AUSTRALIAN TELEGRAMS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 10706, 31 August 1896, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN TELEGRAMS.

Adelaide, August 81. Professor Pennefather has resigned the Professorship of Law in the University owing to ill-health, A lad named Sadler, aged 15, a pupil at St Peter's College, suicided by shooting himself ratner than undergo punishment for 'some schoolboy offence. Melboubnb, August 29. The officer despatched to Monte Video has fully identified Geake, the defaulting Daylesford solicitor. The Commission appointed to enquire into the position of local bodies who obtained Government loans to construct water and irrigation works have found that Water Trusts, and particularly Irrigation Trusts, have proved a failure, and tbat the Government sanctioned irrigation works without any regard whatever to the question whether the schemes were likely to prove payable. Money was prodigally thrust'upon Trusts and expended without any regard to repayment. The total expenditure out of loan money on irrigation has been £1,636,000 on which the State pays over £65,000 interest annually receiving in return only £5785. Good rain has fallen throughout the colony, and greatly improved the pi'Oßpects of the wheat and other crops. The Supreme Court has granted an application fixing the dates of return summonses for an unpaid call of 25s per share in the City of Melbourne Bank. The liquidators stated that tho debts due by the Bank amouutto £2,756,000, and assets^ apart from money due by contributors, do not exceed £1,245,000. The total uncalled capital is £245,700, of which they did .not expect to got more than £80,000, Melbourne, August 81. Heavy rain has fallen throughout the country, and thanksgiving services were held in the churches yesterday. The Yarra is running bank high, and much damages has been done to low lying suburbs. Sydney, August 29. The Minister of Agriculture has a high opinion of the value of model farms, and announces l that the Government will establish them in suitable localities whenever necessity arises. It is expected that the use of improved varieties of seed and better cultivation, as demonstrated at Wagga farm, will prove that in wheat culture it will be possible to augment the colony's production by at least £150,000 annually. Another very extensive fall has taken place in the Wickham, Bullock Island, colliery, accompanied by aloud, rumbling noise. A large area of the main street in Wickham has considerably subsided. The tramway and many houses are badly damaged, and owing to -the dangerous nature of the latter several were vacated. No one is working in the pit. Perth, August 31. Tho Budget shows that the estimated revenue last year was £1,311,000, while the actual receipts were £1,858,000., The estimated expenditure was £1,572,000., and the amount spe,nt The Government will spew} £483,000 on public works. They do not propose to reduce taxation beyond £20,000, which will take the form of remission of certain duties, including mining machinery.