AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 900, 26 May 1903, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

By Telegraph—Press AssociationCopyright.

MELBOURNE, May 25. r l'wo members of the Railway I)ailv Paid Union have issued writs against Hie Commissioner, claiming a thousand pounds damages each for wrongful dismissal. 9he secictaiy of the Drivers’ Association states that a large number of drivers intend to emigrate to Canada, South Africa, and the Argentine. SYDNEY, May 21. The Rev. George I lay, who was sentenced to twelve months’ imprisonment for inserting a iV.lsc-nafed marriage certificate, has been icleaned under the First, Offenders Aid. UitfilU‘t‘ll thousand persons witnesscd the exhibition of the Victorian game between the Fifzroy and Col lingwood teams. Fifzroy won by sixty-one points to forty-live. Conforming to the request of the New Zealand Union, the match against, the Northern Rugby Union will bo played at Maitland instead of NcwIS. Suitor has been elected ■President of the Legislative Council- KM.ro- 1 V.- 9-.

V 1 * IN l J I . tiY The Herald says that in view of the prospect of a general election shcrtly in England, it considers Mr Chamberlain’s tacking prelerenlial duties on to the Old Age Pensums scheme as a move calculated towin the democratic-vote ioi. the Govern nicn't. It, seems largely an eiectio neering question, and a statesman of j\fr Chamberlain's masterful character having once decided upon a pet theory for the close of Ins careci, is not likely to he long m deciding on the means to carry it into client. The Daily Telegraph says that nothing more crude than Mr Chambcilain’s fiscal doctrine has ever fallen from Ihe lips of a statesman, nor is ihc plea upon which lie seeks u> in the thin end of the wedge of imperial farin’ charges any hctfci. The device of providing the funds by means of a protective farin' lor old age pensions is merely a plea Mo impoverish the people by lifelong charges and afterwards sustain then declining years by refunding pert of the earnings thus lilclied from them.