COMMONWEALTH.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XL, Issue 19, 6 May 1908, Page 10

COMMONWEALTH.

Mr. 11. A. Lenehan, (Government Astronomer of New' South Wales, died on May 2nd, aged 66 years. During the past four months 899 assisted immigrants have arrived in New South Wales. The (Government sustained Hire? reverses on April 29th over the Senate tariff recommendations. The L dioiir Congress at Sydney deeded that iV is desirable that the Federal (Government should control all industrial legislat ion. On Wednesday last a lifeboat was picket! up off Port Stephen.', belonging to the barque (riffle. which sailed on Monday for South America ports. Melbourne has subscribed £334 12/6 to the Noble Testimonial Fund. This added to the Sydney amount makes a total ot JL’l969 17.3. Messrs. Howard, Smibo and Co.’s new steamer Bjirwaii. for the Sydney-Rock-h.implon trade, has been launched at Sunderland. The Premiers’ Conference decided to ask the Federal Government to co-operate wit.i th.* States in promoting immigration by advertising Australia. An attempt to wreck a train near Port Augusta resulted in the engine being displaced by a heavy wooden obstruction placed on the line. N o damage was occasioned. A t-iider of £430,000 f,, r tho first sectiou of the North Coast railway from West Haitian.l to Grafton Ims be-n accept rd. The estimated cost of the wnoic line is three millions. The cargo sfe mer Age, from Port I uie to Sydney, lost her propeller while ]3O miles from Sydney, and covered 90 jnile.s under sail whop picked up by the steamer Arawatta and towed to Sydney. Advices from Noumea >tat? that the Norwegian barque Bjarue has been wrecked on Surprise fsland, near New Caledonia, and that the crew of 13 are being brought to NoumeaThe Premiers’ Conference resolved t » favour the abolition of stamp duties oa all t'olonial Government securities, ard that joint action was desirable to rey ilate tin* Australian Stock Exchange deal ing with Government securities. Sir Horace Tozer (Agent (General for Queen-land i i- inviting tenders by .July 15 for a combined passenger and cargo service to Brisbane, calling at Thursday 1-lnn I. 'lbwiisvillc, and Rockhampton, via Torres Straits. A box containing thirts plugs of dynamite. ami a parti.ii£\ burned fuse attached. w j- found un.ier the big gun fort, at Ihursdav l-lanl on April 29th. It is h»dicvrd that an attempt was male to blow up the fort, w hero a large number of live • hell- in* stored. 'I h, hospital collect ions in Sydney on Saturday last heat the ro-ord. "The st re. 4 <*ol left ions aggregated £5.868, ok- < coding those of the previous year by £B3O The indoor <tdle«4 ion- brought the total to £6,380. Briti-h i f, sfi!cnt- in the Now Hebrides Ft ill < miplain of the apathy of the Ini pc*ria I authorities. It is stated that all the preliminary official appointments in connection with the now Governmental •chemo have been given to French official*.

The Federal House of Representatives adopted, against the Government, the >-.cates request for a reduction in the duties on certain mining machinery. Sir Win. Lyne admitted that this was one of the most important votes taken on the tariff, and Hie most disastrous to protection- lie denounced some of the mnuibers as turncoats.

Wm: Iles has been acquitted on the charge of murdering Mrs. Grahame at charge of murdering Mrs. Grahame at Ballarat on December 30th. Mrs. (Grahame was killed by being thrown down a disused shaft at Ballarat, andi lies was identified a s having been seen with her in the vicinity on the day of the tragedy.] In 1906 the Commonwealth Government passed an Act abolishing the rate c»f a half-penny per word previously paid to the Eastern Extension Company on messages transmitted over the Tasmanian cables, leaving the company only the minimum sum guaranteed. The company is issuing a writ against the Government claiming damages equal to the difference betwemi the guarantee and the receipts if the half penny had been continued. At the half-yearly meeting of the Colonial Sugar Relining Company the net profits were disclosed at £134,779, and a dividend of 10 per cent was recommended, leaving £35,624 to carry forward13e report stated that the farmers of Australia and New’ Zealand were beginning to realise the value of molasses for feeding stock, and the company had gone to a gocxl deal of expense to meet the demands in this direction.

A Fatal Error. An acquaintance gave a man named William Hussie a liniment for the cure of rheumatism. Not understanding its use, Hussie drank a portion of the contents and gave some to a friend named Twopenny. Hussie is dead, and Twopenny is now in a critical condition. Destructive Fire. A fire at Sheep Hills, a town with a population of between One and two thousand, 200 miles north-west of Melbourne, practically destroyed our side of the main street. . Blackley’s three shops, Cahir’a wine s. loon. Glover’s store, the Commercial Bmk and two vacant shops were completely burned, while the Mechanics’ Hall was damaged. The origin of the outbreak is a mystery. Periling Disaster. Advices from Broome st ,»tp that a storm sv-u tercd the penning fleet at Le Ci Hide Bay. Several ligger.s same, ethers v.ci’c diivp’i ashore, and others fire mis.-.iig. Time coloured fishers are urov. aid. i- I it is f ared* that others have perished. The storm, which was very severe.came up so su Idenl.v that there was no time to t ike precautions for the safetv of the fleet. The full extent of the disaster is not yet known, but the latest news is to the e fleet that two schooners and fifteen luggers were either smashed up or sunk, while many, which arc still missing, may bp sheltering along the coast. Two white skippers, McLachlan and Gaskin, and about fifty coloured divers, have been drowned, and the damage is estimated at £lO,OOO. Altogether two hundred boats, with crews aggregating 2000, are affected. The storm also did considerable damage ashore. Latest reports make the ni'inber of pearling ve-sols wrecked thirty, but the number may be reduced. Several have returned to port in a crippled condition, ami others may be sheltering. Wreckage his been met 100 miles from tin* scene of the disaster by the search vessels now out. Some members of the crews drifted out to sea on wreckage, and many narrow ese.i|>es ire reported. The estimated loss to the Brooim* fleet alone is CJ5,920. A wire from Condon reports the wreck of the lugger Cleopatra, three being drowned. Haskin, one of the whites drowned, was a New Zealander.

About one hundred and fifty pearling vessels have returned to Broome in a more or less damaged condition. Many bodies of the drowned were eaten by sharks.

Later estimates of the victims of the pearling disaster range from 70 up to 250, including four to six whites. The total damage to the fleet is £20,000.

Empire Commerce Congress. It has been decided that the Congress of representatives of the Chambers of Commerce of the Empire shall meet in Sydney either on September 14 or 21, 1909. ’ -- . Twelve days wilk be spent in vKew South Wales, including the time occupied by the Congress, six days each in Queensland. Victoria, South Australia, and West Australia, and live days in Tasmania. Between 100 and 200 commercial men of Britain will participate, besides many from Canada, South Africa, and elsewhere. It is also announced that the invitation to visit New Zealand will most, likely he accepted. The Recent Railway Disaster. In the presence of the coroner and a number of experts tests were made of the brakes of the Bendigo train which collided with the Ballarat train at Braybrook Junction. The tests were made on the train under conditions similar to those existing at the time of the accident. The second engine in use at the time of the collision was employed and the carriages were loaded with sandbags to the approximate weight of the passengers. Ail the suspended engine-men, excepting Milburn, the driver of the first engine, were aboard. The trials proved that the brakes were efficient in stopping the train. Claims for injuries have been increased to 378. Cabinet has decided to appoint a Royal Commission to inquire into the accident, with Mr. Justice Cussea as president. Osc.tr Skogland, who was injured in t’iie Braybrook accident, has succumbed. It transpires that though the te /'s of the brakes on the Bendigo t /in proved the Westinghouse brake to be effective in stopping the train, it failed to act in the case of one or two carriages. Driver Maclean contended that if it failed on individual vehicles the occasion might arise when it would fail altogether. The Crown’s expert, who made an examination of the brakes of the Bendigo train, found that the second- engine’s brake was defective, and failed to grip, while the brakes on the mail van and one carriage were utterly useless. The first engine’s brake was effective, hut an obstruction was found in the hose connection between it and the tender. The expert remarks that as an express train it was a disgrace to the road. It has been demonstrated that the failure of the brakes to apply on the secund engine was due to leakage in the package of the cylinder gland. Though 'this would affect the engine itself it would not prevent apjffication to the rest of the train, provided the individu 1 gear of the vehicles was in good condition. Federal Finance. Mr. Dea kin and Sir Win. Lyne attended the Premiers’ Conference on Ist May. Mr. Dea kin outlined the Government proposals on financial questions. Referring to 'Braddon blot/’ he declared that financial federation was intended tube real. Although temporarily postponed, perhaps. by the operation of the Braddon clause the federation of their finances should be carried soon, and so far as possible. 'lhis did not mean fusion; on the contrary, it had been recognised for some time that it was a very desirable thing that within certain limits there should be. as far as possible, complete separation of the Stab's and Commonwealth finance. ILr urged that the con tiniiation of septrate State debts and the creation of further State debts, would prove expensive, and sygge.stv.l thgt one Australian stock should be substituted for all existing stocks and floated at a fixed rate uj interest. He anticipated that the price of.that stork would be reduced to a minimum. 'l'he scheme would be found to contain complete proposals as to present indebt-

edness and future borrowing. Amongst other things it would relieve the three States paying old age pensions. The full scheme would be available next Tuesday, when it would be submitted to the Federal Parliament. It is unofficially stated that the scheme proposes the transfer of the whole of the State debts, the States to retain the railway and other public works free of debt, and future State borrowing to be made through a special commission, and so as to interfere as little as possible with State initiative the States to find interest on all new loans.

The Premiers are disappointed with the scheme. «