AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1615, 30 November 1905, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

' By, telegraph, Press Ass’n. Copyright Sydney, Nov 29. 1 It is understood tbat the wharf laborers intend to apply to the Arbitration Court • to modify the award applying to inter--1 State shipping. The steamer Baroona has been sold to the Wairoa Steamship Company, Kaipara. She is intended to be used for earrying passengers between Dargaville and Helonsville in oonneotion with the railway service. The Baroona will bo altered to suit the service before takiDg her departure The Legislative Council read the Liquor Bill a seoond time on the voices. At the Kieran weloome home swimming meeting, in the 250 scratoh race Kieran beat MoKelvie by 25 yards in 3.1 1-5. Priberg, a New Zealander, was third. Dr Stanton, Bishop of Newcastle, is seriously ill. Bush fires have occurred in the Dubbo, Warren, Condobolin, Trangie. and Parkes districts, and destroyed maoy sores of crops and great arras of grass. A number , of settlors lost everything. At Warren a ' woman named Parker, after warning some settlers, was found dead in a creek. At WyaloDg the fire has a frontage of 50 to 70 miles. The Daily Telegraph says that were the Commonwealth to accept the position now ocoupied by New South Wales in regard to tho administration of Norfolk Island, the grip of the tariff whioh ie throttling the helpless little settlement could be relaxed. There is no other way of helping, but apart from that the Federal Government is the proper authority to deal with the islands in the Pacific. The present arrangements are a survival of pre-Federal times, and common-sense oalls for its abolition.