INTERCOLONIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3030, 10 April 1912, Page 23

INTERCOLONIAL.

MELBOURNE, April 2. The oat crop area for 1911-12 is 302.238 acres, and the yield 4.585,326 bushels, compared with 392,681 acres and 6,699.127 bushels for- the previous year. | April 3. M. Stanhope won the Singles Cham- j pionship at the Victorian bowling tourna- ' ment. A Government £1,500,000 loan of 3£ per cent., consisting of inscribed stock | and debentures, was floated locally. It averaged £97 10s 4d. The public subscribed £1,563.450. Warren Lewis, an importer, has been fined £l2ll for evading Customs duty. April 4. The Postmaster-general has approved a design for the Federal stamp. It consists of a map of Australia across the top. As a result of the census the number of Victorian seats in the Federal House will be reduced from 23 to 22. The Treasurer has decided to create a Commonwealth Government per cent, inscribed stock, as from April 1, and is issuing £2,406,000 worth. | An outcome of the magistrate's decision is that the Federal Government will remit all fines on cadets for non-attendance at

drills. SYDNEY, April 2. The masked burglar has reappeared—this time at Darlinghuret. He entered two residences, and though at each place was confronted by the inmates, he made his escape. He secured over £IOO in money and jewellery. April 3. The Government Statist's advance estimate of the wheat yield is 24,616,100 bushels, an average of 10.54 bushels per acre. This is 1,245,000 bushels in excess of the December estimate. .April 4. The American War Department is inviting tenders from Australia for 60,000 tons of coal for the Philippines. Private cablegrams announce definitely that the Oceanic Company will resume operations in the San Francisco-Sydney service on July 2. April 5. Australian Manufacturers' Week will beheld all over the Commonwealth during the first week in October. April 6. The imports of motor cans last year are valued at £1.237,000, New South Wales leading with cars to the value of £529,000. April 8. The number of passengers carried on the trams in the city during the holidays was 1,015,000, which constitutes a record. ADELAIDE, April 4. The Shortage of Labour Commission recommends the importation of 600 men and women belonging to different trades and 20 tailors. It expresses the opinion that no female factory operatives should be imported unless they are guaranteed a j minimum wage of 27s 6d per week. PERTH, April 2. A man fatally stabbed Constable Fletcher at Broome. He was arrested. April 8. While a lad named Robert Crichton was playing on a dump at the Harmans Consols mine, Kalgoorlie, he came in contact with a live wire, and was electrocuted, death being instantaneous. A fire destroyed Montgomery's drapery : fit-ore at Kalgoorlie. The damage, which j is estimated at £6OOO, is covered by insnrance. j BRISBANE, April 6. A mail bag, containing cheques and other valuables representing £IOOO, niys- ' teriously disappeared some days ago, and there is no trace of it. A fire in tin? mail train damaged several mail bags, and a number of others are also missing. April 8. A cyclone was experienced at Innesfail on Sunday afternoon. Twenty and a-half inches of rain fell. The telegraph lines are down, and the particulars are meagre. PORT MORESBY, April 1. Mr Frank Pryke, the leader of the Government prospecting expedition in Papua, reports being treacherously attacked by natives on the Vailala Rirer. Mr Pryke received an arrow in the body, and replied with rifle fire, killing one native. The others fled. SUVA, April 8. Tom Hogan, an ex-Australian cham- j

' pion, has completed 40 hours' hall punchj ing. which is claimed to he a world's ' record. I At the annual rifle meeting the Governor's Cup was won by J. H. Butler, with a score of 181, D. Chalmers being second I with a similar score.