AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5485, 10 February 1896, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[Special to Press Association.] - SYDNEY, Feb. 8. A LAND INQUIRY. An important investigation has been commenced at Gunnedah by the local Land Board, into alleged extensive dummyism in connection -with the resumed areas at Mercadool Station. A heavy Bar has been ' retained by both sides. During the hearing sensational letters were put in. One letter was from Mr E. M. Young, of London, who is present at the inquiry, and who conducted correspondence on behalf of th 6 Mercadool owners. He addressed Mr M'Master (chairman of the Noree Land ■Board), asking him to give" Mr Foster, the : . looal manager of Mercadool,, the benefit of Ms advice if he sought it, and enclosing a * » Cheque for .£IOO. Mr'-M'Master forwarded the letter and cheque to the Lands Department. In a letter to Foster from Young, 'the following, ; extracts occur : — " I am sorry to observe so many selections taken on the resumed area of Mercadool. I give you a pretty free hand to take any steps you may deem advisable by way of selection so as to protect the run from further invasion. I see you are fully alive to the manner in which these selections should be undertaken to guard against the possibility of being upset in the future. I am quite' willing you should arrange this business in .the name of Peel. He will tell you how advances should be made." The letter after congratulating Foster's approval of Miller and Dodds' selection, expressing the hope that Wilson's would also go through^ encloses a cheque as a Christmas present. In a ' further letter to Foster he says—" I trust you will be extensively careful to throw as much of the negotiations as possible on Peel, who is really owner of all the selections of the run," and then concludes — "It is one of those questions, however, which is more cheering. The failure of so many banks, the . closing of ; so many branches, and the crippled condition of any banks that survive will tend to reduce speculative selection, and the Government wanting money so badly, other means may open for the acquisition of what land we feel disposed to buy." " The importance of the case to the Crown • prevented the Minister of Lands accompanying the commission charged with the work of arranging details to bring Norfolk Island under the control of New South "Wales. The other members of the commission left by the Royalist, which calls at 1 Norfolk en route to Auckland. It is possible that Mr Carruthers will journey to Auckland later, and join the Royalist, ■ ' which will return to Norfolk Island. ' : PITCAIBN ISLANDERS. When the ship Netherby, bound to Newcastle, was off Pitcairn Island, two men, Young and Christian, persuaded ■ the captain to give them a passage to Norfolk Island, but owing to bad weather they ' were unable to land at the latter place, and they were brought on to Newcastle. As no currency exists on the island che men are without cash. A local steamship company conveyed them free to Sydney, and the Premier arranged a passage for them by the Royalist.' Young is a member of the island Parliament, visiting Norfolk Island about land left by his father, Christian accompanying him. , ' obituary. One of the few survivors of the wreck of the ' Orpheus on Manukati bar has passed to test in the person of Edward Amphlett, late paymaster of imperial pensions at Sydney. Deceased saw active service in r the Baltic under Sir Charles Napier, and *> also took part in the Chinese campaign. i Amongst his colleagues on 1 the West Indies station were the late Sir Robert Duff and Admiral Try on. He- will be remembered in Auckland as one of the Btaff of the transport office there during the stirring times of the war. After occupying the position of paymaster in charge of the Pembroke Dockyards he finally settled in Sydney in 1881. ■■■■: VISITORS. ; Apropos of the conference of commandants which has been deliberating here for some days past on the question of a suitable and uniform rifle for Australian troops, a well-known authority on rifle small arms, Sir Henry Half ord, paid us a hurried yisit. He will be in Auckland early in the week per the Anglian. Sir Henry is a member of the English com- . mittee on small arms which recommended the Lee-Metford as the best available weapon for the British army. His visit is V purely on the score of health. Other visitors whose occupation is c6n- ...; nectedwith more peaceable pursuits than Sir Henry Halford's, and whose presence may have more practical value at' the present time when gold-mining is engaging attention, will shortly aeach your shores. These gentlemen are Carl Sehmeisser and Doctor Vogelsang. The former is probably the most widely-known mining expert in . the world. It was he who examined the '}■ famous Band Goldfield, on behalf of the

German Government, in the days when little -was known of its wonders. The existence of Johannesburg is in no small waydue to his report. Both gentlemen are reporting on the Australasian goldfields for their Governments. In similar manner West Australia will be visited. Victoria will be the next field of operation, and then New Zealand. Just as their reports caused a flow of capital to the Transvaal, so may their present mission perform alike service to the colonies. MELBOURNE, Feb. 8. GRAVE CHARGES. In the Legislative Assembly some grave charges were levelled by Mr Sangster agaiast the Marine Board. He insinuated that the officers of the Board, either through incompetence or worse, did not fulfil their duty properly, and allowed vessels to go to sea insufficiently equipped. The Minister challenged Mr Sangster to put the charges into definite form, but the member refused. VICTORIAN POLITICS. The Railway Bill is a poor thing. After being emasculated by the Legislative Assembly it fell upon troublous times in the Council. Sir F. Sargood scathingly attacked the Government on the second reading, and charged ■ them with allowing the House to alter measure after measure beyond recognition. He deplored the way in which they had lowered political honour, while he gave them credit for having done good work. As a test amendment, Sir F. Sargood moved the reinstatement of the cla\ise creating a trust which the House had excised. After a long discussion the amendment was carried by twenty-seven to four. It is interesting to see how the Lower House will take this slap in the face. It is apparent that there is little chance of prorogation on Friday. Mr Cuthbert, in the Council, acknowledged that the Factories Bill could not be dealt with in the time. He added that the Government had met the convenience of the Council with regard to the close of the session. THK MINIMUM WAGE. The mi>imiiiTi wage question cropped up in the Legislative Assembly when the railway estimates were under consideration. An amendment was moved that no male adult in the Department should receive less than six shillings a day. The Premier declined to agree, pointing out that it was impossible to say what amount of money would be required to give it effect. The amendment was negatived. There is a likelihood of the Government trying the minimum wage experiment' on the new works about to be undertaken in Flinders Street, when the labourers will receive six shillings. • MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY. The proposal of the Minister of Education for extending the usefulness of Melbourne University was nipped in the bud by the Council of the Institution. The Minister wrote to the Council suggesting that at least twenty— instead of twelve as at present — free exhibitions should be annually offered to competition amongst matriculated State schools scholarshipholders. In discussing the letter the Chancellor of the University opposed the extension of the system as against the policy of the University to grant class, scholarships. For this reason the Council refused an offer of .£30,000. from Dr Graves, to endow a school for Oddfellows' sons, and an offer of .£20,000 from Mr Cameron to endow scholarships for pupils in the western districts. Other Councillors were equally opposed to claas.education, and it was resolved to inform the Minister that the Council could not comply with his request, as departing from established principles. If they offered prizes competition would be limited to a particular class in Melbourne. .THE TANTANOOLA TIGER AGAIN. In spite of evidence -that the Tantanoola tiger has 1 been killed on various occasions, so. veracious chroniclers, allege, nevertheless he appears now and again to spur Gipp3land folks to feats of activity. His latest appearance was at Walhalla. He may be the reincarnated spirit of some Scandinavian hero taking this form to .mark disapproval of the usurpation to a little township of the name of the Scandinavian abode of immortality. However, his appearance put new life into a man named Beardmore and his mule. The latter was used as a means of conveying washing to the creek where Beardmore's sister is working. The mule met the enemy, and did not like it. The supposed tiger growled from the scrub: This satisfied the mule, which broke home. Beardmore so far approved the mule's decision as to follow suit. The tiger then went to see how the washing was progressing, and the girl hurriedly left it with him. Both agree that the animal is striped like a tiger.