INTERCOLONIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2454, 27 March 1901, Page 13

INTERCOLONIAL.

-MELBOURNE, March 19. The quantity of wheat exports from Australia to South Africa this season is estimated at 450,000 bags. Foulsham and the trainers who were in the house where tLe smallpox patient was found have been quarantined, with an acre of ground adjoining. The latter has been done in order to .get over the difficulty of training the horses. March 23. Hugo Fischer, a well-known theatrical agent, committed , suicide by strangulation. A baker at Collingwood was fined the j sum of 5s for working a girl 94 hours a week (nearly 16 hours a day). Her* wages were under 7s a week. Statisticians' first estimate of the wheat crop is 17,790,000 bushels, an increase on that of last season ot 2,552,000 bushels. The average per acre is 9.84- bushels. March 24. Mr E. T. Barnard, formerly handicapper for the Victoria Racing Club and Vic\orian Amateur Turf Club, is dead. j SYDNEY, March 19. At the railway inquiry the experts' evidence attributed the Sydenham accident to a deflection in the road and the excessive speed of the engine, which was unsuited to the class of locomotive. The inquiry has been adjourned to May 6 for the driver's evidence. The Ventura, with the outward English mail via San Francisco, sailed for Auckland at 5 p.m. Mr Spreckels is among the passengers. Captain Smith, of the Talune, has given evidence by commission in the Conway poisoning case. Young Richards, the perpetrator of the Forbes tragedy, is 23 years of age. He /first blew the top of his father's head off. The mother, awakened by the report, jumped from the bed and ran away, but was shot in the back. The sister escaped through the gun missing . fire. Money matters and love affairs are supposed to be the cause." The New Zealand Federal Commission, had a long interview with Mr Barton, the Federal Premier, and examined Mr Coglan, the statistician, and Major-general French, commander of the forces. Tiie Sydney Morning Herald, referring to the New Zealand Federal Commission, says that the notion that New Zealand will best attain her national destiny in isolation is one that time will disprove. Whatever may be the will of the Commonwealth or New Zealand, both must find themselves on converging roads. Abstention from the Commonwealth during the earlier period of development would deprive New Zealand of both an influence and education in national government of the highest value. A second case of smallpox has been d:s- | covered in a hotel in George street north. The patient is named Clarke, and was a passenger on the Euryalius. The attack is a mild one. March 20. Hopes are entertained of the recovery of Mrs Richards, who was shot near Forbes by her son, who at the same time shot his "father dead and then committed suicide. At the inquest a verdict that the deed was committed by young Richards in a fit of temporary insanity was returned. A large number of prominent citizens connected with the shipping interests bade farewell to Mr Spveckels. The Hon. Mr See, in proposing the latter's health, regretted that the American shipping laws prevented complete reciprocity between America and Australia. Complaints are frequent owing to the surcharge by the local department on New Zealand letters bearing a penny stamp. The Federal Commission were entertained at a private dinner by Mr Barton, who cordially welcomed them. The Federal Commissioners decided to take evidence in camera. News from the New Hebrides states that a .severe hurricane on January 25 caused great damage to the crops. The storm was especially seveTe at Erromanga, where the church and portion of the Rev. Mr Robertson s residence was blown down. A tidal wave followed, and washed away boat sheds and copra sheds, and killed a native teacher at Santo. The message relative to the Tongariro is regarded here as obscure. Probably it was a disabled transport that was towed by the Tongaiiro, in&tead of the other way about. March 21. The- New Zealand Federal Commission examined Mr Nash (financial editor of the Daily Telegraph), Sir William M'Millan, Dr M'Laurin, and Mr Schey (secretary of the Protectionist party, and formerly a member of the Labour party). Mr Reid will give his views on Monday. The commission sails for Hobart by the Cuzco on Wednesday, thence to Melbourne and Adelaide, and finally to Brisbane. They expect to leave Sydney for Wellington on April 27.

It is understood Mr M'Millan, who wa4 before the commission for over two hours, and dealt exhaustively with the whole question, favours New Zealand joining ; while Dr M'Laurin said if he were a New Zealander he would not join. Mr Schey's evidence was taken to ascer* tain the wages paid in Australia, to enable the commission to compare them with those paid in New Zealand. March 22. The Beale Company's piano and sewing" machine factory at Annandale has been considerably damaged by fire._ It was in* sured in the New Zealand oHlce. March 24. Rougemonl related the story of his life and adventurers in Northern Australia to a large audience. He received'a good hearing beyond a running fire of chaff. Speaking at the Labour Day demonstration picnic, Mr O'Sullivan, Minister of Works, said the Government were determined to bring forward a programme of liberal measures of a social character, which would make even the Premier of New Zealand gallop to keep up with them. The Sunday Times says that the lack of Australian interest in the doings of the New Zealand Federal Commission shouldconvince the people of New Zealand that; the countries arc too far apart to be bound together by any other ties save those of commercial reciprocity and general friendship. It continues : " Let New Zealand, follow her own path, possessing our "best;' wishes. She may rest assured there- are many in this continent who sympathise with her noble aspirations, and hope for a complete fulfilment of her destiny." March 25. A conference of State commandants is being held at Sydney, with the object of arranging the details of the transfer of the forces to the federal command. Mr W. G. Woolnough, Demonstrator of Geology at the Sydney University, has returned from his geological expedition to Fiji. As a result of this investigation he declares that it may be'eonsidered definitely settled that Fiji is a relic of what was onco a large continent. There are great complaints from the farmers, owing to a want of storage for wheat at th« railways and poor wharfage and shipping facilities. The Telegraph states that there are six million bushels awaiting oversea transit in the State, which are likely to miss the market. Colonel Fox has been successfully operated on at Bathurst for an abscess in the cavity of the lung. He is progressing favourably. A sensational story comes from Brisbane. A 12-year-old girl named Wood was returning from school on Sunday, when a half-caste, after tying a handkerchief over her month, took her into the bush. Searclt parties have since failed to trace them. The half-caste is wanted by the police for an alleged criminal offence on a six -year-old child a" few days ago. He is armed with a gun, and has plenty of ammunition. He made a threat that he would be a second Jimmy Governor. The New Zealand Federation Commission examined Mr Meeks, ex-president of the Chamber of Commerce, and Sir George Dibbs to-day. They postponed the examination of Mr Reid till they return to Sydney. It is understood Sir G. Dibbs was emphatically of opinion that it would be unwise for New Zealand to join tha federation. The commission visits the Agricultural College at Richmond to-morrow. At the annual meeting of the Citizens* Life Assurance Company the report submitted showed that the new business totalled £1,052,000, while £114,000 was added -to the funds. The expenses rate of the ordinary and industrial branches had been reduced to 35.6, and the rate of interest earned increased to almost 4 per cent. A bonus of £2 per cent, was declared on all policies over five years' duratidn and 30s on other profit policies. PERTH, March 19. The girl Ottey has been acquitted on the charge of having killed her father. The tragedy occurred at Parkerville. The husband was attacking his viife when the daughter, in order to protect her mother, shot her father with a revolver. The man died in a few hours. BRISBANE, March 19. Tenders for tha million loan, bearing 3£ per cent, interest, which was placed on the Australian market, were opened today. The total tendered for was £1,351,000 at prices ranging from £90 to £101. Tenderers offered £968,000 afc prices ranging from £99 to £101. March 21. Owing to the severance- of the chief weather bureau from the Post and Telegrapk j department in consequence of that department becoming a Federal institution, it has been found necessary to abandon the despatch of weather reports to the head telegraph offices in the sister States ; lirs item alone costing £19,000 per annum. HOBART. March 24. Mr Arthur Hay Sommerville, a pa^sen^er from New Zealand by the Monov.ai, died on the voyage from acute j>eritoniti-', caused by excessive vomiting. Letters of naturalisation havo been issued to Messrs Lawrence Motpr, Dunedin, and Joseph Moore, Bannockburn. New Goods just opened at T. Ross's:—* Pretty ruffles in Lisse and washing net, from 4s lid ; new lace ties, 9d, lid, Is 6d, and Is lid; real point lace ties, 4 s 9d to 10s 9d ; new sailor hats, from Is 6cl ; ladies' stylish blouses in muslin, cambric, and silk, from Is lid to 21s ; new silk ties, every conceivable shade, Is 3d, Is 6d, Is Bd, 2s 6d, and 3s 6d. Lovely sunshades iv black, blaok and white, and shot silk; also, 1500 new umbrellas, ex Waimate, price Is lid to 21s. — At T. Ross's, 1 direct importer, 130 Princes street....