INTERCOLONIAL. (Per Press Association.) Melbourne, January 8.

Otago Witness, Issue 1978, 9 January 1890, Page 26

INTERCOLONIAL. (Per Press Association.) Melbourne, January 8.

The insolvencies in this colony during the past year show liabilities amounting to £2,200,000, while the assets are set down at £2,500,000. It is estimatod that an average of four bushels of wheat per acre has been destroyed by rust. The Imnual meeting of the Australian Association for the Advancement of Science has been opened under the presidency of Baron yon Mueller. Its has been arranged that the next meeting shall be held at Christchurch. Sydney, January 8. The Stock department will not allow the foxes on board the Zealandia to be landed unless they are sent to the Zoological Gardens. C. Stephenson, who is matched to row Hearn, of Wellington, accompanied by Neil Matterson, will probably sail for Wellington on Tuesday next. The Government have approved of the suggestion of the stock authorities that Dr Wilkinson, of Sydney, an expert in bacteriology, who is proceeding to England, be requested to make inquiries as to the alleged discovery of the true microbe of pleuropneumonia, and also to visit M. Pasteur and arrange with him for supplies of anthrax vaccine. Hobart, January 8. The R M.S. Rimutaka arrived at 1 o'clock this afternoon. She sails at 4 o'clock to-morrow morning for New Zealand. She brings 40 passengers for Australia and 100 for New Zealand. Brisbane, January 8. Floods in the north continue, especially at Normanton. The railway lines in many places are 9ft under water. In the districts affected flour is quoted at £100 per ton.