INTERCOLONIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2603, 3 February 1904, Page 22

INTERCOLONIAL.

MELBOURNE, January 27. The Federal Parliament opens on tha 2nd March.

bir G. Turner (Treasurer) delivers his Budget on July 26.

Heavy thunders and rains have occurred, doing much damage to the wheat and fruit crops and delaying the harvest.

January 28.

The Federal Government has been: advised that Australia has been awarded a Krupp gun, captured in the South African campaign. On its arrival the gun will be mounted in Parliament House grounds until the Federal capital is established.

January 29. The Federal Government will be asked to vote £2000 to assist in sending a team to Bisley to defend the Kolapore Cup.

January 30.

Sir G. Turner (Treasurer) estimated! that the falling off in the Federal revenue for the year would be £390,000. The first sis months show a fall of £18d,000, and it is expected that for the second half there will be a decrease of £±00,000. He also estimated mi increase in expenditure of £418,000, whereas the first six months show an increase of 464,000, including £130,000 for the naval agreement, £00,000 for election expenses and the sugar bounties. Leaving out the naval expenditure, Sir George expects that Ins estimate will not be largely exceeded.

February 1

The Federal Postmaster-general has decided to make a trial of the invention of Mr Gell, of New Zealand, for increasing the speed in the transmission of telegrams

SYDNEY, Janurry 2G

Half a million 4. per cent. New South Wales Treasury bills were sold in Lon-

don on the 14th inst. at £97 15s, with a currency of four years. The Heddon-Gretna colliery is idle, the ininers having refused to accept the reduced hewing rate. The strikers in other pits are trying to arrange a conference with the masters. At the Political Labour League Conference, the president in his opening address said the party was never so solid as now. It "would achieve something which- would astonish the Liberal and R/efonn parties. He strongly appealed for funds to fight all the electorates. The conference decided to exclude the press. January 27. The Labour Conference resolved to make financial reform the first plank in their fighting platform, such reform to include a cessation of borrowing except for redemptions, for completing public "works to which the country is already committed, and for undertakings which "will pay interest from the beginning, plus 1 per cent, sinking fund. Other resolutions favoured special taxation, of absentees' incomes, a graduated land value tax, with a maximum of 3d, and the nationalisation of private monopolies. January 28. The Government has proclaimed February 4 as a day of special prayer and thanksgiving for the abundant harvest. Bishop Torreggiani, Roman Catholic Bishop at Armidale, is dead; aged 74 years. [The Bight Rev. Elzear Torreggiani, D.D., O.S.F.G, Biahop of Armidale, New South Wales, was consecrated on March 25, 1579. Prior to coming to Australia the Bishop had Lad large experience of pastoral work in England and the South of Wales. He was Superior of the Capuchin Monastery in Lower Park Toad, Peckham, at' the date of his appointment.] January '*9. , A prospector unearthed a 320z nugget at Trunkey Creek. j February 1. ! ence makes the cessation cf sales of Crown lands a prominent feature in its programme. It also favours the establishment of a Public Trust Office on similar lines to that of New Zealand, State control of the liquor traffic, and, where practicable, the State manufacture of alcoholic beverages. ADELAIDE, January 28. South Australia has been awarded a Maxim as a memento of the capture of a Maxim by South Australians at Oliphant's' River during the Transvaal war J in April, 1901. • In consequence of the alteration of the boundaries of the State electorates the Attorney-general holds that the local option polls taken in the old districts are inoperative, and has granted licenses where the vote was against further licenses. The Temperance Alliance is obtaining a legal opinion on the matter. January 29. A Durban paper of January 1 states that Captain Voss and the yacht Tilikum arrived safely from Australia. BRISBANE, January 28. The Premier, in refusing a deputation's request for the construction of a railway, said that when the lines now being built were completed he would only have three-quarters of a million of loan money left. There was no chance of making a successful appeal to the London market in the near future. Queensland must learu to live on her own resources for years to come. As the head of the State he would not propose to go on adding yearly to their expenditure. CHARTERS TOWERS, January 30.

Albert ClarEe shot a girl named Alice "Williams, and then blew out his own brains. Williams is in a critical condition. Disappointed love is said to be the cause.