AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 522, 1 June 1909, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

THE SENTIMENT OF LOYALTY. / Sydney, May 22. Speaking at a school demonstration at Kil-lara-.on May .22, iMr; Wado said they were keeping for the .fifthi"ycar. in' succession the festival of Empire Day,'and it was being kept throughout tho wliolo Empire. I It was not a moro empty show, or a day for holidaymaking; The feeling intended to b'o perpetuated Was the sentiment of loyalty. ' It was that sentiment which tended to make childlife hajipy, and one boy pi-dud of another, and which permeated the whole community, making all proud of the Empire. It was thp instinct- even of ' the-child to stand; by its own flesh -and blood, not counting the risk; and'in that attitudo" was to bo found the whole strongth ahd essence of wjiat was called loyalty. It was through the general loyalty'and ; cohesion 'and loyo'.of' country that the British Empire Wds'spread over-the whole filobo. - Fow realised /what those ; men wont through;who discovered now lands, or populated Tho country-was readymade, as it were, for this generation; and it was a, 'country, where, compared with older .lailds,'.poverty; wasiri'ot'Jmown in its real sense. As the young people grew older, they.should become equal to their responsibilities, and .stand sidl-by side against those who would assailX tho Empire. It was the fact that England could count on each part of hef. great Dominions for that riiado those nations v.'ho Would lay hands 011 her hesitate , before making the attempt. In that loyalty 1 Was the . greatest - safeguard against attack,' tho best' guarantee of peace, ,nnd the strongest; security against the horrors .of war,—'"Daily Telegraph," ' Light Railways. - The Victorian State.'Government;,has , L rethe idea ,of constructing light -railways to Spoil Ujt coui'tfy 'di'stricts. ' Victoria has alroady-,had' an esperienco of these light lini'S, both of the standard-'and tho narrow-gauge;-::\Two malice;lines,,■ the. Woomelang and the Sea Lako- railways, - wero built to standard; gauge' with secondhand 601b. rails. -lines cost ,£1412: and £1407 per - mile respectively to construct, -■ but they-passed through li£;ht , country. The Railways'Stand--' • iri^-. 1895 reported, against gauge . light; ..line's,, m heavily,.tim r bored:' hiliy. 'coimtry,:; and recommended the •intrdduotion'' of'-the i'narrow gauge system. Mr.'F. Rennicki who was then Engineer in' ;,Chief| .estimated., the cost of light, country lines, with 401b. rails-as 'follows .-—Easy country. £2200 per rttile; meditmi .country,' £3000 ; diMevlj .country -~ £6000: very difficult'country,': £12,000. ■ : : Four. flarrow'gaugo—•2_feet._o -inches—lines havo"been;;constructed in - Victoria. ■; These are:.' Wangaratta to iWhit-field, Fern I Treo Gully to Gcmbrooki Colao to Bcech For|;6sti(wllioh:,iß,td'.be,'e):tendcd to Crowes), and Moo to ;(iio\v; bearing eotnpletion). The ■ rolling.. stock new in the possessifiiv. of tho Departßlehtj-for tljese. linles. consists of eight : engines, 17 Carriages, and about 100 trucks.- - , ', ''' So'fair.-'th'ff officers of:tho railway._construction branch have had no inStrilrtjoiis' from the ; Govornment. to report unon any scheme :ftf "light railways • - but. the Premier, intends I to;Cftblo to the- A«ont-General- asking.ihim, to .obtainj:all;;t|ie' iflformation . he. can .with regard to'the' aevelop'meit in.light"railways, in .England'during recent .years.—"Age.'! The Finder of the'/MV/bicome Nugget." .- - Francis * Webster, the discoverer : of ; the' .faiM.ua' fWelcome. Nugget I ' ;jn- the" early, days Cf the ißallarat gold field, died at 'the Ballarat Bonovolent Asylnffl on May 19.' He was 74. yeaw of agC.'.Rnd was one of the. pioneergold diggers of Ballarat'.' It- was on Juno 11, ISfiß,; tliat .Webster found -tho' .big. nugget in his claim;, atnßattery Hill, Ballflrat_East. Itl) gross Woight Was'2l9s,ounces, and it was valued at. £8780. "vVebstftr. divided the pro,'cc'eds :with .bis,two, mates. Tho ntigget was found about 100 feet from tho surface, Webster and his mates, .ori leaving Bftllarnt, wont to' other ' gold flcldsj but,they -;sTfircoyears agd'thc-old digger-rotufiied to B&llarat poor and friendless, and a3 ho was also'in II! . Jlfldlfch]': hi#"; rCfitojiellcd to seek tho -slielter, ;.Bbhevpleit ! Asylum.' Ho had been bedridden for a long while prior to liia death.—"Ago." ; '-

' " Th& Dreadnought Fundi Up till May-24 the' Sydney Dreadnought fund had reached a total 'of 1:67,438 17s. 7d. Tho general staff of Mfers. Anthony Horden artd\faoti3'.'cotitrjb«tt:d

Last of a Popular Mall Boat. With the rdtcnt departure/from Sydney of the R.M.S. Victoria, the last of the P. and 0. Company's famous 'fJubilee*' ships l ;has been seen .in 'theso watGra.' The 'constructiou : duriiig 'the 'past-.two" or'threO years . of '/-i -magnificent, fleet, Of "M"' steamers - of' from -' ,10,000 to 11,200. tons ..has 1«1 to -tho .'with-' driiwalffrom ;the Australian of all the older. tile India, and Olurttti : Tho Victoria, which broke many ttcords ,in hor day) was a sister ship to the 'Britannia, Oceana, 'and Arcadia, all.of .which .wore w \builfe; in-1887- in : commemoration 'of tho jtibiloo of tho formation' of' tho, P. ■; and O. Company; vThoy were, .attho time they wore launched, the yossete over built for tho company, and thoiV arrival in Sydney harbour orcsted intense interest/ The cost'of thoSft four .iWw, historifi mail-litiers:was. almost £800,000, ftiid their combined tonhag9 wa3 26,000. AH. of these ships'were'.fitted with gull: platforms and. : othor necessary appliances, and under, arrangement; with the. Admiralty. "We're.- ready Va t; a Moment's notico to ba-con. i vertcd inte armed cruisfcrsi