INTERCOLONIAL. MELBOURNE, October 15.

Otago Witness, Issue 2849, 21 October 1908, Page 24

INTERCOLONIAL. MELBOURNE, October 15.

The harvest prospects are encouraging. It is expected that most districts will be above the average. October 19. The Australasian Medical Congress has opened. All the States and New Zealand aie stiongly represented. The conf'eience adopted a resolution of rogret at the death of Sir Thoraap Fit/.gerald, and appreciation of his services to the profession and science. The Customs authorities seized four cases that aTiived by Uie steamer Aldenham, marked ''Curios." They were found t j contain over £2000 worth of opium. ■SYDNEY, October 13. A society has been formed to promote the establishment of cremation. October 15. The death of Mr James Inglis, merchant., author of " Our Zealand Cousins," " Tent Life in Tigerland," and other books, is announced. October 16. A successful trial has been made of a new explosive invented by Mr Pomeroy, a New Zealander. October 17. The work of the Licensing Court under the Local Option Bill is completed. The number of hotels closed throughout the Stste is 292, equal to about 9.66 of the total. ADELAIDE, Oatober 13. A bill has been introduced to improve and extend looal option. The principal provisions include the registration of existing barmaids and the prohibition of their employment in future. BRISBANE, 'October 19. Advices by the Japanese mail steamtr 5-liow that -cholera is very bad in Manila, It rs estimated that tihe deatbhs amongst the natives amount to 100 daily. HOBART, October 14. Mrs Sparks and a little igirl were killed while attempting to make a short cutfhrough a railway tunnel. THURSDAY ISLAND, October 14. Advices from Manila state that owing to the prevalence of cholera none of the naen belonging i-o the American squadron

were allowed ashore, and all the celebrations were consequently abandoned.