AUSTRALIAN.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12752, 2 May 1912, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN.

(Press Assn.— By Telegraph.— Copyri^'it.) SYDJNEY, May 1. Alderman G. T. Clarke has been elected Lord Mayor, of Sydney. Mr Clarke Avas formerly "Mayor of St. Kilda (Dunedin), and town clerk of South Dunedin. (Received Mo v 2, 9.20 a.m.) SYDNEY, May 2. At the annual conference of the NeAv South Wales Alliance, a motion m favor of amending the Liquor Act, for a straight-out vote Avith a simple majbrity to decide, Avas negatived by 24 to 13. A motion favoring reduction of the hours of hotels being open Avas adopted. The birth-rate for April is the highest since April 1897, arid is 11 per cent, above the" average for the last five years. (ReceiA'ed May 2, 10.15 a.m.) MELBOURNE, May 2, Arrangements have been made with the 'GoA'ernment statistician to draAv up an anthropometric standard of children of the Common Avealth. ; The census return giving religious classifications m the Commonwealth shoAV the following figures of leading sects : Church of England, 1,710,443 ; Catholic, 921,425; Presbyterian, 558,336 ; Methodist, .547,806; Congregational, 74,046; Baptist, 97,074; Church of Christ, 38,748; Salvationists, 26,665; Protestants (undefined), 109,861. Freethinkers number 3254, and Agnostics 3084. ' ,'