INTERCOLONIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3115, 26 November 1913, Page 25

INTERCOLONIAL.

MELBOURNE, November 18. The Austrian steamer Josefagost Fokerczeg, from Fiume, lias arrived. Her general cargo was seriously damaged by fire and water. The outbreak was discovered on Saturday, 40 miles off Portland. The flames burned fiercely, and the destruction of the vessel was threatened. After many hours’ hard fighting the crew managed to check the fire, and the hatches were removed and the flames extinguished. Arthur Gilbert Vial, 23 years of age, has been remanded on a charge of sending a threatening letter to Mr J. Hill, chairman of the Geelong Harbour Trust. The accused pleaded that the letter was only “bluff.” Mr Hill is Vial’s uncle. November 21. The balance sheet of the Postal Department for the year shows a total loss, after paying interest and pensions, of £407,000, SYDNEY, November 18. At a political meeting Mr Wade said : “Take my word for it that if the Liberal party is returned an invitation will bo sent* to the Governor-general to return to New South Wales.” The announcement was greeted with much enthusiasm. November 19. Mr Arthur Henry Adams, a well-known New Zealander, has won a prize of £IOO offered by the firm of Farmers (Limited) for an Australian national song. There were 772 competitors. The judges were Professors M'Callum of Sydney University, and Tucker of Melbourne University.

November 20. The Privy Council having granted the appeal against the State Government taking over Government House, the committee of protest is appealing for further funds to carry the campaign to a final issue. The Philomel, the warship which has been commissioned for the New Zealand station, has arrived at Thursday Island from the East Indies, en route to Auckland. Bathurst is en fete celebrating its centenary. Many prominent guests are taking part, including the daughter of Mr Evans, the surveyor who discovered the Bathurst plains. The remains of an extensive prehistoric aborigines’ camp belonging to the Stone Age have been discovered at Port Macquarie. The whole area is covered with kitchen middens and other relics. With very few exceptions the articles found are of the chipped type. November 21. Mr Thomas It. Roydhouse, editor of the Sunday Times, has resigned. He intends to take up farming in New Zealand, of which country he is a native. November 22. Two employees of a co-operative society, when driving into Broken Hill, were bailed up by a masked man who threatened them with a revolver. They handed over £7O of the society’s and their own money. The robber, who was mounted on a bicycle, escaped. A tender of £164,000 has been accepted for the erection of the Federal bank’s headquarters in Moore street. Numbers of persons have been fined under the compulsory section of the Federal Enrolment Act for failing to secure their enrolment for defence purposes. The weather is very hot. High temperatures have been recorded at many places inland, the highest being 116 deg in the shade at Urandangie. November 24. Barry swam 66 yards in 33 2-ssec —a record. _ A tragedy occurred at the Gladcsville Asylum. A patient named Samuel Dyer wrenched a bar from a bedstead and battered to death another patient named Brow’n, who w'36 asleep in an adjoining room. Ho then tried to kill two attendants, but he was secured after a struggle. Dyer is normally harmless, but ho is subject to mental storms. Speaking at the Australian Institute of Journalists’ complimentary dinner to him, Sir George Reid deprecated for the present any closer Imperial union. His study had convinced him that Australia had no desire for a larger part in Imperial affairs, and showed no anxiety for any tie of an arbitrary or compulsory character between the Mother Country and the dominions. Cyclonic storms in the Northern River and Glen Innes districts have caused much damage, including the wrecking of three churches and the oversetting of a fourth. A fire at the Burraga copper mine entailed damage amounting to £IO,OOO, and a large number of employees have been thrown idle. Bishopsthorpo, near Goulbuni, the residence of Bishop Barlow, baa been destroyed by fire. Tire building was an historic one, and contained many valuable historic relics. The damage is estimated at £IO,OOO. PERTH, November 19. The newspaper Worker lias been fined £5 on each of four charges of publishing unsigned political articles during the recent Federal elections. BRISBANE, November 18. The Assembly has adjourned till December 2. The Premier announced that the early close of the session was due to his proposed visit to London in connection with the loan conversion. Intense heat has been experienced, a temperature of over 106 deg in the shade being registered in the city, which is a record for November. November 20. Mr Denham, the Premier of Queensland, and of the firm of Denham Brothers, produce merchants, are claiming £SOOO, in each case, from Senator Myles Ferricks, for alleged defamation which was contained in a statement made by Mr Ferricks in the Federal election campaign regarding Denham Brothers’ dealings wdth a customer. The plaintiffs also alleged that Mr Ferricks said at the declaration of the poll that Government money was used to fight Labour candidates. LAUNCESTON, November 23. Two men, George Blake and Lindsay [ Douglas, were killed through the overturning of a motor car.