Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Monday 24 October 1887, page 4


THE BRISBANE

COURIER.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1887.

THE proposal that the Government should buy the New Farm Estate at a cost of £35,000, and set it apart as a public park, is a startling one. It must surely be fouuded upon the idea which Sir S. W. Griffith in his budget speech did his beat to combat, that the Public Treasury was inexhaustible. This land when cut up into "304 magnificent building sites," and offered for sale on two years' terms, may be worth all the money or more, but even at 4 per cent the purchase would entail an annual charge upon the colony of £1400, exclusive of the sum requisite to utilise the property for its intended purpose. The most sur-prising part of the scheme is the favourable reception accorded to it by the Colonial Treasurer whose first duty it is to protect the public funds. But this incident only proves what it has beeu more than once our duty to call attention tonamely, Sir S. W. Griffith's magnifi-cent contempt for the public money. The Premier cannot now be uncon-

scious that there is no money honestly available in the Treasury, and that on 31st December next the Loau Fund will be at least temporarily drawn upon to extinguish the inevitable revenue deficit of some .£400,000. And yet he is prepared to advise Parliament to further tap that fund for a wholly unnecessary and, we do not hesitate to say, a highly improper purpose. Surely already enough has beeu done to satisfy the appetite or secure the re-election of the Valley members by the indefensible acceptanceof the Constance-street rail way con tract for an amount largely in excess of the parliamentary appropriation and at a time when Parliament was sitting and could easily have been asked for its sanction. Tlio fact that this transaction was allowed to pass without moro than verbal protests from the Opposition, and that no condemnatoi}' motion was placed upon the records of the Assembly, furnishes proof of the utterly demoralised condition into which the representative chamber has fallen. There was not even the plea of urgency for the Constance-street section, for arrangements could easily have been made for carrying out the really essential part of the work contemplated by the Legislature, the extension from Eoma-street into tho site of the proposed central passenger station in the Normal School reserve. It is evident, however, that the Government and their Valley allies have been emboldened by the impotence of the present Assembly in respect of the public purse-strings, and have now come to the conclusion that the public Treasury and the public credit are entirely at their mercy. But wo trust that the Legislature will yet possess enough vitality and morality to put its unalterable veto upon this last daring scheme of public plunder.

We have been among the warmest advo-cates for the reservation of squares and open places, and we know no part of the city or its suburbs where such reservations

on a liberal scale would not be an inesti-mable public boon. But we, in common with most disinterested critics, cannot dis-cover why the New Farm Estate should be repurchased by the Government at the syndicate market price while other and even moro necessary reserves are being sub-divided into small lots and sold to any bidder at public auction. The Premier we believe to be personally incorruptible, but we mía confident that ho has been uncon-

sciously impressed with the necessity of the Government buying the New Farm Estate b}r the fact that it is in close proximity to

his own mansion and to the residences of his own socioty friends and other well-to-do colonists. If he gives the matter considera-tion he must perceive that tho investments of the Government in this direction could not stop with the acquirement of the New Farm Estate. If that were deemed neces-sary fifty other such invaotmeuts could be proved to be equally necessary, and syndi-cates would be formed in every town in the colony for the purpose of accommodating their respective neighbourhoods with " lung reserves." The proposition is, however, so monstrous that we cannot believe that on reconsideration the Premier will venture to support it even in our present disor-ganised and moribaud Assembly.

But while holding these decided opinions as to this latest scheme for looting the Treasury, we readily admit the benefit that would accrue to the north-eastern portion of the city were the sixteen perch allotment pegs removed and the

New Farm Estate converted into a

public park. "What we protest against is the audacity of the promoters in passing by the statutory means which Parliament has provided for meeting such cases and in trying to initiate a general scramble for the contente of the Treasury chest. There is a both legitimate and practicable method of pioceediug in this matter. Let Sir S. W. Griffith constitute a joint local authority under his Act of last session for the special purpose of acquiring this coveted land, and then let him advance from the local authorities loan vote under the Public Works Loan Act, the money requiied for its purchase. Such an advance would bear interest at 5 per cent, and if redeemable in forty years would involve an anuual repay-ment of 16s. 8d. per cent. This would make the gross annual charge to the joint local authority £20-12-not a very formidable sum for the ratepayers of the Valley and New Farm suburbs to contribute. But so large au amount need not fall upon the rate-payers. A fringe of the property could be sold as building sites on thirty-five or forty years' terms at a price that would go far to pay the instalments due to the Treasury. Such terms and the fact that the building sites bad frontages to the park, would immensely enhance the selling prices of the properties, while little if any damage would be done to the reserve having regard to its destined purpose. Or, if preferred, the building sites could be let on long leases, although by that means the annual income

to the local authority would h

paratively small. Leaseholds for bVdt* purposes are not popular, and ntaÄg men out of a handled would give a ¿T relative price for so poor a titled the ¿g?

of redemption than for the annoÄ preciatmg property 0f a leasehold ^V

buildings on freehold sites would moreo*

^ofabetterclassthanonmere^reS

All this.s, however, a matter of detail Ourcontention ,s that the appeal to theTrwaur! in the manner approved by the Premier^ wholly unjustifiable, and that the obîect £

wel1 within reach by legitimate methods

THEM; is hardly likel)^tVbe~;ny disl)",

over the assertion that private enterpE are more economically conducted than"! businesses carried on by the State, nor Zl such an assumption necessarily imniv Taf

under the former, wages will be depreaS

to the lowest possible rate. But it must !n

the other hand, be admitted that ceiin pnvateenterprisesinthe natureof monorX, may beso carried on as to become aWw oppressive and unbearable unless restated and controlled by the governing power Of these enterprises the railway is undoubtedly most liable to become a menace to the pro fitable carrying on of commerce and in* dustry. A private telegraph monopoly is bad enough as the united StateVand Canada are earning from the ruthlessness of the Gould companies, and as Australia itself has reason to know from ¡f. dealings with Sir John Pender ; but an unrestrained railway monopoly cando what a telegraph monopoly cannot. It can levy blackmail upon every individual resident of vast districts, and can throttle any firm or industry which attempts to resist it. The telegraph is but a finer sense of touch ; the railway is, wherever water-carriage is'lack-ing, the artery through which the life-blood of industrial communities mustperforce flow. It is from the fact that railways ara absolutely essential that the American ''railroad'' monopoly, within tho past generation, has attained such stupendous proportions . and

it is from its having trespassed too far'upon the endurance of the community that ita power has been summarily checked by the Inter-State Commerce Act. Moat of our readers are probably acquainted by this time with the idea of this most im. portant measure, which is based upon the principle that the railroad-charters were granted on the understanding that th8 roads would be conducted for the public convenience, and that in securing that con-venience the authority of the State ia limitless. To enforce the " rights " thus asserted, a commission is constituted which to all intents and purposes, is an embryo "Bailroad Board." While the detail of working their lines is left in the hands of the companies, the commission exercises a practically supreme supervision over both rates and regulations, and decides sum-marily and decisively on all complaints made against the lines in the discharge o£

their duties as "common carriers." This sweeping reform may either content the popular desire to control the machinations of the railroad kings, or may be the first step to the nationalisation in America of the means of transit and communication-a result which ia pretty well effected in Aus

tralia.

America is a colossal country, and ia working out her civilisation upon a colossal scale. Her individual States are as large aa European kingdoms and of British colonies, She is a transatlantic Bussia, in which an English-speaking race has struck root and flourished, carrying on all operations upon the gigantic scale which is fitting where the prairies are boundless steppes, the rivers Volgas and Danubes, and the lakes vast inland seas. Her millionaires and het monopolies are as colossal and overwhelming as are her revenue and her internal struggles. That is how in America the railroad power reached proportions almost inconceivable to the rest of the English-speaking world. The reason why a democratic nation, in which the control of the people is admittedly absolute, permitted so offensive a power to grow, and submitted so long and so quietly to its tyranny, cannot be understood unless a broad bird's-eye view is taken of the socio-political condition of the United States.

It must never be forgotten that the rebellion which reached its climax ia the revolution of 1770 was wholly a political one. The social question, as we now under-stand social questions, was even remotely connected with it, and tho famous declara-tion only meant that all men were "free" to think and speak and come and go, and " equal" in the eye of the laws and in the possession of the ballot. It left untouched the great questions which are now convuls-ing America and the world, simply because at that time these questions were not forcing themselves upon the public mind. Indeed, the very declaration of all mena equality-of course in the estimation of the liberty-loving "minute-man" of 76 the'blacks were not men-laid the train for the present evil. It meant to the passionately Republican New Engländers even in those days the inventors of patent mousetraps and of soft-wood shoe-pegs), that every mau had a chance to be first, and arse nieaut very generally to be richest. Wages slavery was meaningless to men^ who came of a stock of pioneers, and had ¿m unbroken miles of " West" to pash into, ana monopoly could have no terrors for a nation of bargain-drivers, when society waa in Uia happy budding state wherein an ordinan/ shrewd man could always find "a place to grow up with." And when immigration began to pour in, and when the thirteen united colonies developed into double toa number of powerful States, there was sim the possibility of riches for any man wno was cunning and unscrupulous -failing» regarded as virtues by aspiring fortuneseekers. In the West there were still_opsn lands, and towDS springing up likes J»» beanstalk. The fact that every m an held in means of rising swept away all i»0", danger of unrestrained individualism ; a«

the speculative instinct of the people, to-gether with the massing of wflth(!°

handso'f the few, which began to be noti«»We very early in the century, caused all nee« and requirements to be filled at once by private enterprise. Then c*me ^

war of secession. The fcru== ._

duced a fictitious and fatal Pro^ The enormous war loans and war contrae« inflated prices in the North and an

paralleled boom ensued. While the to«« and best of the nation fought to »ave«, keen and sagacious speculators reap hundred and a thousand fold. lnere

been rich men before, but the war£«r working in conjunction *»**"£» nielled Individualism produced mul'ouaue»

Tbev emerged from the «watered» stock

f «eat railroad systems, from the

inliüs for whose charter whole

3 atfes bad been bribed from wheat

Î*%C» and all manner of "corners,"

""3 even from a speculation ia the quinine, ÎVlS of which saviours of tho nation died :r't hospitals. And among these "¡llionaires, those whose grip was upon the

roads the arteries of commerce rose

"Ant Vunderbilt aud Gould who are

F ,t« of the plutocracy iuto whose pitiless yP s thus fell this fearful power. Snopoly is bad enough when it is small, nt when it becomes an aggregation of

"nnnolies by a concentration of wealth it

runrarble.Vvtiswhatthe.iationfound

ben the West was overrun and when he baton no longer lay in each man a Lnwaack. The American of liiO would t,T regarded as tyrannical the Inter-State Sefce Bill which the American of 1876

"as loudly demanding. He would haye aid and said truly, that it interfered with .dividual enterprise, but he would have noken in the conscious-* of having a "chance " himself, and in ulissful ignorance of the capabilities of unrestrained monopoly. He would know nothing of the papers pro.' duced two months ago before the Pacific Builroad Investigating Committee ap-pointed by Congress, and which show that lo secure the charter of the road in ques-tion §4,275,000 in stock was divided among Congressmen and other influential personage*. Nor would he have known how the railroad companies would evade, by "watering" or nominal expenses or other methods, provisions for the payment to the gute of extravagant profits similar to those which have failed when ap-plied to gas companies and others in British countries. Nor would he have deemed it possible for these common carriers to enrich their friends and ruin their enemies, to blackmail great industries aod to levy rent on entire States by the simple expedient of differential rates. It is euch things as these which have roused America to action, and changed the tendency of her unrestraiued individualistic

system.

This railway regulation idea ia far from new; but its triumph has been delayed by the disparity of sectional interests, and by this being taken advantage of by the Washington agents of the roads, who iqaiuat such a measure spare neither money nor influence. "Lobbying," the in-fluencing of Congressmen by persons who make a business of frequenting the lobbies oí the House, is nowhere a more notorious evil than in the National Assembly. Congress is a distant power to most of the electoral districts ; the national policy is often to be thrown into the back ground by a national bonne boucha in the shape of a post office or Custom-house, or an increased duty on certain articles ; and so by skilful wirepulling and munificent bribery, and a careful setting off of the "West which wants free-trade against the East which is for protection, or some such sectional issue, the "lobbyists" forwaid or retard, as may be, any measure wbich they are engaged to interest them-selves in. Bat this great evil of American legislation is only to be feared when public opinion does not reach a focus. The Gould railroad disturbances of 1886 made the monopoly question the burning one, and focussed upon the Inter-Stata Commerce Bill the long-suffering but disorganised antirailroad monopoly movement. Opposition waa brushed aside, for it was worth a Con-gressman's place for him to vote against the measure under such circumstances. Whether

it will be effective, or whether further legis-lation is necessary remains to be seen. It is a remarkable feature of American politics that public opinion once thoroughly roused is always thus summarily enforced. This is the one fact which leads us to hope that the "democratic experiment," in spite of its almost fatal failings, may ultimately purify its moat corrupt politics and cultivate the political purity and honour which now seems sadly lacking. And this dormant power may also warn the plutocracy to abstain from interfering in actual politics, and to be content with very re»l advantages. The son of the Vanderbilt who has mouopolised carriage from the Mi»sis3ippi to the seaboard would be a aänge.'ous President, or would so rouse the nation by his attempt to enter the Whito House that a revolutionary curtailment of the power of the plutocracy would follow. lor America, unlike Europe, can dispense with the great capitalists. In her strong hot wealth is amassing which would buy up the railroads and the telegraph systems, and the telephones, and pay in cash. Perhaps this may yet be the solution of the Ameri-can monopoly question. In the meantime «would appear that the interference with railroad traffic by the Inter-State Commis-sion has not only not justified the appre-hensions of the managers, but has actually wen accompanied by an advance in the market price of railroad stocks.

. !ew davs ago Mr. J. Callaghan, of this i?.found it necessary to call a meeting of his do«, ' 8Ud hk liabil"ies were set taaU Ut BOmeîhuiff over £197,000. The ths'i- "ave r!sa to fi0mo uneasiness at ^time, but we have been shown the

r.'!'".^1 of "S8et8 which amount to over. Z\ ' aUowiuS a liberal discount on tíia bsVV 0t ])roPertie9- Mr- Callaghans t.- ¡T" T' With tUo «oeption of a corny ¿ira.,.:,., snulll'Uu> in respect of properties, win

ÄT?ved city l0t8- About £m> i0°re

c*Hn bautnce3 due on properties, but tlio ¿Wrfï WCre th° vend°". .'TO fully

rea by mortgages, Mr. Callaghan, having- in eivt_tasa Paid a substantial deposit and Of .>" a mortf?age to secure the vendor.

ulî^T* am°ant> vlA* » «"der, P-fnrr,"^ T>'S e in resPeot o£ Ule estate of ClUaA" Byrne> a,ld Co-, for Which Mr.

="an was guarantor.

^lluJT'-J Patt of last month «io-City ^«S edt° th° Minister for La^8 ¿

'-- o'J oT £,eServo what remains available of ..^1 Reserve for public purposes, and Oa'-U .irt?naeatitte decds f°r the same. r-Jyi .\' ? ,5Ptember the Minister for Le-ads '"'ra.V^l ^""t would be granted as :-f--< wT J'reservia» ^o land wiiscon

J'-:.n; Uyhatlt would not be vesteâin the ^'t-r "h- A'"00 then it'wonld appear that the ?^ W,;.- , Í,onsídered h?Ül& Cabinet, for ''*.- ir,T ,i ,°-Uueil havo »°w received a .'-'-. . th-ti °r,Ijnder Secretary foi- Lauds, '?-=U-> rT' tiblaet had declined to reserve

*." Permanently.

^'.f*d.. 'T Hor? deviation on the Fassifern U- ¡^ tim!3 ^ . ^r traffi° 0n Th^day for ''-".';-~- w!' ..ihls dev'aüon will obviate any

- cwity for trains passing ovor two

J m ao, aud vhafc jg nearly,a rig_t.

Recess

; of i j,

. carve.

Tho Minister for Works and the Commis-sioner for Railways left Brisbane early on Saturday morning for Laidley, wheie thoy alighted, and iu buggios bogan au inspection of tho alternative surveys tor the Laidley Brauoli Railway.

The ceremony of blessing the now marble altar at St. Stephen's Cathedral was performed yesterday by Archbishop Dunne. A descrip-tion of the altar itself appeared in our last issue, and it was also mentioned that it was a gift of Mrs. Buchanan, as a memorial to her late husband, Mr. John Alfred Buchanan, who was a frequenter of St. Stephen's. The rite per-formed yesterday was very simple, and con-sisted chiefly in asking God to accept and make the new altar his resting-place, as occurring in the well-known prayer of Solomon, in his model dedication of the first temple of Jerusalem. The Litany was then chanted ; all the Saints, once soldiers of the Church militant, now members of the heavenly court, being in-vited to take the new altar into their special patronage and warm fellowship. The altar was then sprinkled with holy water and fur-nished for the usual ceremonies and sacrifices.

Tho whole rite only occupied half-an-hour

and at its conclusion the Rev. D. Fouby cele-

brated the first mass on the new altar. In the evening Archbishop Dunne gave a discourse Upon the altar in the Catholic Church in its twofold aspects-as a place of expiation and as

a memorial of covenant.

Services oominernorative of the thirtieth anniversary of tho Church of Eugland in the Valley woro hold yesterday morning and even-ing. On each occasion there was prosont a 1-irgo and attentive congregation. In tho morning the sermon was preached.by Bishop Webber, who took for his toxt tho words of Psalm x1., verso 3-"Audlle hath.put a new song in my mouth." During the course o£ au interesting address, the Bishop referred to tho good and satisfactory progress tho Trinity Church had made sinco its establishment, and trusted for a oontinuanco of that advancement.

After the sorvice Bishop Webber took occasion, to compliment tho ohoir upon the exoellentmanuor m which thoy had given-the To Doum to a setting arranged by the organist of the church, Mr. W. Crofts. One of the principal features of this arrangement, whioh is in chant, form, was the beautiful eiïeot of the introduc-tion, of an old plain song at tlia words " Vouch-

safe O I Lord." lu tlio ovoning tho servico was; taken by tho rector, the Rev. H.'.Guinness, who« preached from Psalm oxxxvii. versos o and G.

During the wook ending 22ud instant 149" saloon aud l61 steeragu passengers arrived.! in Brisbane per steamers irom tho Southorn colonies, and 206 Baloon and 134 steerage pasBeugors lett for the South.

The Rev. J. Maopherbon paid a Tisit to St.

Helena on loth instant, and rottirnod on thor 21st. On Sunday, at 10 a.m., divino servico was hold in tho largo workroom, and was welk attended by the prisoners and somo of thowarders. A similar service was hold at 2' p.m., and was equally well attended. Afterthe servico an open prayor meeting was hold, when five of the prisonors offered prayer, espe-cially tor tho couvorsiou of their fellow pri-soners. At 4 p.m. service was held in tho schoolhouse for tho children of tho officials, which was very well attended, and the answers of tho children wera prompt and intelligent. At 7 p.m. a servico was hold in tho workroom for the warders, their wives, and children. The attendance and attention wore allfthat could bo desired. Tho prisoners' choir, assisted by tho organ, led tlio singing at tho three services. This is the fourth visit during which Mr. Macpherson has romained over-Sunday.

A largo audionco attended at the weokly evangelistic meotiug hold in tho Courier Hall last night. The city missionary presided ; Mr. M'Leod and Mr. Tyson led in prayor ; Mr. Butters read the lesson of Scripture. Tho city missionary (Rev. Jamos Stewart) gave au address, prefacing his romarks by referring to " an excellent article iu yostex-day's Obsener" on tho work of the Salvationists, and expressing his pleasure at reading the Baid articlo in a portion of the Brisbano daily Press. He thon gave some instances of tho wonderful resouo of the London straet araba by Dr. Barnardo's mission, instancing a meeting lately held one

night whore over 2000 of theso children wev*i

fathered in. Tho singing was led in a vsry hearty manner by nearly fifty members of, tho United Evangelistic Choir, under tho lnadorsldp of Mr. R. P. Adams. When niakiag the announcements, the chairman asked for1 larger donations in the collection, for with t'nis hall, the hire of seats, and having tho very beautiful electrio light, the expenses wore very /much in-creased-nearly doubled. The sum of £1 2s. was placed in the plates.

The lessees of the Gaiety (Mesr,rs. J. Stewart and Co.), who have done so mu ¿h to mako that "bijou" theatre a popular -placo of resort, havo just signed a contract /or tho production of a really first-class pantoi aime. Wo are in-formed that an cxcellont company has been specially engaged. Tho p i00e will bo mounted at an expenso of £700 or £800, and tho stage of tho Gaioty will be enlar ¿gd for this event. The pantomime was a gren ¿ success in Drury Lano Theatre, London, ant3 ¡^ i¡¡ j0 D0 produced hero in exactly the same r jtylo as it was there.

Sergeant-majors O'Brien and Lewis, of tho Brisbane Engine ÄB) were on Saturday after-noon the recipier its each of a handsome marblo timepiece, bear ¿ng suitable inscriptions, as a mark of the e- ^em in which thoy aro regarded by tho raemb' ,ra 0f fliat corp3. The presenta-tions woro ir a¿e by Major Newman on behalf of the men ,at the conclusion of the afternoon

drill.

Wo ar ©'informed that a deputation, consist-ing of 7 /essrs. Bailey and Mellor, members for Wide J5lV) and Mr. M. Tansy, representing the K jLtxvan Proirress Association, waited on tho ' ¿¡ouster for Worksia few days ago to urge the «ivisableness of making Widgee Creek th'i boundary between tho Widgee and Kil-kivan divisions. After a,short discussion, it was decided that Station Crock would be a better boundary, Mr. Dation, pointing out that if the request of the deputation was complied with the area of the Widgee division would be considerably curtailed, and, moreover, on the country between Station und Widgee Creeks there was .Ettie or no ratable property. The boundaries of tho division; of Kilkivan will probably T)0 proclaimed ati ones. The same deputation had previously waited on the Minister for Lands to ask that ai road should be

opened T>y the department to tm* new Dicka-bram railway and public brio'go over the Mary, This matter has boon bofore the de-partment for about eighteen months, as it was maintained t3iat tho divisional bo ard should opon the road. Mr. Jordan has now consented to havo the road surveyed and opei led at the expense of tho Lands Department. >

Tlio following names of magistra tes ap-pear on the roster for attendance v at the Police Court for the current week:- B. H. Babbidge, W. A. J. Boyd, C. H. Buzacott, W. J. T. Cooksley, J. R. Dickson, jui t., T. Harding, A. Huesman, S. Kaye, W. M. Ii'oyd, S. Maxwell, E. Naumber«-, R. G. Petty, B. Robinson, B. Sinauer, W. Thorno, W. Wils on, J. D. Heal, B. R. Bale, R. Berkley, J.' C.

Moffatt, W. G. Power, D. P. T. Jones. |

At the commencement of last week there we re thirteen women in the Salvation Army Rosen e Home. During the week eight have beei i admitted and ten discharged, leaving eleven inmates on Saturday. Three of the dis-charged women have gone to fcituations.

Joseph Stewart, aged 21, a smart-looking \ young fellow, was charged at tho Police Court I on Saturday morning withvvagranoy. Constable [

Healy deposed that ho had known accused for about twelvo monties ; for the post threo mouths

had not known hiin to bo in any employment; lie |

frequented tho wharves and associated with cardsharpors and convicted thieves ; complaints

had bpen made about bim ; about three days |

ago saw him coming off the A.U.S.N. Com-

pany's wharf and cautioned him ; on Friday I as tho Rockton was about leaving for Nor-manton saw him again at tho wharf and arrested him on the present chargo. By Accused : Did not seo accused driving a horse and cart ; did not know him to bo working for fivo months in the present year without losing a day ; accused hud been back from tlio North moro than a fortnight ; did not kuow that ho was living with his paronts, and aoted as "runner" for his mother's boivrdiug-houtjo ; when witness cautioned accused about being on the wharf ho said he would go thoro when ho liked, as it was his business to be there. Sub-inspector Graham at this stage informed the bench that accused had a home, but thero wer« fr__-.;¿"_

complaints about ^ ^""g to ^^ra that

T^ore going away and obtaining money from people on board. Mr. Pinnock cautioned accused and discharged him.

George Thompson, alias William Painter (22) I .was charge 1 ut the Police Court on Saturday with the larceny of two shirts and a hat from | Edwards and Lamb'» shop in Queen-street. From the ovidoueo given it appeared that accused, who was under the iutluenco of drink, took the articles from the shop, and was going down Queen-street with the shirts under his coat and the hut on his hoad. A shop

assistant ran after ¡Lim and took him back, and I he was then giveniiuto custody. On the way to tho lookup accused said to the arrestingoflieer, " I would! not hnvo done it if I hud not been hard u_>." Acousod pleaded guilty

and waa fiued 2es., a fortnight being given I lum to pay the fire, iu default one month's im-

prisonment.

At the CityPol'föo Court on Saturday morning Polly Arnold,,agijd 21, and with sixteen oonviotions recorded agjiinst her, was ohargod with disorderly conduut in AVickknm-Btreot. She pleaded not guilty,, and said that she had been in tile Salvation Ao-my Home and in a situation

for three months. Senior-constable Eraser

stated thathe saw aooused in company with a mau ho know to - bo a larrikin in a yard oiï Wiokham-street, Bind went in and told her to go home; the .mau» ran away, and accused re-mained in tho st root and used bad lauguago and shouted out; witness had oautioned hor during tho ovouiug-soveral times. At this stago the girl bocamo-soi nowhnt violent in her speech, and tho magistrate -ordered her removal to the cells until Monday i norning. As sho was taken

. out of court sho resisted and struck the oflicor

who had her in chargto. Mr. Pinnock romarkod that tho girl was ono of thoso whom tho Salvation Army would not tako any longer. Sho was brought up ¡again latir on, and fined , £1 or twenty-four hoiui-s' imprisonment.

A rathor unusual iiiBtanco of generosity »was given at tho Polico Court on Saturday morning, when a younvr mau named Thompson was being cJealt -with for stealing somo goods from tho front of .Edwards and Lamb'si-drapery suop in Queen

street. Mr. Pinnock said ho would deal with Thompson as a first offendor, and .fine him £1, and asked could he get bail until tho monoy conld bo paid. Thompson said io could not, when Mr. Edwards, ono of tho .firm montionod, stopped forward and ,said ho would guarautoo tho amount. Mr. Pinnock said he-thought it was rather hard for Mr. Edwards to go hail, as'if accused did .not appear the bail would bo estreated. Mr. lEdwards replied that as tho young follow was a first offender lio would like to give bim ft 'chance. Mr. Piimook then dooided to givo .accusedia fortnight to pay the fine, saying that if it was;not paid ho would issuo a warrant for iaccusod;and se ad him to gaol for a month.

Someistatcnjente were made in tho Legisla-tive Aescmblyon Friday night by tho loador of the Qppopiiion us to tho Queensland Doposit Bank-of thetdireotorato of whioh tho Colonial Seoretary is chairman-paying 7 per cent in-terest for fixed deposits, and their circulars intimating t ¡hat tho seourity was botter than that of the» Government Savings Bank. It has boen p ointod out to us that the present rates of in terost paid on fixed deposits by tho Queonsian' i Doposit Bank uro-atoall, 5 per cent; for six mo aths, 6_ per cent ; for twelve months, 6 per cent. The bank has not givon 7 per cent for soveral m ontlis. The special advantages of this brnnc h of the bank's business having boon set forth in the recently issued handbook, page 4, t bo wordB which follow them aro :"The sec urity to depositors is, theroforo, prac-tically eqi lal to that of tho Government Savings

Bank."

A corr espondont writes :-" With reference to the mi ssing boat's crow of the Earl of Jersey, it may be interesting to recall to memory a similar ( ewe that occurred many years ago. The ill-llated .steamer London whilst on a voyagerfrom England to Victoria hud the mis-fortune to loso a4hand overboard ; tho lifeboat was officered, mahned, sent after him, and lost to sight ; 'every se&'.rch proved unavailing, and reluctant'ry the captain left the spot. Tho writer oC this lette,r well remembers seeing the ship steaming up Hobson'» Bay with her flags half-mast high. Tho boat und crow were picked up by a passing- vessel and were safely delivered over before (I think, but am not posi-tivo) the London left on h er homeward voyage. She had not capsized, but- being painted whito .was undistinguishable from the many foam

crested waves."

Accordingtothooffioialweatl'orroports for the twenty-four hours ended at 9 o'clock on Satur-day morning the following rai.'ifalla had been ohronioled :-Ayr, 0-13in.; Cardwell, 0-37in.; Cumberland, 0-27in.; Geraldton, 0-05in.; Georgetown, l-33in.; Herberton, CV19in.; Hughenden, O-OSin.; Junotion Creek, 0-llin.; and Townsville, O-Olin. Mr. Wru\ rge issued the following report :-"In North Queensland, as anticipated, south-easterly, veerin,'' north-east, winds prevail, and moro thundt "rstorms have occurred between the Gilbert and D. iamantina watersheds and the coast. At prêt '-out it is generally cloudy, and heavy showers, havo fallen. In South Queensland tho wind -J aro variable, and the weather generally ( fino to cloudy. The extremos of slnvdo temperature were 9Gdeg. at Normanton, a\id 65deg. at Rockhampton, and lOödeg. .at Blackall, and 33deg. nt Cambooya. Expeofc south-easterly winds, heavy cloud masses,,

showors, and local disturbances in the tropic« ; v and variable winds, chiefly south-east to north-east, in South Queensland, with weather fine generally, but inclined to showery on the coast." Special reports taken at 9 o'clock yesterday morning showed that it was then cool and clear at Burketown, Boulia, Thargomindah,

and at Brisbano ; fino but cloudy at Cooktown,' where the sea was smooth ; sultry at Towns-ville, where the horizon WHS clouded'; fresh, cloudy, und threatening at Mackay ; cloudy at Rockliampton ; clear, hot, and fine at Hughen-den ; and foggy at Cape Moreton. There had been a storm at Blackall during tho previous night and there was a smoke haze at Roma.

The rules of the Mackay Rifle Club aro published in a supplement to Saturday's

" Gazette."

The Rogistrar of Patents notifies, in a supple-ment to tho " Gazette" that ho has received an

application for a patent from William M. Block, of Mouyong, Little River, Victoria, for an invention described as " Improvements in wire strainers." .

A proclamation is published in tho " Gazette" discontinuing the holding of Dis-trict Court sittings at Aramac. A subsequent proclamation provides for the holding of such,

1 courts ut Barcaldine.