INTERCOLONIAL. MELBOURNE, June 28.

Otago Witness, Issue 2677, 5 July 1905, Page 28

INTERCOLONIAL. MELBOURNE, June 28.

Replying to certain statements made by Cardinal Moran in his speech dealing with. Mr Reid's references to the Pope's atti^ tude on Socialism, the Premier said that' these amounted to an absolute fabrication.He did not think that Cardinal Moran would stoop to any intentional misrepresentation, but it was clear that he had been misled by someone.

The second session of the Federal Par* liament was opened by Lord Northcote today. There was a full attendance. The Speech contained only five clauses. It simply referred to resubmitting the scheme for the redistribution of seats, which will J&& intioduced without delay. Members

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iwere completely taken by surprise at the abrupt termination of the Address.

As soon as Lord Northcote had withdrawn, and the significance of the Government's move dawned upon members, they burst into general laughter, interspersed •with shouts from the Oppositionists, who were apparently chagrined. Gradually members dispersed, and the House met again for business in the afternoon.

July 1. The year's revenue was £190,000 above that of last year, the from the Commonwealth being £2,017,000, an increase of £14,000. July 3. Mr Bent, the State Premier, announces ft surplus of half a million: The Federal revenue for the year was '£8,788,000; the Treasurer's estimate was £8,906,000. SYDNEY, June 27. Tjhe Pelawmain Colliery has restarted xroxk with free labourers, under police protection. , At the annual conference of public fe£hc/ol -teachers' a proposal" -to establish a ' system- of university examinations on commercial was strongly condemned. -fc-The" Mbrning Herald says that the Kaiser's cabled intention to maintain cruisers, in -the Pacific and Indian Oceans may. or may not be a- covert menace to Australia, . bat there is no room to doubt that this development of German policy brings us a step further within the evernarrowing circle o£ European interests, and the chances of -becoming involved in war. Another step towards the permanent disturbance of Australia's isolation is emphasised by German expansion* in the Pacific. June 28.

An insane woman at Bourke disemJbowelled herself with a pair of scissors, and then set fire to her clothing. She died from her injuries.

The Zealandia, when leaving the wharf for Newcastle, collided with the stpamer Glaucus. A plate in the stern of the Zealandia was fractured, necessitating its removal. She sailed again in the evening. It will not delay her departure for New Zealand. The Glaucus was undamaged. James and John MTnto&h, of the firm of M'lntosh and Son, ironmongers, were awarded £800 damages against Bun and Co., trading as the Mercantile Agency Company of Sydney, for libel embodied in a, circular issued by the agency dealing with the financial position of the firm. i£IO>OQO was claimed. June 29. The Arbitration Amending Bill has passed through all its stages. During the first year of its existence the High Court has reversed approximately three out of every four cases appealed against from the Supreme Court. June 30. Further losses in "stock from rinderpest fere reported from German New Guinea. The" first shipment of butter under the new coutract was made to-day. At the sheep show Mr James Gibson, of Tasmania, and Mr M'Coughey, of Coonong, j were awarded the grand champion prizes for merinos. The Governor-General, at the sheep show, sent for Mr Samuel M'Caughsy, a, well-known pastoralist, and informed him that the King had conferred a knighthood .on him. July 1. During the wool year 575,260 bales were shipped. This is 118,000 bales above the aiumber last year. Speaking at the sheep show, the Minister of Agriculture stated that he believed the coming wool clip would be one of the best in the history of the Stale. Ho estimated that 40 million sheep would be ehorn, yielding 61b to 7£lb per sheep. The revenue returns for the year show cv increase of £60,000 above last year, leaving a surplus of £187,000 after paying £300,000 off the public debt. The balance returned from the Commonwealth was £2,529,000, being a decrease of £154,000.

July 3. A case of plague is reported at Newcastle. The Public Service Board has issued a report in connection with the inquiry into the working of the State Labour Bureau. This shows that labour in New South Wales is generally in a condition of demoralisation. The men have been so propped up and assisted that a. doubt is expressed whether they would ev«r get back to the labour conditions when a man knew he should give a fair day's work for a fair day's wage. Stone-breaking as relief i work has proved very expensive. The expenditure was nearly £67,000, and the loss amounted to £26,000. Steamer a railway tickets involved £89,000. The refunds amounted to £31,000. The balance was irrecoverable. There is a consensus of opinion that there are a large number of unemployed at present in the State, and that the winter is likely to see considerable , distress. The board recommends the abolition of the Trades Hall branch of the bureau, and that the Central Bureau • be controlled by one commissioner. C\ae ( witness stated that so unsatisfactory had j the labour supplied by the bureau proved that the Central Railway Station cost 12 to 15 per cent, more than it should. BRISBANE, . June 28. ' News has been received from German ! New Guinea of the murder by natives of C. P. M'Conville, a well-known "trader. June 29. I

Mr M'Conville, a well-known resident of Sydney, landed near Kowkowai, on Boonville Island, which is German territory. Three natives killed him with their tomahawks while he was sleeping in a boat. II ; is stated that recently a chief belonging to ' Shortland Island was imprisoned for some trifling offence, and that this so enraged the, chief of Kowkowai that he swore to have revenge on the first white man who landed. M'Conville was on his first visit to the vicinity of the place where he met his =death.

PERTH, June 28.

Later reports of the murders by blacks show that most of the victims were sivagmen, or with pack-horses. They were killed in the vicinity of Goldfields Creek and Ashburton River, being either speared or tomahawked, some of them they were asleep. The bodies were mutilated. It is believed that in more than one instance they were cut up and eaten.

Besides the nine murders already reported, two others are suspected. Tht» ringleaders, Mdnkey and Toby, have been arrested.

June 30

Willis, when interviewed, declared that his arrest was a scandalous piece of work, planned with the object of destroying him. He said that there were four factions in the New South Wales Land Department, and that what one" did the others all opposed.