined paragraph : —" They (the Board) have decided that the switchboard attendants in the Telephone Departs ment shall bo exclusively females, us’jt is found that in these positions girls are superior to young men ; and they have also decided that the appointment of women as typewriters shall in future be encouraged as far as possible. But these two pursuits do not in any way indicate the limits of employment for which the Board think that women are eligible; on the contrary, they do not see any reason why the intentions of Parliament with respect to the employment of women in public offices should not receive a wide interpretation. It is found that females may bo very successfully employed in the drawing offices and in many forms of clerical work; and, carrying out what they conceive to bo the policy of the Act, the Board will endeavour to frame regulations which will permit of the employment of women in these branches of the service.” The report of the Commission on the Queensland National Bank and the consequent legislation it may be hoped (says the Sydney Morning Herald) represent one of the final stages of Australian bank reconstruction for which the last doca.de of the nineteenth century will be long remembered. Two other banks are completing this unpleasant chapter in Australian financial history. And as soon as the three have been re-formed or have adjusted their relations with creditors wo may reasonably hope that the Australian banking system will, be on a sounder foundation than it has occupied since the years 1840 to 1845, when the last crisis caused trouble perhaps as great proportionately as that which has resulted from the disturbances which culminated the suspensions of 1893. The present adjustments are only developments of the old trouble rendered necessary by the incompleteness of the first reconstruction schemes. It was not generally foreseen that a charge of ‘H per cent on fixed deposits tor long terms of years meant the crippling of institutions, or other arrangements would have been made if possible of a more suitable character.