INTERCOLONIAL. MELBOURNE, July 23.

Otago Witness, Issue 2785, 31 July 1907, Page 31

INTERCOLONIAL. MELBOURNE, July 23.

Patrick Barklie, chauffeur of the motor car which killed the Rev. J. Gillett on June 9, has been acquitted on a charge of manslaughter. July 25. An ancient 'cello has been found at Mount Noorat. When being taken to pieces for repairs it was found to contain a label bearing the words " Nicolo Amati, 1624," and a record that it was repaired at Versailles by Louis Daudet in 1781 for Louis XVI. July 26. The Postmaster-general (Mr Chapman) admitted in the Federal H<>uee of Representatives that the telephone service was notoriously bad throughout Australia. The department had neither wire nor machines. This was the result of the enormous demand for telephones. The time, however, was not far distant when every home would be able to have a telephone at a cost of Is per week. July 29. The Federal Government proposes to ask the House to vote £50,000 in order to bring the resources of Australia under the notice of the working classes of Great Britain. SYDNEY, July 23. A judgment obtained against the Daily Telegraph for libelling a "candidate at a recent election by classifying him as a Socialist has been set aside by the Full Court. The Chief Justice held that the judge in the lower court should have determined that there was no evidence upon which a rational verdict for the plaintiff could be found. July 25. The Lord Mayor has made an important offer to the Government which may lead to changes in the municipal administration. The basis of the offer is tnat the municipality should have the right of collecting the city land tax,'in return for which the council is to relieve the Government of the Rocks area, which was resumed during tlte plagoe oufljreafc, aix3 oth«r services involving an outlay of £50,000 annually, including the widening of certain streets, and generally to beautify the city. A serious epidemic of whooping cough, accompanied by broncho-pneumonia, has been experienced. It has caused more deaths than for any one year since 1901. It is now abating. Heavy clearances are being effected in the various States in anticipation of an alteration in the tariff. At Melbourne £135,000 was paid in duty yesterday and to-day. July 26. The Premier's confidential report shows that extraordinary sweating prevails in the dressmaking and millinery businesses. There are 900 girls who receive 5s a week and under. Mr Carruthers intends to legislate in order to fix. a minimum wage for juvenile labour. July 27. There has been great activity in building operations. During the year ended 30th June 207 buildings were erected within the metropolitan area, while within the past five years £10,000,000 has been expended in Sydney and suburbs on buildings. July 28. Admiral Fawkes, speaking at the annual dinner of- the Commercial Travellers' Association, indicated that in future a larger proportion of the supplies for the ships on the Australian station would be drawn from Australia and New Zealand. He supported the policy of the navy being fed by the Empire. July 29. An outbreak of fire was reported at 11.30 (the hour of the closing of the cable) to-night aboard the French mail steamer Ville de la Ciotat, which is lying at Circular quay. Several engines have gone to the scene, and, as the flames have not yet spread far, there are hopes of checking the outbreak before serious damage is occasioned. BRISBANE, July 23. A number of kanakas waited on the authorities and the Governor, and expressed a fear of being murdered if they were deported to Malaita. The Governor expressed his sympathy with them.

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