AUSTRALIA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9211, 14 April 1908, Page 2

AUSTRALIA.

United Press Association — By Elecfcrio Telegraph— Cop yrig^bt. (Received April* 14, 9.20 a.m.) THE KARORI. SYDNEY, April 14. The disabled steamer Karori is expected to. reach Sydney on Thursday. (Received April 14, 10 a.m.) BURGLARY. Burglars dynamited the Coona Railway Station, and secured £149. (Received April 14, 10.15 a.m.) DROUGHT IN VICTORIA. [ MELBOURNE, April 14. The drought' in the north-ea6tern districts is very severe, and many owners have been compelled to hand feed large quantities of stock, and are also sending their stock to other districts. THE STOCK RETURNS. The stock returns show the number of horses in the State to be' 424,648, cattle 1,842,805, sheep 14,116,734. In each case the figures record an increase, sheep having increased by 1.209,000. A SMALL ARMS FACTORY. The erection of a Federal small arms factory at Lithgow will be commenced at once. It is estimated to cosrfc £70,000. COLEMAN'S ARREST. ADELAIDE, April 14. | Coleman has been arrested near Mor- ] pethville. He made no resistance. A small wound in the arm, he states, was occasioned by a cut with glass, self-in-flicted, in the hope that he would bleed to death. ' A CASE OF SMALLPOX. THURSDAY ISLAND, April 14. The steamer Aldenham has arrived from China. A Chinese member of the crew is suffering from smallpox. THE HOP INDUSTRY. HOBART, April 14. The efforts of buyers to bear the pric o of Australian hops all round are resented by local growers, who intend to ask the Commonwealth Government to increase the impost duty to a shilling a pound.