INTERCOLONIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2861, 13 January 1909, Page 24

INTERCOLONIAL.

felbjsEY, January 7. The LaiJ Mayor, in a minute outj lining hi.s policy, strongly advocates the ; creation of a Greater Sydney and the wiping out of all the slum areas. The report of the medical officers who visit the public schools, which has been prepared fiom the statistics obtained during the past year, shows that in general health, physique, height, and weight the New South Wal.es school children compare favourably with British, American, and German, children. The sub-committee of the Rifle Association appointed to report on the success of the American team in the match fired during the visit of ths fleet considers that th» Ajnerican rifle ha 3 little advantage over that of the British. The success of the visitoi'3 was chiefly due to the superiority of tbeir ammunition, winch, however, had been specially prepared. January 8. As the result of an explosion of a naphtha tank at Hartley Vale, in the $lue Mountains, fiv© men were injured. One named Simpson has succumbed to

his injuries, and two others were taken to the hospital. The Orient S.S. Company has advised that two of the new steamers for the Australian mail service have been launched, that two will be launched this present month, and the last on the sth of April. The names of the vessels are the Orsova, Otway, Osterley, Ortranto, and Orvieto. The first-named sails for Australia on June 25, and the others follow in rotation. January 9. The Richmond River Company's eawmill at South Lismore has been destroyed by fire. The damage is estimated at £15,000. January 11. The Rifle Association has received an invitation from the National Rifle Association of America, for an Australian team to visit the United States nest September. The Government Statistician's revised estimate of the wheat yield is 15,731,000 bushels, an average of 12.6. The probable exportable surplus will be 4,000,000 bushels-. The schooner Eugenic, from the Solomon Islands, has reached Oape Hawke. Captain GoT-don died from malarial fever, and the mate (Anderson), the only other white man aboard, succumbed to fever and the effects of a very rcftigh passage, after a cir&w of islanders, who are untouched by fever. A youiiij man named Williams has been committed for trial on a charge of murdering a man named Johnston, whose body was found at Namoi, as cabled on December 25. The evidence showed that Williams had" sold ili& horses and outfit' with which the dead man had previously travelled.