INTERCOLONIAL BREVITIES.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 12 July 1901, Page 4

INTERCOLONIAL BREVITIES.

too The Presbyterian Centenary Fund has now reached the sum of £37,250. The salary of the Auditor-General of the Commonwealth is fixed at £IOOO. By the steamer Maori King, which arrive at Sydney last week, a ship load of 74 prize sheep from New York was received. The frosts experienced lately in the Liverpool district of New South Wales have been attended with disastrous results to the barely and pea crops. The Public Service of the Commonwealth is to be under the control of a Public Service Commissioner, so as to do away with the evils of political patronage. It has been officially notified in a military “ General Order ” that up to date 252 officers and 4504 non-commissioned officers and men have been despatched to the seat of war in South Africa from New South Wales alone. The Tasmanian Government has con' sented to enomologists from other States visiting Tasmania to report whether San Jose scale exists there. No less than 16 of the followers of the See Government (N.S.W.) in the last Parliament have refused to face the electors with the Ministerial colours. The table on which the late Queen signed the Commonwealth Act has been placed in position before the chair of the President of the Senate. According to the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth, Queensland has obtained all the trading and other benefits of the Anglo-Japanese treaty while she had full control over the influx of Japanese labor The enacting clause of Commonwealth Bills are to contain the words, “ By the King’s Most Excellent Majesty and the Senate and House of Representatives,” instead of, as originally intended, the word “ Parliament ” only. A readjustment of the quarantine areas in Queensland, necessitated by the tick pest has been made. A number of areas, including important stations, have been brought within the quarantine area. The colonial estate of the late Mr Edward Keep, hardware merchant, of Melbourne, is valued at £245,776 and the English estate at £20,000. The total Customs revenue for West Australia during May amounted to £86,967, of which Fremantle contributed nearly £60,000. There are 9000 girls under the age of 21 employed in the clothing trade oi Victoria. When the clauses in the Public Service Bill dealing with insurance were before the Federal House of Representatives a few days ago. Mr Cook proposed an amendment to the effect that the Commonwealth would insure the lives of its employees. This be intended as an introduction to the New Zealand system of State insurance. After considerable discussion the clauses were postponed. Sir William Lync said he wanted time to look into the matter all round, though lie was himself in favor of the provisions of the Bill, which left the employees to insure their lives with certain approved companies. A merchant tailor of Melbourne, in giving evidence before the factories Cammission, said that the girls of clothing factories were not properly taught their trade, and when they left could not get employment i i retail shops. The result was that one-half of them went on tho streets. This statement the Chief Inspector of Factories says is a wicked lie. The Now South Wales State Government proposes to erect a shed at Darling Island capable of containing 1,309,000 bushels of wheat, and to provide improved loading appliances there.