COMMONWEALTH.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 1, 6 January 1909, Page 8

COMMONWEALTH.

During 1908 the New South Wales Government granted 3090 assisted passages. The total paid to the Railway Commissioners for the settlement of claims following on the Braybrooke disaster is about £124,000. The New South Wales Cabinet will shortly consider the question of prohibiting pugilistic encounters such as that between Burns and Pohnston. The Victorian returns for the year show a large decrease in rural products. The value of dairy products exported was less by £864,000 than 1906.

The men employed in the Proprietary mine smelting works at Port Pirie “exine out’’ in sympathy with their comrades at the Barrier. The works are careful ty picketed. South Australian revenue for the halfyear decreased by 59,300. In West Australia. the revenue decreased by £102,000. The decreases in each case were largely due to a falling off in the Commonwealth, returns. At a conference of Sydney sawmillers, complaints were made that New Zealand white pine, imported ostensibly for butter boxes, was largely used for ether purposes. It was decided to ask the Federal Parliament to prevent the possible evasion of the Customs duty. Quieting Down. Sydney farewelled the old year with unwonted decorum. The rowdyism of last year led to the police being invested with much more stringent powers, and the force was largely augmented for the occasion. Instead of pandemonium, almost a Sabbath peace reigned. The time-honour-ed trumpets and other instruments of noise were strictly tabu. The new order of things had the effect of considerably decreasing the crowds in the streets. Bush Fires. Immense nush fires are reported from various parts of the State of N.S.W. Fires in the Blue Mountains destroyed many beauty spots in the Candacal district. The fires swept many thousands of acres, and now’ have a frontage of 25 miles. Destructive outbreaks are reported from the Cowra and Cootamundra districts. In Cowra the fire has a front sixteen miles wide. A bush fire started in Shepparton, about 113 miles from Melbourne, was encountered by a man when returning from the dairy factory, and he put to such good use a large number of tins of sour milk that he succeeded in extinguishing the flames, and probably saved the place from disaster. N.S.W. Finance. Insolvencies in New South Wales last year totalled 356, the liabilities being £322,850 and the assets £185,5000. The State’s imports for the year were valued at £37,500,000, a decrease of £1,956,000, as compared with the previous years. Exports totalled £27,500,000, a decrease of £5,394.000. The State revenue for the half-year shows a comparative decrease of £454,000, while that of Victoria discloses a decrease of £323,000. Miners Dissatisfied, The Broken Hill Proprietary Company paid oil’ its employees last week. The men are very determined against accepting the reduction in wages, and have commenced picketing the mine, preparing for a long fight. Coal Miners' Wages. The Royal Commission on the coal miners’ dispute, awards the Teralba miners increases as claimed in the hewing rate, of from 1/1 to 1/3 on the present selling price, and gives the miners the right to cavil and choose their mates. The claim for eight hours from bank to bank was not conceded, the Commission considering this a matter for special legislation covering the whole of the coal fields. Heat 'Wave. The heat is intense in N.S.W. and many registers of over one hundred degrees have been recorded. At Wilcanjiia the mercury .touched 115 degrees Fahr. The thermometer registered 118 at Meninde, a township on the west bank of the Darling river, 880 miles distant W.N.W. from Sydney. A point higher was recorded at Murwillumbah township, on the Twede river, 407 Bules north of Sydney.