AUSTRALIAN.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12909, 24 February 1906, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN.

United Press Association—Per Electric Telegraph—Copyright. PLAGUE. i PERTH. February 23. A fresh case of plague is reported at Fremantle, and another at- Geraldton. THE RAINS IN QUEENSLAND. BRISBANE, February 23. The heavy rains continue. The Thompson and' some either rivers are flooded, and are rising rapidly. AN APPEAL CASE. SYDNEY, Fehrnarr 23. Millard, a member of tie Assembly, appealed to the Full Court against his recent J-entence, principally on the ground that the evidence at the trial disclosed that there was no felonious intent to convert the money to his own use. The appeal was dismissed. The Court also directed that Millard shouid be struck off the roll of solicitors. THE OLD, OLD STORY. At Penrith George Thomas received sesfences of -one month, two and three month*. respectively on three charges -of obtaining money with intent to defraud. He wa* passing as heir to a fortune with an income •of_£4Doo a year, and on the strength of promises of munificent doeations to benevolent societies and other institutions, be succeeded in deceiving many influential persons in Sydney and elsewhere, obtaining considerable loans. He lived lavishly and victimised hotel-keepers and tradespeople wholesale. A RAILWAY ENQUIRY. The Royal Commission, of Enquiry into the alleged inharmonious relations of the Railway Commissioners has commenced it* sitting. Mr Oliver, Chief Gommissioneav gave lengthy evidence chiefly covering correspondence and matter which has already been published. SHIPMENT OF CHEESE. MELBOURNE, February 23. On Jhe strength of what he saw* of the cheese expert trade in New Zealand the Minister of Agriculture has arranged for an experimental trial shipment of cheese to* London, THE PACIFIC CABLE. Mr Milward, chief electrician for tie Pacific Cable Board, on being interviewed, said' jhat, rough.y speaking, the Pacific cable was getting about one-third of the business. If half were secured the present lows would be turned into a profit. He did not think there was any likelihood of a reduction of rates under existing conditions. About 95 -per centum of the messages were in code, each' coda word representing about four ordinary words, «o that a sender pays f*nly about 9d per wordSpeaking personally he does not think that Ibe pooling arrangements wjtn the Eastern Extensifja Company will' eventuate.