CABLE BREVITIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10362, 17 May 1895, Page 2

CABLE BREVITIES.

Rabbits are swarming over the New Sonth ] Wales border into' Queensland and devastating tha country. The Hon. J. G. Ward will confer with Earl Spencer respecting the appointment of a naval station.for New Zealand. The Chitral tribesmen harass General Lowe's expedition at night, and have cat the j wires iv the Swat Valley. M. Grodet, Governor of the French Soudan, has been recalled, owing to bis permitting the natives to regain the right bank of the river Niger. At the Newm&rket Second Spring meeting the Newmarket Stakes was won by the Owl, with Silauo second and Sir Vasto third. ' Mr John Rogers gained his divorce from his wife (Minnie Palmer) on the ground of her adultery with Mr Jarrard, manager of the " My Sweetheart " Company. Mr M. Davitt delivered his first lecture in the Town Hall, Adelaide, on Wednesday evening, and received an enthusiastic reception from an immense audiencs. Sir G. M. O'Rorke, who is at present on a visit to Adelaide, is strongly of opinion that the treaty between South Australia and New Zealand will be ratified by the New Zealand Parliament. The statement of the public debt of New South V/ales colony shows that at tbe cad of December U;st it totalled L 55,200,000. Tha annual interest payable thereon is L 2,205,000. The total interest paid since the first loan was raised has been L 30,373,000. The deputation from the London Chamber of Commerce which proposed to wair, on the Premier, the Chancellor o£ the Exchequer, and tbe Pcsbtnaster-general on Friday in support of the resolution carried at the Canadian Conference urging a, subsidy for the Pacific steamers and cable has been postponed for a week. The work of the income tax assessors in Victoria is almost completed, and it shews that the total received from the tax is not likely to exceed L 160.000. The Treasurer (Mr Turner) is disappointed at this result, as his estimate was L 200,000. Oce interesting fact is that civil servants' salaries contrioutsd L 50.000 of the tax. Under the agreement made by the Victori/m Agricultural department frozen meat shipped to London by the Blue Anchor and Aberdeen Shipping Companies will be carried at £d per lb up to September, and thence to the end of May at of penny. For rabbits, poultry, and similar produce 70s per ton will be the freight to September, and 72s 6d after that date. Tne directors of tha Royal Bank of Queensland ar« arranging, by the issue of 4 par cenC. debentures, to pay off the deposits locked up under the reconstruction scheme. One-half of tho first instalment has already beon paid, although it is not duo till 1898. The second half will be paid shortly. The bank last year reduced the amount due to the Government by JLIGO.OOO, as the directors considered that the operations fettered the reconstruction echeme.