INTERCOLONIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3033, 1 May 1912, Page 23

INTERCOLONIAL.

MELBOURNE, April 26. Dr Norris, director of quarantine, has completed his tour of the world to inquire concerning various systems of quarantine. His report states, regarding vaccination, that Australia is the worst protected civilised community in the world. He recommends an outlay on quarantine stations throughout Australia amounting to £150,000, with an immediate expenditure of £BO,OOO. The Minister of Customs (Mr Tudor) is placing the latter sum on the Estimates. April 29. Pfeiffer, who murdered his sister-in-law on December 12, was executed to-day. SYDNEY, April 23. A special session of the Congregational Union adopted the minority report of the committee appointed to consider the union of churches. The report urges the union, with the retention of the basic principles of the Congregational, Methodist, and Presbyterian Churches. During the voyage of the Moana from Wellington to Sydney a child named Marjorie Ethel Taylor, aged three years, died, and was buried at sea. 'Die rain is lighter in the country districts than was anticipated, and the wheat market has hardened from 3s ll|d to 4s Id. April 24. The Commercial Stores at Mundooran were destroyed by fire. The damage is estimated at £3OOO. Lionel Martin, a shop assistant, who was sleeping on the premises, was overcome, by the smoke

and burned to death. Another assistant escaped. The Cabinet has decided to increase the wages of all unskilled labourers employed on Government works from 8s to 9s a day. April 25. In connection with the recent burglaries, a man named Eichmond was sentenced to seven years on each of 14 different charges, the sentences to be concurrent. A meat exporter, in his evidence before the Food Commission, denied the truth of the alleged operations of the agents of the American Meat Trust in the local markets, and in support of his contention he stated that meat was cheaper in New South Wales than in any other part of the world. Four ladies were fined 5s each for wearing dangerously protruding hatpins. These are the first prosecutions under the new by-law. April 26. The agenda paper for the Labour. Congress to be held in June includes motions in favour of the Ministerial control of railways, the repeal of the compulsory Military Training Act, the federation of the Labour Councils of Australia and New Zealand, a* working week of five days or 45 hours, and the preservation of the right to strike. The steamer Red Pine, for the Red Pine Timber company’s New Zealand coastal trade, has been successfully launched at BJacbwall. April 28. Sir Joseph and Lady Ward have arrived. In an interview Sir Joseph said, on the question of closer relations between Australia and New' Zealand, that he believed New Zealand wished to follow her own line of defence, tut would welcome reciprocal trade. The steamer Bellinger is a total wreck at Nambucca Heads. The crew are being rescued. The Bellinger, which was a vessel of 229 tons, was built in New South Wales in 1802, and was owned by Mr J. Wright. She was 126 ft long and 29ft broad. April 29. At the trial of Skinner on a charge of murdering Mrs Watson on January 22 the jury was locked up for two days and then disagreed. Jacky Lacey, an aboriginal, has been sentenced to death for criminally assaulting Mrs Goldsmith, aged 94 years, on February 14. The victim subsequently died. Four masked and armed burglars entered the residence of Mr Couldery at Elizabeth Bay. They awoke the owner and presented revolvers at him, demanding his valuables. They coolly ransacked the room, then went to the door of his son’s room and demanded admittance. The son called for help, and the burglars escaped in a boat. During the voyage of the Maheno from Auckland to Sydney .thieves extracted jewellery valued at £2OO from the luggage of a lady passenger. BRISBANE, April 23. At Cloncurry the four men who were killed yesterday were working in an open cut in a limestone quarry when 150 tons fell on them. Brown and Donaghue were killed instantly, and Wilson and Cordilly succumbed to their injuries after they had been rescued. April 24. Owing to the bursting of a tyre a motor car was overturned at Killarney. Charles Pierce was killed and three other occupants were seriously injured. PERTH, April 24. - Besides giving £IOOO to the Trades Hall building, the Premier (Mr Scadden) has announced that he is prepared to purchase a site at a cost of £3BOO, to grant the hall a perpetual lease, and to consider the matter of taking up the Trade Council’s overdraft at a private bank and lending it sufficient to complete its building. FREMANTLE, April 24. A weatherboard cottage was destroyed by fire to-day. The charred remains of Mrs Ptolemy were subsequently found in a bed, and the bodies of her two young children were discovered near the door. They had perished while making an attempt to escape. HOBART, April 25. Captain Hore, the well-known African explorer ami missionary, who toured New' Zealand over 20 vears ago, is dead. SUVA, April 23. The Governor, in addressing the Council of Chiefs, to-day announced that in future grants of native land, whether to Europeans or natives, would be limited to the leasehold.