THE COMMONWEALTH.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13943, 1 July 1909, Page 5

THE COMMONWEALTH.

■• -Tsaa FEDERAL POLITICS. Press Association-IJy Telegraph-Copyright ~:■ MELBOURNE,' Junoi 30. Tho House carried the Government supply by 34 to 26, after an. acrimonious debate, during'" which the ' chairman threatened to name Mr Jo- ; , sepli Cook, who resented Sir' W. J. Lyne's taunts. ' BURKING ENQIURY. v The inquiry into; Sir Thomas Bent's. , land transactions was interrupted, by the refusal of Mr Mackay, ex-Minister > q'f; Labour, to disclose what had taken place in the Cabinet. Tho chairman held that the King's comriiission to enquire! -into the' actioiis of a Minister ; would over-ride the oath taken on joining the Cabinet. The Government :■; will be requested to give permission to Mr Mackay to state what he. : knows. .• , . • . VICTOR LAN AFFAIRS. The Governor opened the State Parliament. In' his speech lie referred . < to the satisfactory condition of tho ■ finances, and expressed confidence that Victorians would 'bcerfully bear their ■ proportio'n of the cost of tjio Drekd- : nought • promised I .in conjunction .■: with m New South Wales. The >. Cabinet rccog- ■ nised the urgency of effecting a fundiir v mental, change in the incidence:;,. 0f.,,"' land taxation. A. Bill was promised . providing for an unimproved value tax.. •.v.j Irrigation and intense, culture: in, ir-; , ■> rigablo areas would receiyo prominent ; is? attention. Tho construction of A modern dock in Melbourne to supply the requirements of-tho Admiralty and mercantile shipping .services. eluded in the programme; also Vis-.:■:■ orous railway construction, tho cstab-,; , !ssbinentof a State coal jnine, and. the prevention and eradication of tuboreu- ' v. losis. ' THE QUARANTINE ACT. ' . Australia will come under- the Fede*- ■■■>' fal 'Quarantine Act to-morrow. SUPPLY BILL. ■ The -Federal-.•.House is discussing ihe second reading of the Supply Bill. POSITION DECLINED, SYDNEY, Juue 30., . Mr AVade,Hhe Premier, stated in the_ > .i: House that-lie . had been urged to ac T ; nvs cept tho Chief Justieesliin, but had ! ; declined. i '- < SENTENCE FOll FRAUD. Parry,, solicitor, has. been sentenc- v. Ed to five years', imprisonment fraud. , The defalcations amounted to over £IO,OOO \ V Received 0.5 p.m.,' Juno 30th. .> ~ A GENEROUS GIFT. Sir Samuel McCa'ughey has\ given £IO,OOO to the Dreadnought fund. THE VAN SPILBERGEN. ■The: Van Spilbergen has been, and was found to have sustained no - ~ serious: damage. • . . Received 1.5 a.in., July Ist, ' THE CENSURE DEBATE. ■ Tho censure debate in tho Stale rar- , . 7 " ' liament. is 'dragging along. BANK RECONSTRUCTION. The Australian Joijit Stpck Bank dli rectors have decided to reconstruct. rv . ■ The present shareholders arc to be i 1 ! given £1 shares in the' new concern' ! against their- uncalled liability of £2 1 10s per sliare. Arrangements arc also to be made for the holders of inscribed deposits to take up shares if they, dteiro , : , j to do so. Tlio new share capita! of. . - the bank, which it is understood is to ■ be called the Australian Bank of Commerce, will bo £3,582,000. Ono of; . the directors of the Bank of New Zea,i land is arranging with the British shareholders, w)io reported on the scheme. 1 IMPORTANT INDUSTRY. PERTH, June 30. ' ' Sir Joseph Ward was shown briquettes made by a local invention from, : West port coal, and advised tlio inventor to proceed to New Zealand, and push the invention. OBITUARY. Advices have been receivrd of the v . Sir Georgo Shenton, ox-prc s jMf the Legislative Council. QUEENSLAND POLITICS^ "■'■.. BRISBANE, June . Parliament' was officially opened to^ 'day, The Governor's : speech referred to the efforts which'had been made to ~ induce the State to participate in naval defence, but these had been declined on the ground that it was the dut.y of tho C'oiiimonwealth to control military and naval; affairs. The promised legislation includes several ne>v rail■waySj a Bill, for the orcjat'ion. of a Uni- , vcrsity, and a Licensing Bill.