INTERCOLONIAL

Otago Witness, 5 December 1900, Page 13

INTER COLONIAL

MELBOURNE, November 27. The Postmaster-general reopens negotiations with the Eastern Extension Company with "reference to a Cape cable. November 28. Newspapers' estimates of the colony's wheat crop are 18,715,000 bushels, which is an average of 9^ bushels per acre. The Shipping Conference is at a standstill. It is understood that the owners are willing to concede all the men's demands excepting the increase from £6 10s to £7. The seamen are against -compromising. Pending a meeting of the Steamship Owners' Federation on Saturday no definite decision is possible. November 29. The Premier (Sir G. Turner) announced that he intended to ask Parliament for a "vote of £50,000 or £60,000 to make provision for the destitute poor, while the whole question of old-age pensions is being threshed out. December 1. The postal authorities have commandeered a full-laden pom-pom shell sent by a soldier at the front to a lady friend. The charge will be Avithdrawn before the dangerous missile is delivered. December 3. Sir G. Turner and Mr Isaacs have been re-elected, defeating their opponents decisively. SYDNEY, November 27. The Legislative Assembly negatived the proposal to incorporate the .Hare-Spence system of voting into the Federal Elections Bill. Advices from the New Hebrides state that Captain Kaal and a man named Robin had a dispute, when the latter shot Kaal dead. November 28. A return tabled in the Assembly shows ■ that during the past 20 years over 127 million bushels of wheat have been ex1 ported from the States now forming the .Comjatasrealth,

Mr Crick has received a cable from thi Pacific Cable Advisory Board asking tha Governments of the various colonies to authorise the Agents-general to sign thft contract for the acceptance of a tenderMr Crick has replied, giving Mr Copeland the necessary authority. The Legislative Council has passed tht Old-age Pensions Bill with only trivial 1 amendments. THe Council negatived the Women Franchise Bill on the second reading by 22 to 19. November 29. The Fiji Times publishes a speech mada by the Governor at the opening of th«i hospital, in which he is reported to have said that the New Zealand party were only seeking for the federation of Fiji in order to get the native land. It has always been the same in every country under the kind of Government that there is in New Zealand. White men were always taking th» land from the coloured owners in New Zealand. T.he coloured people are cooped up on. a fragment of land that had been left them. Many had no land at all, and what happened in New Zealand would happen here if New Zealand gets the country. The Telegraph, commenting on the speech^ strongly condemns the use of such arguments, and adds that the plain inference is that the natives of Fiji are to resist any attempt to change them from their present form of government. Coming from such a functionary these views are inexplicable. No doubt when the affair is reported to the Imperial Government, which Mr .Seddon Mill doubtless see to, steps will be immediately taken to inquire into it. That much, at least, the - Government should do, if only in self-defence against this extraordinary attack from the very last quarter whence it would be expected. Prominent officials of the, maritime unions state that they are determined to press the demand for an increase of wages made to the Melbourne conference. At the same time they are willing to consider any reasonable compromise offered by the steamship owners. November 30. A powerful British, syndicate are complet« ing arrangements for the erection of veryextensive nickel-smelting and refining works in the Newcastle district. The full count after a lengthy argument on the point raised that having been outlawed the Governors could not be tried, as it was tantamount to trying twice foe the same offence, confirmed the conviction of Jimmy Governor. The court held that the English outlawry law did not apply to the colony, but that the Felons Apprehension Act, which did apply, provided for the trial of proclaimed outlaws. A heavy squall capsized the barque Ladore in Newcastle harbour. The crew were thrown into the water, but were rescued. The cook and steward, who v/evabelow, had a miraculous escape. December 1. A cyclone at Murrumburah damaged £ large number of buildings. The Ladore, which capsized in Newcastle Harbour during a squall, lies with her keel just above water. Her masts are stuck in the mud. December 2. The Assembly, after a continuous sitting of 36 hours, ending last night, agreed to the Council's amendments in the Oldage Pensions Bill, including the prohibition to supply intoxicants to State pensioners, and the Federal Elections Bill proviso against plumping. The Assembly also passed a bill for the manufacture of 100,000 tons of steel rails in the colony; with a minimum wage clause. December 3. The Alameda took £300,000 in specie. A tornado devastated the town of Narrabri. Scarcely a building escaped damage, and many were entirely demolished. A boat's crew picked up off Cape Moreton reported that the Lund liner Narrung 1 , from Taku, bound to Sydney, had broken - down, and was drifting near Tweed Heads. The vessel has been taken into tow since. BRISBANE, November 28. A lamptrimmer named Smith, aboard. the steamer Flinders, which has just arrived from Bundaberg, is said to have the plague. November 30. The Premier states that owing to the condition of the colony the Government will not bring out any more free immigrants. COOKTOW'N, November 27. The bones of a prospector named Killane have been found. There are indications that he had been killed and eaten by the blacks. THURSDAY ISLAND, December 2. Three cases of plague have been discovered aboard the Government tug Cormorant, which has arrived from Eng-> land.