Australian Summary.

Feilding Star, Volume XIX, Issue 46, 23 August 1897, Page 2

Australian Summary.

Mr J. C. Williamson says plays ara put on more expensively in Melbourne than in London. His firm stood to lose £2000 with the "Sign of the Cross" before it was pat on in Sydney, and would have lost another £1000 if it had been a failure. The Princess Theatre had, during the last six months, paid away £11/286 in wages, £2826 in rents, £1411 in printing and advertising, J81478 in lighting, £1119 in scenery, £1453 in wardrobes, and many other items of expenditure.

Complaints having been received from New South Wales country districts tbat some of the settlers are not doing well, Mr Carruthere, Minister for Lands, says it is nothing more than h« expected under tbe present system of balloting, by which settlers are chosen, not by an exercise of discrimination as to tbo best men, but by the luck of the ballot box, which often results in giving the land to tbe most unsuitable applicants. Tbe wreck of the Tasmania was the cause of an allusion to tbe fast passages made by intercolonial boats, and tbe tendency of captains to hug tbe shore, is tbe Sydney House of Parliament tbe other night. Mr O'Sullivan was tbe inquisitive member, and he deprecated the practice of catting off corners, so to speak, to save time. He inquired of the Acting-Premier if he had beard of the wrecks of tbe Lyee-moon, Wairarapa, and Tasmania, and whether he was aware that in these and many other instances there bad been a serious loss of life and valuable cargo, apparently to the shore. Mr Brunker considered it impossible to attempt to regulate tbe movements of individual vessels daring storms and fog, sunshine and darkness, otherwise than by the excellent regula* tionsjalready in existence. Senior-Conetable J. F. Kropp was fined £4 9s, or one month, at Sydney Central Police Court the other day for having failed to report the finding ef a gold watcb, tbe property of a Chinaman. Tbe Chief Jwtico of Victoria figures in (be list of unsecured creditors of C. M. Watson, solicitor, whose statement shows' a deficiency of £10,744.