INTERCOLONIAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 3, 17 January 1901, Page 20

INTERCOLONIAL.

A cable message from Sydney on last Thursday stated that the coal-mininar difficulty at Newcastle is praotioally settled. Only tiro of the mines are not working. There is an unprecedented demand for coal and a famine exists at Adelaide and Melbourne, where the' price han gone up to £3 a ton. By the G.M.S., Qroßser Kurfurst, whioh touohed at Fremantlerecently, the Rev. Father Lynch arrived for the diooete of Perth and the Rev. Father Fenelon for the diocese of Geraldton. Father Lynch was accompanied by his sister, a young lady who will enter one of the convent* as a postulant. On board the same Teasel, bound for Sydney, was the Rev. Father Agidi, M.SJK. The incoming of the new century was marked in Melbourne by the celebration of a Midnight Mass in St. Patrick's Cathedral. From eight o'olock people began to make their way to the charoh, and by eleven the doors had to be closed, as there waa then pretest a congregation of fully 10,000 persons. By midnight there WN a crowd of 5000 outside who were unable to gain admission. Hi* Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne has made the following clerical changes in the Archdiocese: Rev. Q. A. Robinson, 8.A., froift ■ Gisborne to Gamberwell (rector) ; Rev. H. O'Callaghan, from Omb* berwell to chaplaincy of the Little Sisters of the Poor, Northooe* ; Rev. J. J. Bgan, from Collingwood to Geelong (assistant) ; Rev. J. Shiel, Geelong to Collicgwood (assistant) ; Rev. J. Merner (recentlyordained), as assistant to the Rev J. J. Gallivan, Gisborne. One of the longest, steepest hills around Adelaide is called O'Halloran Hill (writes Winifred). Major O'Halloran hat loar been dead, but there id still an evidence of his thoughtfulnees left on the eminence that bears his name, and was originally part of hi» estate. At the top a post stands with a fingerboard, on whioh is written ' Mr. O'Halloran's Well.' The well is some distance fa from the road. In days gone by, tired travellers caught sight of the sign-post with delight, and hastened to the spot Even in theNj times, when it is not necessary to carry to carry a water bottle, and when inns are in plenty along the road, pedestrians appreciate the fresh draught from the crystal spring to be got from O'Hallora&'i Well. A wag has added to the inscription on the sign-post, under ' Mr. O'Halloran's Well,' the .wordß, ' Glad to hear it : I hope the missus is likewise.' There is an appalling state of affairs in Queensland from drought. Mr. H. Chatterton, superintendent of the Mitchell rabbit board, journeyed over 600 miles by camel, and for the first 500 miles did not see 300 cattle alive. He only came across four water holM with surface water. The oountry was almost devastated from the pouth-western corner of the colony to about 10 miles east of the Diamantina River. Fodder bushes are dying, and a water hole eigrht miles south of Birdsville, whioh has never been known to be dry before, has completely dried up. In the far south-western country nine stations are entirely without snrfaoe water. No horft or bullock team has been at Beeloota for over two and a half years, or at Birdsviile for over four yeare. In one water holt he saw 1500 dead cattle; in another 700. At Birdsville it was impossible to obtain either fresh or tinned meat. Mr. Chatter ton declares that unless the Government help the squatters the whole south-western country will be thrown back on the State. The Victorian Old Age Pensions Scheme, whioh at present is only of a temporary character, has just come into operation. The regulations provide that a pension shall not be payable to any person unless he has attained the age of 65 years, or is permanently disabled or in permanent ill-health, caused in either case by having been engaged in mining or any unhealthy or hazardous occupation. Chinese and other Asiatics are excluded from participation In the benefits of the scheme. The pension will be such an amount as will make the total income of the pensioner not more than 10s per week. It will be diminished, however, by 6d from every complete £10 of the net capital value of all accumulated property owned by the applicant — excluding furniture and personal effects — whioh does not return income to the extent of L 25, after deducting from the capital value all lawful charges existing on the property. It is also provided that where husband and wife reside together they shall be deemed to be equally interested in property held by either of them, and that the income of eaoh shall be deemed to be not less than half the total income of both. Money obtained by way of sick allowance or funeral benefit from any registered friendly society or similar institution will not be counted in estimating the inoome of any applicant.