INTERCOLONIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3019, 24 January 1912, Page 25

INTERCOLONIAL.

MELBOURNE, January 15. A fire destroyed the roof and two top fbxirs of a six-storey warehouse belonging to Messrs Brooks, Robinson, and Son glaziers and colour merchants. The damage is extensive. A 3jft seam of coal has been discovered at the State coal mine at Wonthaggi at a depth of 1000 ft. The Premiers’ Conference will bo opened to-morrow. Important matters relating to the States and the Commonwealth will be discussed.

A shearer at Warrnambool waa awarded P.r, -damages because he was paid off for

refusing to shear wet sheep. The case was a test one. January 19. As a result of the recent expert report the Federal Government has ordered the commencement of the work for lighting Bass Straits. A number of leading artists and writers have memorialised the Federal Government to amend the Copyright Act by placing a duty of £5 on imported pictures and a duty of at least per cent, on foreign magazines and sixpenny novels, with a view to having this class of literature printed in Australia. SYDNEY, January 16.

The Taiyuan, which has arrived from I the East, has been quarantined on acj count of an outbreak of smallpox during I the voyage. The 10-mile cycling championship of New South Wales was won by Beck. Time, 25min 7sec. j The inquiry into the Speaker Willis charges against Mr Robinson is completed. The Commissioner will report to the Government. 1 It is noticeable that visitors from the Japanese warships are extensively purchasing maps of Sydney. The interim report of the Commissioner who is inquiring into the congestion in Darling Harbour finds that adequate provision has not been made for handling the outward merchandise, and that the necessary labour for landing it is not provided. Last year 6752 new buildings were completed in Sydney and suburbs, the value of which is £3,825,000. The residential flat system is rapidly growing, and a number of additional large flats and buildings are being erected. During a storm at Orange lightning shattered all the windows on one side of two carriages of a train. The passengers were uninjured. The heat is intense in the country. At some stations the temperature is 112 degrees. January 17. The barque Mataura, bound from Westport to New Britain, has put into Noumea for repairs. She encountered a cyclone on January 1 8, and the cargo shifted and threw the vessel on her beam ends. For a time the Mataura was in danger of foundering. j The hospitals in the metropolitan area are seriously overcrowded, and only ! urgent cases are being accepted. Intense heat still prevails in the country districts. At Mogil the temperature recorded was 114 degrees. Mr Johnson, Chief New South Wales Railway Commissioner, has left Sydney by the Mantua for a short holiday in New Zealand. I January 18. | The first of the new line of steamers chartered by Mr Ballade, of Noumea, to trade between France and Australia and New Caledonia has arrived. A regulation is gazetted under the Pure Foods Act that no person shall spit, j smoke, or chew tobacco while engaged in : the manufacture, packing, or storing of | any food for sale. As the result of an earth tremor at Pambula and Cooma, on the south coast, houses shook and furniture rattled. January 19. The council of the Prohibition party resolved, in view of the recent New Zealand referendum, to appeal to all temperance organisations to enter upon an active agitation to secure a State vote on the Issue “liquor or no liquor ” by a simple majority. The council also congratulated the Victorian Alliance on their adoption of this policy. The New South Wales banking averages for the December quarter show a drop of f per cent, in the proportion of cash to liabilities. The total deposits on the year increased by £5,263,000, and the advances increased by £6,054,000 on the year—nearly .15 per cent. A landlord, in the course of a circular to his tenants with reference to increasing rents, saddles the State and Common wealth taxation with forcing up the rents. \ An earth tremor was widely felt in the southern districts yesterday morning. It

was preceded by a heavy rumbling. A peculiar feature was the rapidity of the waves. There was no preliminary wave, and no damage. The half-yearly meeting of the Commercial Banking Company was held today. The profits amounted to £119,897, and a dividend at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum was declared. It was decided to increase the capital from 1,500,000 to £1,750,000. A Norwegian company with a capital of £75,000 is being formed. It will establish a whale fishing depot on the north-west coast of Australia. A meeting of business men strongly protested against the new income tax, and decided to take steps to secure a radical amendment of the more drastic provisions. The men of the Japanese warships have been extensively entertained. Every facility was placed at their disposal to make the visit enjoyable. Speaking at a social gathering, one , of the Japanese officers said that, nothwithstanding anything heard to the contrary, the Japanese feeling towards Australians was strong, deep, and real. The men of the navy would never forget their welcome here. The annual report of the Japanese Mail Line has been received. It indicates a possible extension to New Zealand. The president foreshadowed - the construction of seven new vessels- at a cost of £1,000,000, including two for the Australian trade. He added that one liner would suffice for the Australian service, but in the event of the line being extended to New Zealand one more must be added. January 20. The Government is resuming 15£ acres of land at Alexandria for the extension of the railway goods sheds and yards. This necessitates the demolishing of 280 houses. January 21. The Federal Minister of Defence (Senator Pearce) announces that Captain’s Point, Jervis Bay, has been selected as the site of the temporary Naval College. January 22. There has been another disastrous fire at Narrabri, where 11 shops in the main business block were destroyed. There were no fire appliances. The damage is not stated. The recent eight-hour demonstration yielded a profit of over £BOOO. The Japanese warships have sailed for home. ADELAIDE, January 17. The police arrested two women who ] were carrying a basket containing the ; body of a newly-born child. • , January 22. At Bull Creek a train with 150 passengers aboard was derailed, and ran down the embankment. The soft earth checked the descent. One carriage was smashed. . The passengers had a remarkable escape, none being injured. I A fir© at Renmark destroyed eight small shops. HOBART, January 17. ! It was stated in evidence before the Sugar Commission that if the duty were taken off sugar it would be the salvation of the small-fruit growers. j