INTERCOLONIAL MELBOURNE, April 18.

Otago Witness, Issue 2719, 25 April 1906, Page 19

INTERCOLONIAL MELBOURNE, April 18.

c A gang of women have been carrying out systematic shop-lifting for some time past, goods being stolen to the extent of a £20 or £30 a day. Two arreets have . been made. April 20. In connection with the arrest of a Chinas man as a prohibited immigrant, who had :- ! returned to Victoria after a residence of -, five years in China, Judge Caesen ordered y his discharge, holding Chat no Australian, s naturalised or native, could b© debarred

from returning to the Commonwealth by the "provisions of the Immigration Restrictions Act. Archbishop Clarke has made a pronouncement in reference to the recent ritualistic practices at St. Peter's, Eastern Hill. He states : "In this diocese I cannot sanction or permit any ceremonial or liturgical use of incense." April 23. The eight hours' celebrations took place to-day in fine weather. The unions mustered strongly, and great crowds watched the procession. There was a record attendance at the sports. SYDNEY, April 17. The bulk of those who were i>rresteJ when the two-up school in Engine street was raided pleaded " Xot guilty,"' and were remanded for a week. Seven pleaded " Guilty," and were fined £5 each. A unanimous agreement has been arrived at by the representatives of New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia for the settlement of the Murray water difficulty. The limitation placed on New South Wales pending the establishment of a system of water conservation worke lias been fixed at 220,000 cubic feet per minute, and for Victoria at 130,000 cubic feet, during the dry months of the year. Theee amounts have reduced the volume in the river channel at the eastern" boundary. That of South Australia must not be reduced below 70,000 cubic feet per minute. A financial article in the Daily Telegraph, while declaring that the London Statist's estimate of £20,000,000 beingsent Home for investment is exaggerated, admits that £12,000,000 had been remitted within the past two years. April 18. The town clerk's annual report shows that the capital value of Sydney properties for rating purposes is £45,545,000, an increase of £646,000 on the preceding year. The death rate for the city is the lowest for eight years. The weather was very sultry to-day, which was the hottest April day experienced for 17 years. The thermometer registered 88 degrees in Sydney, and it ranged as high as 104 degrees in the country. Heavy gales are predicted on the coast and between Bass Strait and New Zealand. Mr Carruthers, the State Premier, states that while a very large amount of Austialian money has gone to London for investment, it has not been done suddenly. Tlie money was sent pending better securities in New South Wales and other States. April 19. 1 The statistics for 1905 show that the population oi the State has increased by 34,500 on the preceding year, of which 24,500 are by excess of births over deaths. The birth rate is equivalent to 26.72 per thousand. In the metropolitan area the birth rate is the highest for 10 years. The death-rate is 10.13 per thousand, which is 5 per cent, below the mean average for the last 10 years. The deaths from phthisis are the lowest for five years, while the mortality from cancer is steadily increasing, the rate being 12 per million higher than the quinquennial average. A fire started in ths large premises occupied by the shipping firm of Messrs CJibbs and Bright, in Pitt street, to-night, and , it is believed that the building has been gutted. Sir Robert Stout, interviewed by the Herald,, said he regretted the decline in tne exports from New Zealand to the Commonwealth. There was need for some sort of reciprocity. The Herald, commenting on this, fails to see the necessity for reciprocity, remarking : "We can produce everything that New Zealand can produce, and if we are inclined to the opinion that ', we can produce it better, such an opinion is at the worst only an error of judgment." April 20. I The shipment of butter from the Com- ! monwealth to the United Kingdom was 23,842 tons, an increase of 1637 tons on that of the previous season. As a consequence of the mine fires, the 6haft in the Junction North mine slipped, and the 6haft is practically dtstroyed. 1 Messrs Gibbs, Bright, and Co.'s building

included the piem.stK " >. - aiimry and Henty, merchants ; Lysaghts, galvanised iron manufacturers ; the Australian Timber and Export Company ; and the Bile Beans Manufacturing Company. The latter's premises were completely destroyed, and extensive damage 'was done to others. Tho building was insured for £20,000. The Shipping Services Commfssion will probably report that the establishment of the Commonwealth's own line of 'steamers is not advisable, though such a line may become necessary if the operations of tho combine prove detrimental. April 21. The sentence of death has been recorded, with a recommendation to mercy, in the case of the boy Hembrow, wlio shot a man named Munrog with intent to murder him and get possession of ths man's bicycle. At. an early hour on the morning' o£ February 8 David Monroy, a resident of Monteagle, was taken to Young suffering from shot wounds a.nd other injuries. Monroy was negotiating with Hembrow. as a.g«nt, for the exchange of a bicycle for a trap, . and went to meet the owner, of the trap.' The appointment was not. kept. by the latter, and -Monroy was unwilling' to> eitertain a second offer. As he was szt-v. ling in a paddock. Hem brow shot at M<Sn-> M roy with a pea-rifle, • three shots takingseffect -at the back of the bead, while two^ others lodged behind the shoulder- and in; the, arm., Hembi'ow. after firing, the shots,; struck at Monroy with the rifle, inflicting" serious injuries. •" _• April 22. The funeral of the late Mr .Robert: Brough, the well-known actor and manager,was largely attended. An Afghan who called for food at the Raeburn Station, in the Goulburn district, remarked : " I want to die ; I think the policeman will get me." Then he went away some distance, built a huge fire, and with the aid of a long pole vaulted into the midst of the flames and perished. April 23. The majority of those who were arrested on the 14th inst., when the police raided an alleged two-up school in Engine street, pleaded " Guilty ' at the court to-day. Each defendant was fined £4, with the exception of the doorkeeper and ringmaster, who were fined £75 each. The total number arrested was nearly 200, and seven who pleaded "Guilty" last week were fined £5 each. ADELAIDE, April 18. Captain Pearson, a North Sea and English Channel pilot, has been brought on here by the barque Genista. A terrific ■ gale prevented his being landed in England. April 23. The steamer Era, when leaving- Wallaroo, ran into the ship Mooltan, which was lying at anchor. She knocked a large hole in the Mooltan above the water-line. PERTH, April 21. The recent decision of the Premiers' Conference favouring the abolition of the bookkeeping clause is causing much uneasiness. The State Under-treasurer says that he can see no way out of the position of bankruptcy which stares them in the face in a few months' time if the Commonwealth adopts the per capita system of returning the Customs revenue to .the States. April 25. A train was partially derailed at Kalgoorlie. Fireman Newby was pinned against the boiler, and as it was impossible to extiicate him he was slowly roasted to death, bis piteous appeals to be pufc out of his misery lasting five hours. Sexton, the driver, had hl.s leg broken, and a man named Lind had his collarbone fractured. HOBART, April 19. Terrific storms of rain have been Taging on the west coast for the past few days. At Queenstown the whole of the West Queen train was washed away. Everybridge on the Mount Lyell railway was" either swept away or badly damaged. On© house was completely demolished, and many flooded. A number of people became , isolated on a bit of rising ground. They, had to be drawn through the turbulent; . waters by means of ropes to a place o2 safety. Flood waters have broken into, the North Lyell mine, and filled the maii^s shaft from the 800 ft to the 700 ft level^