Western Mail (Perth, WA : 1885 - 1954), Saturday 19 October 1907, page 30


COMMONWEALTH AND NBW

ZEALAND NEWS.

_ »

From time to time rumours ira ve been circulated regarding Mr. J. C. Watson's intention to retire from politics, and the Eiobability of his doing so is no»' again

eing Actively discussed. Hishealtii is

bad.

W. Jackson, a suburban resident, en-tered Martin Chambers, Sydney, and Nothing was known of his movements after that, but persons in Moore-etreet were horrified to see him fall out of the window. In his descent. Jackson struck and broke two telephone wires, and the pavement where he fell was spattered with blood. He died of his injuries.

Sir Langdon Bonython, proprietor of the "Adelaide Advertiser," waa arno.if; the passengers from London to thf

Eastern States.

A .young man named John Dobinson committed suicide at Mooroopna (V.) by jumping from a railway bridge. Tlie deceased, who had been in bad health for several years, left letters to friends. In one of these he said that he had been worried for 15 years.

Mr. Justice Street (N.S.W.) was occu-pied for a week hearing an incarnera suit by Phyllis Smith, formerly Seal, against George Smyth, for a dissolution of mar-riage. ,or for a decree for judicial sepa-ration, on the grounds of habitual cruelty «nd gross misconduct. His Honour dismissed the petition, but di-

rected tim rcsnondent to nav costs

Tue annual report of thc Victorian Savings Bank for the year ended June 30, 1907, shows that the depositors num-bered 491,818, ns against 460,752 for the preceding vear. The deposits totalled £12,792,590, or an average of £2G Os. 8d. per depositor, an increase over 1905-6, when the amounts were respectively £11,764,179 and £25 4s. ld.

The last half-yearly report of the Broken Hill (N.Ö.W.) Co-operative So-ciety proves it to be tho most success-ful example of distributive co-operation in Australia. The turnover almost doubled itself during the term, and the profit realised over £1,500, which \va6 distributed -amongst tho co-operators, customers, and employees.

The Mayor of Wellington, having stated that Mr. Keir Hardie, M.P., would be his guest during his stay at Wellington, and that he would be ac-corded a civic reception, considerable discussion on the question took place in the Press. In reply to a question in the City Council, the Mayor affirmed his intention to welcome Mr. Keir Hardie, whom he eulogised as a credit to the nation. Tile Mayor says that he does not give unqualified credence to the cabled report of Mr. Keir Mar-die's utterances in India.

Tho Minister for Home Affairs has

mado arrangements for exhaustive trials to be made of all voting machines, com-plying with certain conditions, whicii may be submitted to his Department. The machines mu&t be so constructed that tho.voter can at one visit record his vote secretly for the House of Repre-sentatives or the Senate, or for both Houses, and for at least one referen-dum. Before forwarding their machines inventors should communicate with the Department.

Tenders will shortly be called for the installation of wireless telegraphy be-tween Papua and the mainland. No particular system will be compulsory.

At Deniliquin last week a full-blood-ed aboriginal obtained a divorce from' -his wife: on the ground of her adultery with a half-caste, who was ordered to pay' alj. costs. - ... . '

A young man named George Toffts was . tried in the Tamworth Circuit Court (N.S.W.); on & change of the mur-der'of Maud-Fletcher at Quirindi, oil July. 29. ' It appears that Toffts was jealous of the ghi. The defence was one ©Î temporary insanity. The jury return-ed ft verdict of guilty, and Toffts was sentenced to, deatn.

Sir Samuel Gillett, accompanied. by Lad" Gillott, was a passenger in transit to the Eastern States hy the G.M.6.. Bulow, after a holiday trip to Eurone.

Messrs. Mcilwraith, McEacharn and ConiDany's new steamer, the Kooying, wás launched ;qri tho Clyde yesterday.

' Mr. P. G. Taylor, a nativesof Sydney, lias been awarded a £60 entrance ex-

hibition at Emmanuel Collège, Gani-', brjdge. ; .. ,,,.'?,'

Lord Durham, in the «ourse of a«peech . delivered at, .< Newcastle,ïald - that ' if Í thé* proposals in the new Australian 'tariff were ; adopted, ,Bri,t*iu'^ whole shipping industry would be fiisloeated. He thought of his own country before the colonies.

Captain Neiben, of the barquo Aagot, arrived at Port Victoria on Sat-urday morning and reported that bia vessel had been totally wrecked et Wardang Island, on the west coast. The vessel, he stated, was full of water, and was bumping heavily. The crew of

17 hands were lauded safely.

A reward of £'50 has been offered by the Customs Department for informa-tion which may lead to the conviction of persons smuggling opium. Public notices in English and Chinese have been prepared for display in the post

offices and other Commonwealth build-ings.

The Postmaster-General has decided that allowance post-offices are if possi-ble, only to be established in connection with private businesses, the object being to prereut the sweating of employees.

The watercolour pictures of Australia flora painted by Mrs. Ellis Kowan, which have attracted considerable ap-preciatory notice at recent exhibitions, have been purchased bv the South Aus-tralian Government.

Owing to the increase in the price of flour the Master Bakers' Association of Victoria has decided to raise tho price of bread to did.

In opening a carnival in aid of the Women's Hospital Fund on Saturday, the Premier of Victoria said that a Charities Tax Bill would be introduced shortly. He intended to tax news-papers, and would include Ashing li-cences. The carnival was attended by 30,000 people.

A cowardly and brutal assault was committed at Ben Lomond, in the Guyra district, last week, on Mrs. Mc

bringan, who is nearly 80 years old. Mrs. MeGuigan went to the house of a neighbour and found the husband and wife quarrelling. The old woman made some remarks, and was thereupon set upon by the man, who knocked some of .her teeth cut, blackened her eves cut her he3d, and bruised her auout the body. The injured woman was taken on a stretcher to the Guyra Hospital. Her-assailant decamped.

In reference to tho statements made by Mr. Carr in the House of Represen-tatives that immigrants arriving in New South Wales were being «sent to situations in.the country at 2s. Gd. and 5s. a' week, the Premier stated that no immigrant had ever buen asked to work for such wages.

The death sentence rnssed on Reuben Ward, who was convicted nt Dubbo on a charge of having criminally assaulted a young woman at Dubbo, has been commuted to penal servitude for life.

There is much consternation among the large number of men who indulge in surf-bathing at Bondi on account of the 'new regulations which aie going to be enforced. The Waverley Muni-cipal Council has decided that neck-toknee costume is to be no longer suf-ficient, and that a skirt reaching at least to the knees has to be added, and tho arms must be concealed to near the elbows. Loitering on the beach is also to be prohibited, and all intercourse be-tween bathers and the general public is to be forbidden. The penalties for breaches of these regulation will range from £1 to £20.

While the Sydney Sailing Club's race was in progress on Saturday, the 18footer Zena capsized and one of her crew. Edgar Woods, assistant to Dr. Flashuiann, at thc Callan Park Asy-

lum and a resident of Watson's Bay,,, was drowned.

A second-claws petty officer on H.M.S. Prometheus, named Crouch, wa» drowned in the Sydney harbour. Ho with a niau named Edward lill, was out in a dinghy, which capsized near the north end of Garden Island. A boat from the warship rescued Till, but Crouch had disappeared when thc boat

reached the scene.

F. R. Ainley, one of the best-known of Victorian OBitincii. died on Sunday. In his day he was tlu> host amateur, sculler in Victoria.

The resignation of Mr. Justice Hood as President of tho Industrial Appeal Court has been accepted by Hie Victo-

rian Cabinet. .

The failure of the Wages Board sys-tem in regard to the recent dispute in the bakery trade was considered by the Employers' Federation. Melbourne, and the following motion was agreed to: -' That, in view of the serious outlook in tho present labour situation, it de-volves upon employers to take measures to protect theinselves, and with this end in view this n.eeting appoints a vigilance committee to confer and do alF'sueh things as may be deemed neces-sary in the host interests of tho Fede-ration and employers generally."

Unregistered bookmakers wore in evi-dence at the A..J.C. spring meeting, and five <jf them appealed in the Pad-dington Police Court, Sydney. Proceed-ing's were taken by the chairman of the club, and it was shown that Albert Croft,. Kenneth Miller, William Mc-Kenzie, Charles Wallace, and Michael Ryan had carried on operations in the .Leger reserve. '.' They were each fined £5, with<£2 costs; in default a month's imprisonment.'

What is supposed to lie" «ii oil-paint* Jug by Turner has been; discovered in tho possession, of Mr. IV Beck, a resi-dent of Alexandra, Otago.

^ The Conlonial Secretary of New Zea-land stated to a deputation that Cab-inet had decided in future to graut' no more charters authorising clubs to sell liquor. "

Speaking on thc Australian Indus-tries Billen the Senate last week. Mr. Lynch ,(W.A.) said that legislation failed to control trusts and "only one

remedy remained and that- was national ' ownership. All others were mere make-shifts."

. Some time ago a petition was present-ed to the Attorney<43e»eral asking lor ; the release; of Michael Quigley, who tn \ March, -1902, was sentenced to 10 years'

imprisonment for liaving ispmmitted a capital oîcnce at -Yendon.. Several iff the signatures turn out to be forgeries.

Th© charitaale trusts under the will if the late George Adama, of Tattertali's consultation fame, have been de-clared void, on account of uncertainty. Mr. Justice Street- in the Equity Court /Sydney, gave judgment on three points Ot the originating summons having re-ference to charities. A large sum, esti-mated at £100,000, is involved in the first decision referring to charities, and it is probable that au appeal will be

made.

The directors of the National Bank of 'Australasia, Ltd., have decided to recom-mend a dividend of 5 per cent, on pre-ference and ordinary shares, at the geneX'al meeting, to be held on the first Tues-day in November, in Melbourne.

A curios ca.se of alleged blackmail A curious case of alleged blackmail fas before the Quarter Sessions, Syd-ney, when Mick Baudette Mongan and hi« wife were charged with ¿avine, bv menaces, demanded money from Kate Dawbarn. According to the evidence of Dawbarn, who is living apart from her husband. Mongan came to her housa _ at Ashfield and stated that he had

neither a home nor a room. She.gave him shelter, and later Mongan's wife accused her of improper intimacy with Mongan, who then suggested that his wife should be given money to keep her ii outii closed. Tlie jury returned a verdict of not guilty.

Applications must be made to tho Governor-General or the Premier of auy State boforo November 1 for nomina-tions to cadets!)Lp in the Boya) Navy. Candidates must be not less than i'2 years and 8 months or more than 13 years of age. Although eight nomina-tions are available annuallv. onlv 25

candidates lia ve come forward since 3M>4. This ia .understood to be chiefly Ílue to the heavy expense involved. Tiie ees payable to the Royal Naval College at Osborne are £75 per annum, and a private allowance of £50 has annually tf> be made to cadets from the expira-tion of their period of training until they reach the rank of sub-lieutenant.

Instead of filling up the vacancy in the Victorian Postal Department caused hy the retirement of Mr. Outtrim, late Deputy Postmaster-General, the Go-vernment has appointed Mr. Bright, Deputy^fostmaster-General of QueênsUmd, to act temporarily as Deputy

postmaster-General of Victoria and to

prepare a report on the Victorian ad-

ministration.

A heavy penalty for opium smuggling was imposed on Gerald Waterhouse, ¿Sydney, who was found with 229 tins of the drug in lus possession.

When John Williams was'brought be-fore the Water Police Court, Sydney, charged with being a deserter from IH.M7S. Powerful, it was stated by the police that just before the flagship left for Colombo to meet H.M.S. Dido with a fresh crew, a large number of sailors «aid to be 200, deserted. So far the police have only Buoceeded in arresting Williams, who was engaged as a kit-chen man in a city hotel. Four con-stables were specially told off to trace the deserters.

A well-known business man, who lives at East Geelong, with his wife and fam-ily, lias been claimed by another wotnainra her husband. On Saturday he man as her husband.

Tko Anglican und Presbyterian Con-ference on the union of the two Churches was resumed in Melbourne.

À report dealing with the question re-lating to church government, especially ijl connection with historic episcopate, was debated at great length. Members admit that the question now heine dis-cussed is beset with grave difficulties.