INTERCOLONIAL

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3, 19 January 1905, Page 31

INTERCOLONIAL

Premier Bent, of Victoria, believes so much in the dairying industry that he says he always takes his hat oil to a cow. The Very Key. b ather Hays, the well known temperance advocate, of England, was expected to reach Melbourne on January 7. His Lordship the Most Rev. Dr. Revillc has appoint dd the flew Dr. Shanahan as secretary fior the Catholic Truth Society for the diocese, of vSavndhurst His Lords-hip the Bishop 01 BalhuisL has collected £408!) for the now Bishop's House, and has spent £4.035 11s f?d on the building. The work was undertaken only a little over twelve months ago. The Rev. J. J. M' Carter, who left for Ireland some months ago in connection with his late uncle's (Most Rev. Dr. Mcßedmond) death, has returned to Victoria, and has renamed duty as chaplain to the Little Sisters of the Potor, ISiorthcote. On tine Bth inst. the Very Rev. Dean Phelan bless&l and opened a nefw building at the Convent of Mercy, Mornington: The Very Rev. M. J. Maher, CM., preached the occasional sermon. This is a branch of the parent house, Nicholson street, Fitzroy. The ' Catholic Press ' learns that on the last day of the old year tne deposits made at the bank in connection with St. Mary's Cathedral Jubilee Fair brought tiho total receipts slightly In excess of £16,000. Of course the results of the ait union arc yet to be calculated. The New South Wales State Premier has expressed his fullest sympathy with those Who have suffered from the disastrous bush fires, lie said he tiusted that the calamitous \isitation might soon end, and a brighter outlook appear to the men on the la,n'd. Tihe Government was tendering all the aid in its power, and would continue to do sio. Mr. Oarruthers received the follow, ing cablegram troin Mr. Seddon, Premier of New Zealand :— ' Warmest sympathy of New Zealand Government to sufterers \n disastrous bush iires, which we trust may soon cease.' '1 he Lord Mayor of Sydney has opened a fund with £100, and other lists are being started with the object of affording immediate relief to sufferers. Regarding the very intense heat wave which visited Australia in the lirst week in this year, and which ■ wrought much destruction of property anl lamentable ios i ot lite, the Victonan Government Astronomer, in a press interview, said : ' It is due to an atmospheric depression oi a monsioonal character, which entered the Continent on the north-west of Western Australia, and travel Idd very .slowly in a south-easterly direction.. There was very slight barometric gradient, and therefore no strong winds either to hurry the heat alrng or to enable it to bo cooled by an inrush of cold air from the Southern Ocean The conditions, too, ahead, were extremely favorable tjo high temperatures — a long pericd'of bright, clear weather. The soil and the whole face of nature thus became gieatly heated The shade readings which have been recorded in the northern contres are very high indeed, the hif.he-.t berng 1 21 Jxlcp. at Mild'ura. That is the highest reading ever known in the Stato At the same centre 120deg. weie ictorded on two previous occasions— February It), 1 81)2, and January 23, 181)6. The records at other contres are alsio extremely high— llB^deg. at Sw a n Hill and 115deg. to 117ideg. in a number ot othci northern districts.' Those who deciarc that sugar cannot be profitably grown without cheap colored labor should read the report of the Unsbane Collector of Customs (says the ' Frcemrn's Journal '). In his tour through the Noith this officer found encouraging reports on every hand. In Mackay district alone (>'OU cane-growers are employing white labor exclusively. Of course, many of these grew cane by means of white labor years before Federation piovfded them with a bonus, but the fact was carefully suppressed in the interest of the patrons of cheap colored labor. White men in many cases are now receiving 8s to 10s a day in the season for cutting cane. Any sober, reliable workman is sure of profitable employment, and that the supply is satisfactory the whito employers declare. Meantime growers are urging tihe continuance ot • the bonus until such time as tihe wtiite labor supply becomes regular. It is interesting to note from tihe report that many colored aliens are growing cane, and probably employing white men. It would, n.o doubt, delight the eye of Bruce Smith to see the Cauaasiion toiling In the sun while the colored gentleman sits on a fence and exhorts him in broken English, between cigarette puffs, to put more vim into his work.