AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 624, 29 September 1909, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

SIBERIAN IMMIGRANTS. Sydney, September 22. Althopghx the advantages of Victoria as a place for 'settlers:have been published throughout the world, the Victorian Lands Department is considerably embarrassed whoa immigrants . who have taken bucH announcements at'their face value arrivo and ask for'some of the land that is awaiting settlors. The Department hnd such fm experience when seven Russians appeared at the Lands' Office... Only one of, tho men could speak English,, and he explained that, including women and children; the, party consisted of . twenty members,, comprising seven families. They had; been farmers in'a small'way at Tomsk, in Siboria.' They' could ■ grow wheat, but had apparently done inore in the direction of. market gardening. ~'At Tomsk they had read about Australia —how that it was a free country and'a good country—that settlers were wanted; and that tlie : Government would' find land for good agriculturists. So they had sold their little faniis 'in Siberia, travelled across to China with their wives and children, taken-ship to Melbourne, and tliero tlloy stood at the Lands Department explaining with 'touching faith in what'they had read..that thoy had come for the land upon which to found a colony 'alto-' gether, so that they might live upon;' the' produce. of. the soil. A remarkable feature about .the'advent of these colonists. : from Siberia- is that they did not write to , any ' Gove'rnmont official J for direct information before they risked all. in starting for-a .new country, nor did.', they send any word in advanco of their coming. It is the intention of this-band to work -'as,one family. Tho capital,they possess ranges from JC3O to >£100 per family, and many people have, succeeded on less.. CRUISE OF H.M.S. POWERFUL . . H.M.S. Powerful returned to Sydney late on Saturday i evening with' Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Poore, Bart. The Powerful has been

away_ .from Sydney six yfeaks, and during the, interim she'visited Queensland'arid the'islands.' Her. visit to Brisbane wdS iri-'connccfipri- witH-' the jubilee celebrations, arid , tho ; cbmiriander-in-chief arid the officers'and men of the ,flag-' ship took a leading p^rt-in tho demonstrations.' Prom Brisbane' the -Powerful went on to Vila, in the Now Hebrides, whero sho spent several day 6. .-The Admiral .had a'visit from both .the British and French -Resident Commissioners, and it was stated that affairs were quiet all through the islands.' -The Powerful' was, of course, th«. object of much interest, the natives especially being astonished at' the immenso size of tho fighting ship.- The cruiser -wont on to,; Suva from Vila, and Vic'e ; A'dmiral'' Sir Richard Pooro was the-guest'of-'Sir Everard im ' Thrirn, • the Governor- of 'tho'-.Fiji.lslands; during.'.the. four 'days': stay-in' -port/'-'-A departnre -was taken from Suva'a.week ngo; and. the. flagship. came albng'at easy: speed, averajring about 11- knots. Interesting experiments with/the--"wireless" apparatus were .'conducted during the trip and tho ' Powerful -' picked up ;the Challenger, in 'Sydney . Harbour, early,-.last week,-1080 miles - from. ■• Sydney; She was atso in "touch" with H.M.S. Encounter 'during the cruise. .-.The Powerful will go'to-dock., next month for-the' purpose of having a' new crank shaft fitted on the ; port .engine.- Tim new shaft is being brought out. by mail, steamer: from London. The.flagship,,-after her:refit, will bo decommissioned with a new -crow: frorii' England. The new, officers, and.: men aro coming out- by H.M.S, Terrible, and it is not :yet settled whether - the Powerful will .meet' ier -at Colombo' or whether the reliefs will be brought right;on to-Sydney. . - QUEENSLAND PIONEERS. A number of colonists .of 50 .years or.-over-waited .on the Acting-Prime Minister pf Queensland on September ;17, and asked for grants -of -land or cash' equivalent. in recognition, of services rendered/by .them- to the. State during,their long residence. The deputation was the .outcome, of a, public; meeting, held in July, last, :when.it was considered : that ,in this jubilee year of Queensland it .would, be,a grace- ' ful-aet on,the. part of the,Government-if soriio such.action was taken by those in,power. Mr. Barlow; was shown : some land orders issued by the Cooksland' Land. . Colonisation Company while' Dr." was in-England, for. which the holders paid .£IOO each,..'but which were repudiated by'.the New 'South Wales Govern,merit,' which then held sway 'over this part/of the continent. ._ The deputation,'handed/in a. list'of.soo applications from old.colonists, Mr., Barlow,, in reply, said he .could'not, promise anything, . but would place .the .whole matter before the -.Prime Minister. ;„'He, asked whether the land, was required with-or.',without condi-'. tions of'.residence, and the deputation asked, that'the orders should be given unconditionally. 1 ' "PERISHED IN THE BUSH. ' On .September .6 an aged. Anglican clergyman the Rev. Henry Hugill, formerly of Tasmania, ■left-his home at North Sydney,"and came across to 'the. city. It was his daily.practice to visit the .School of. Arts, .in Pitt:Street,: and return hoine by.,lunch-time.. .He. did,not; do so' on that, day, and 'the police failed to find' any trace . 'of: him. . It. was- .subsequently' stated that, a man anFwering Mr..'Hu'gilTs-description had been seen in the Mount.Druitt'.and Penrith disfricts,,and that he had'-made' inquiry as ■ »<; -train? .running to . Bhio Thpft- . all;.trace .of him ■ was - again; lost. ■ The body of the .rev, gentleman was -at last:-discovered in the.bush riear.Mount.-Druitt-railway station. It was.'partly, covered ..by''branches, and was, much-. decomposed. Death',; had .' taken ..place (Some days ago. As there were no markfe.'of violenoe;' and; the property-.in."his. possession- had Dot. been interfered, ivith; it was thatthe .'.old gentleman,'■ whose' age:' was 'about :.80 years, had pandered-into-the-.-ifflsh,- lain' down exhausted, and 'died. • At • the inquest,' the coroner.;found..that, deceased'.died'' from natural cause, '.wit; heart .failure, the result of the exhaustion of anvenfeebled.body,:' -