INTERCOLONIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2647, 7 December 1904, Page 28

INTERCOLONIAL.

MELBOURNE, November 29. Artillerymen declare that the Wodonga incident is exaggerated, and that inquiry will show that there was no carelessness. The Federal Premier states that he has received a cable from the Colonial Office advising that the Imperial Government has made further representations to the French Government in regard to the early appointment of a Land Commission for the New Hebrides. November 30. A new clause prohibiting the xise and sale of opium and intoxicants was inserted) in the Papua Bill, which was read a third time.

December 1. / The bowling match New South Wales J v. Victoria wav won by the latter by \ ?5 points. December 3. The accounts of the local manager of a well-known firm having headquartcis ;n London and blanches throughout the Com- • monwealth are stated to show a shortage of £2000. Ihe manager has been suspended. December 5. The subject of preferential trade is not included in the Tariff Commission's in- , quirks. | The jubilee of the Eureka stockade was | celebrated at Ballarat and in other mining j centres of the Commonwealth. SYDNEY, December 3. The German Consulate points, out that the duty on copra is fixed at the Marshall group, and therefore could not be the outcome of the projected return of the Ysabel to the group. December 5. j The Rev Mr Dickinson, of the Presby- - terian - Church, Gladesville, is .dead. A French mail steamer has arrived, the first for several months owing to the great strike at Marseilles. " j Protracted hot weather and the absence of rain is injuriously affecting the cereal and fruit crops. Wheat in some districts was caught at a critical period and prevented from filling. ADELAIDE, December 5. A woman with a child in her arms, standing on the line, stopped the Melbourne express, and told the driver that, she had received a divine order to stop all Sunday trains. She forcibly resisted removal until the police arrived. BRISBANE, November 30. Dr Poultney Bigelow, professor of jurisprudence in Boston University, is touring the world investigating different methods of colonisation. He has returned from the German colonies in New Guinea and New Britain. He says :— " In the German colonies there was a great deal of colonisation, but no colonists. German officials and missionaries boycott English missionaries, and oppose English intrusion of every kind." December 1. The Acting Protector of Aborigines, telegraphing from St. George, states that the blacks are dying daily from starvation. The medical officer reports that many blacks will die shortly unless nourishment is sent, and that pneumonia is very prevalent. The Government have taken immediate steps- to send relief. PERTH, December 2. The <Jor.ncil rejected the proposal to reduce th^ salary of members from £200 to £100, as -well as an amendment favouring the total' abolition of the payment of members. \ Two prospectors on the Murchison field crushed 1681b of stone for 600oz of gold. The stone was struck at a depth of 30ft. The Boulder Deep Levels Commission, in its report, animadvert on the lax supervision over the assay samples. The incorrectness of the assays either caused salting or the falsification of the books. The commissioners, commenting on the share transactions consequent on the alleged rich discoveiy, state that Frank Gardner, chairman of directors, held 170,000 - out- of 230,000 shares issued, asid the balance apparently was in London. Several mine officials and Harold Vickers, who made all the essays from the deep levels of the mine, had dealt in shares. T&e report accus-ss Vickers of having deliberately perjured himself when giving evidence before the commission. Vickers gave information in reference to the essay to Francis Earp sufficient to effect a con- \ siderable share deal on their joint account. ! The report concludes as follows : — " Although, perhaps, the actual modus operandi of the frauds is not- disclosed, the commissioners trust that sufficient has been brought to light concerning the practices that obtained in the Boulder Deep Levels ' to indicate how such an occurrence may to some extent be guarded against in future." FREMANTLE, November 30. S The Orizaba has arrived. The accident reported by the Grosser Kurfurst of a steam pipe bursting end killing five of the coolie crew occurred at 7 o'clock on Friday morning. There was a terrible rush of steani, which enveloped the vessel. She j gradually slackened speed and stopped. I The second engineer, who had just oome ! on deck to make his report to his chief, guessed what bad happened, and rushed forward to the stoke-hold,' whence volumes of steam were issuing. After about 10 minutes, and before the steam had properly cleared, the engineer and the white greasers descended the stoketoold and saw a terrible sight. The branch steam pipe, Bin in diameter, leading from the main pipe tf» the port forward boiler had burst, and of eight Indians employed in the vicinity not one escaped uninjured.,. The greasers proceeded to draw the fires, and the engineers removed the men to the deck. Four were dead, two who were badly wounded died' the same day, one was seriously injured (he will be landed at Colombo), and the eighth was slightly hurt. The men who were killed were literally cooked, and, the hair on their bodies was blown off.

The steam pressure was 1601b at the time of the explosion. The second engineer had a narow escape, as he had examined the pipe two minutes before the explosion, and went on deck to report to his chief that steam was escaping. December 1. AnotliM- of the coloured firemen injured on the Orizaba by the bursting of a steam pipe is dead. December 5. A fire destroyed Harriss, Scarf e, and Co.'s large warehouse heavily stocked witli. Christmas goods. The damage to the stock is estimated at £25,000, and to the building at £10,000. A large quantity of cartridges and other explosives were in the building, and several explosions occurred. Two men were injured by flying debris. A third received a charge in the leg from a caitridge.