AUSTRALIA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10196, 4 July 1911, Page 2

AUSTRALIA.

United Press Association—By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright. (Received July 4. 10 a.m.) GOVERNMENT HOUSE. SYDNEY, July 4. A meeting:, at. which the Lord Mayor presided, adopted n resolution'against the proposed abolition of the Federal Government House at Sydney. A committee was appointed to interview the State Government on the matter. LADY DUDLEY. Lady Dudley departed for England in the Zealandia. She had a hearty send-off, and received many gifts of beautiful flowers. LIBERAL REFORM ASSOCIATION. Resolutions adopted at the Liberal Reform Association Conference favoured the municipalisation of hospitals, preferential voting, and that consideration be extended under the Early Closing Act to shopkeepers not employing shop assistants. THE COAL VEND. In the coal vend case, counsel for the defence contended that the Crown had not proved an intent on the part of the defendants to restrain trade, and intimated that in view of Mr Justice Isaac's decision—that while the averment by the Crown of intent did not carry satisfactory proof of intent, yet he thought it was a case to go to a jury—the defence might not call evidence. The decision on this point will be announced when the Court meets i to-day. KING EDWARD MEMORIAL. For the King Edward Memorial Fund £2OOO has been subscribed. THE NORTHERN TERRITORY. MELBOURNE, July 4. Returns show that the Northern Tor. ritory's total area is 315,117,600 acres. Only 474,000 acres have been alienated, and excepting the township allotments, most of the alienated lands are within fifty miles of the Darwin. OLD AGE AND INVALID PENSIONS A return shows that the old age and invalid pensions cost the Commonwealth £2,085,000 annually. The old age pensioners number 76,089, and the invalid pensioners 70,319. LESS LIQUOR. The annual report of the Total Abstinence Society states that in two years the charges of drunkenness have been reduced by nearly one-eighth. The total spent in Victoria on alcoholic liquors in 1909 was £4,005,571, a decrease of £91,239 compared with the previous year. WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. Mr Thomas has agreed to a special charge for Press wireless messages of ten shillings per hundred words, in sections of twenty-five, which would be charged half a crown. QUEENSLAND FINANCE. BRISBANE, July 4. The year's revenue amounted to £5,320,008, an increase of £200,756. The expenditure wa-s £5,314,736. an increase of £201,158 compared with the previous year.