AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 26 July 1907, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

AN lIU'ORTANT Ol'itH. Sydney, July 25. The Lord Mayor made an important offer to the Government, which may lead to changes in municipal administration. The basis of the offer is that the municipality ahould have the right of collectting the city tax, and that in return the Council should relieve the Government of the Bocks area, which was resumed during the plague outbreak, afld undertake other services involving an outlay of £50,000 annually. Ita Council would widen certain streets and generally beautify the city. AN OLD "CELLO DISCOVERED. Melbourne, July .25. An ancient 'cello has been found at Mxml Moo rah. When being taken to pw*» for repairs it was found to contain the label "Nicoly Amati, 1624." There Is also a record that it was repaired at Versailles by Louis Daadeh in 1781 for Louis XVI. of France. MAHENCyS ROUGH TRIP. Sydney, July 25. The Maheno had a tempestuous voyage from Wellington. Forty-five sheep died daring the trip. VICTORIA'S PRISON' POPULATION. Melbourne, July 25. There has been a remarkable comparative decrease In the prison population of Victoria. In fifteen years the proportion of prisoners to the population has decreased from one in 613 to one in 2229. AS EPIDEMIC OF SICKNESS. _ Sydney, July 25. A serious epidemic of whooping-cough, accompanied bv broncho-pneumonia, has keen experienced here. It has already earned more death" than In any year •lace 1901. The epidemic is now nliatbg.