AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Waikato Times, Volume XLII, Issue 3366, 25 January 1894, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

(by klkotrio telegraph-copyright), Melbourne, January 23. • The Government has decided, as part of its retrenchment scheme, not to allow pay to school teachers absent od sick leave. A difficulty has arisen between tb* Wharf I abeurers' Union and the Howard Smith Shipping Company, The latter notified the 1 men of their intention to reduce the rates for unloading coal to one shilling per hour, all round during the day and Is 6d at night. When the steamer Age arrived yesterday there were no wharf labourers on hand to unload the vessel; but free men were soon secured and the work proceeded with. , ~-Perth, January 23. It is now known that 27 lives were lost iu. the North* West District during the recent hurricane. ' =■ Sydney, January 23, The Cabinet has not yet arrived at ■• final decision with regard to Mr Cope* land's resignation. Mr J.'See, Colonial Treasurer, will probably deliver the Financial State* raent in the course of a few days.; The report of the Australian Joint Stock Bank shows a profit for the halfyear of £51,000... A dividend of 5 per cent, has been declared, <■ while £22,000 have been placed to the reserve fund. ■ At the half-yearly meeting of fixv Commercial Banking Company the; balarice*sheet showed the profits amounted to £67,000. i dividend at the rate of 10 per cent per annum, was declared, > £IO,OOO added to-rewrw fund, and £22,000 carried forward. , Willie, an aboriginal, arrestei. in connection with the Dora Dora murders, admits being at the place at the time of the murder but accuses his. mate Jackie of murdering a settler, and also of the murder of a women at Benalla. The Labour Conference passed reso j lutions" affirmingittobe the duty of the Government' to provide work for those willing to dp it, and urging on the Parliament in each colony to, takeaction to establish a Department of Labour." Messrs Lorimer, Rome and Co** theweMnown shipping firm', wnichwaicrippled by the systematic embezzlements of one of its confidential employees, the amount;- appropriated being upwards of £13,000, has decided to assign its estates to its creditors. The liabilities, .'which [have not; been made public, do not amount to much in Sydney, the principal creditorsbeing in Great Britain.'' ■'' ■ I , > ■ . ! v - 'January 24. At the close of tfye year the popula* tion of the colony'was'' estimated at 1,223,000, an increase of 2?,000, ; } Thi» is the smallest increase since the year 1876. . ~ ~,;..:■,,!/ ~,., , u /:,- The Labour Members' Conference discussed the federation question but disposed of the subject by carrying a bald resolution that no scheme is acceptable without onexmah-one vote. Brisbane, January 24. Twelve co-operative settlements areto be formed with a total membership, of 506. ■■■•■-»<■*■■■«■■«■"»■