INTERCOLONIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3016, 3 January 1912, Page 25

INTERCOLONIAL.

MELBOURNE, December 24. The Government has decided to install automatic telephones at Geelong, in orde£ to tost the system with a view to ascerv taining whether it will be justified in extending the new system throughout the Commonwealth. A return of the account books kept by householders in the metropolitan are* shows that larger incomes have been drawn relatively by those with smallef families, but the books that have been returned are not sufficiently numerous W be of much value in an inquiry into the cost of living. Referring to the Victorian Saving? Bank Bill, Mi' Dacey states that New South Wales has power already to estab* lish the agencies sought in the southern State. The Government is establishing 34 agencies in those centres that are most affected by the stoppage of post office* doing this business, and others will b« rapidly pushed on. December 28. The Railway Commissioners have announced reductions in freights, mainly in favour of agriculture and industrial situated at long distances from the porta. The reductions aggregate over £75,000. A coach accident occurred -at Mount Dandenong. A party of 14 were driving to a picnic, when the horsea swerved and the waggonette was precipitated down the mountain side. All the members ol the party were injured. One person, who was badly crushed, was conveyed to Melbourne. The others are so seriously hurt that they cannot be moved. Particulars are meagre. December 29. It is now stated that the Mount Danderong coach accident is less serious than was at first thought. The driyer, who was conyeyed to Melbourne, was the worst sufferer, but he is expected to recover. The accident resulted through a lady pas. senger grabbing the reins. December 30. Of the 21 competitors in the motor cycle reliability run from Sydney nina finished without losing a point. The quantity of butter exported from Victoria during 1911 was 24,723 tons, of the value of £2,768,976. This is an increase of 4962 tons, of the value of £555,744, during the year just closed. January 1. A 13-year-old boy who has been arrested has confessed that he has broken into 16 houses, and was concerned in 30 cases of house-breaking. Nicholas King, of Lake Bolac, while demented through drink, attacked hLs daughter with a tomahawk and severely wounded her. He subsequently committed suicide. The daughter’s wounds are dangerous. The Federal Government is agitating for the nationalisation of one of the Atlantic cables. Mr Fisher denies that the Federal Government intends to remove the lepei station to Sydney. Owing to the capsizing of a canoe iit the Yarra Ruby Wood and Eva M'Cartney were drowned. Two male occupants of the canoe were rescued. \ SYDNEY, December 24. The Hon. G. H. Greene, M.L.C., ii dead. He was one of the largest wheatgrowers in this State. Madame Melba concluded her return opera season last night, when an enor« mous and enthusiastic audience greeted her. A serious outbreak of typhoid fever is reported from the Burrinjuck irrigation works. The shire authorities recommend the burning of the houses, in order to prevent the possibility of contamination of the water supply. The shortage of the water supply Is seriously affecting the breweries and cordial factories. Many hotels are unable to supply the demand. One hotel baa doubled the price of beer, and others ar# depending largely on bottled iiquor.

The increases in the tramway men’s wages represent an annual increase of £70,000. December 26. There was a collision in Sydney Har hour yesterday between the ferry boats Kore© and Kuribilli, 20ft of the latter’s bulwarks being carried away. One passenger was hurt, but his injuries are not of a serious nature. Over five and a-half million passengers were carried on the Sydney trams last week, this total amounting to nearly a million more than for the previous Christmas. December 37. The city water supply has been restored to the normal. -"Sergeant M‘Donnell was attempting to arrest a foreigner at Warren. In the struggle that ensued the man drew a revolver and shot the sergeant through the heart. Death was instantaneous. A pontoon supporting a landing platform at Moruya capsized. Thirty people were thrown into the river, and were rescued with difficulty. The miners at Broken Hill have rescinded a motion, which was recently - adopted, that in the event of a member of the union being killed in any min© the whole of the members would cease work for one shift. December 28. A fire destroyed the business portion of Narrabri West. Three hotels and seven business premises were burned. There was no water supply. There were several narrow escapes. The damage is estimated to be in the vicinity of £20,000. December 29. Serious defects are reported in the boiler tubes of the cruiser Prometheus, which recently left for China. She reached Port Darwin after an exciting trip through Torres Strait. Statistical returns show that 240.611 acres are under oat? in New South Wales. The yield is estimated at 1,715,000 bushels. The New South Wales Cabinet does not approve of the suggestion made by Mr M'Gowen (Premier) to allow the Go-vernor-general the use of Government House when in Sydney. The Cabinet decided to adhere to its former decision. The Fire Brigades’ Board has increased the pay of the men by Is per day, and has lengthened their holidays to a fortnight per annum. It has also considerably augmented the staff of firemen. Eight shipmasters have been fined a

1 total of £I2OO for allowing, prohibited immigrants to enter the Commonwealth. 1 The bankruptcy returns for the closing f year show that 331 petitions were presented. The liabilities were £109,359 and the assets £49,389, the deficiency being £59,970. S The proprietors of bond and free stores notify that from Tuesday next the rates for the use of the stores will be increased. They claim that they are compelled to raise the rates as a set-off a-gainst the increase in wages and other concessions allotted to the employees by the wages boards. December 30. Further publication of the map of New Guinea, prepared by Mr Stamforth Smith, has been stopped, owing to its accuracy having been questioned by Judge Mur- ; rayi In Sydney the year closing to-day has ' been a record one for transactions in ' real estate. It is estimated that the purchases of properties in the Stale of New South Wales during 1911 have totalled | nine millions sterling. Country land sales ' constituted the chief business, i The State Government will cover the 400 acres which it has acquired at Kensington with weatherboard houses, and hopes to be able to accommodate 5000 I people therein. The property is to be ! controlled on strictly business lines by a non-political board. December 31. 1 A burglar who was discovered in a boarding-house at Neutral Bay intimidated a lodger with a revolver and escaped. ( During the year 51 lives were lost owing to shipping disasters on the New South Wales coast. January 1. It has been decided to found chairs of Political Economy and Commerce, Botany, and Applied Chemistry at the Sydney University. New Year’s Eve was the quietest on record. The railway traffic shows an increase of 17,623 passengers over last year. ADELAIDE, December 27. A boat capsized on Lake Torrens today, and a man named Busch and Miss Irish were drowned. January 1. Three armed burglars entered tho residence of Mr Blitz, a dentist. The inmates were awakened, and the burglars demanded money. Mr Blitz fired three

shots from a revolver, and the burglars all replied, the bullets piercing Mr Blitz’s pyjamas. The burglars escaped, but without any booty. BRISBANE, December 25. Messrs Francis Mebel and John Jackson, both school teachers, were drowned at Caloundra, near Gympie, while attempting to rescue a woman bather. The latter was saved through the efforts of a third man. December 26. George Cooper, a wharf labourer, shot his wife seriously, and then committed suicide. December 27. Fire in the smelting works at Chillagoe did damage to the extent of £7OOO. This will involve a delay at the works of three months. At the Oxley races a horse struck a tree and rolled under a fence amongst the spectators. The rider and two of the spectators each had a leg broken, and two others were injured. PERTH, December 27. An Italian named Sileno fatally stabbed a miner named Darlington to-day as the result of the latter calling Sileno a “scab.” A New Zealand jockey named Percival Young, who was injured through his mount in a hurdle race falling, succumbed in the hospital. December 29. The Police Commissioner, in his asrinual report, states that there is an. alarming increase in crimes due to drink. No less than 53 per cent, of all the offences committed arose through drink, compared with 47 per cent, in the previous year. The commissioner urges that the licensing laws should be made more drastic.