Late Australian News.

Hastings Standard, Issue 345, 11 June 1897, Page 4

Late Australian News.

[Evening Post.]

The leading banks in Sydney have expressed their intention of opening subscription lists in aid of the fund for the Queen. [Victoria Home fov Consumptives. The bookmakers say that if cash betting is suppressed, horse racing will be ruined in New South Wales. The Acting-Premier of Victoria has promised to submit to the Cabinet a request for the question of Women's Suffrage to be submitted to Parliament in a Bill by itself. The returns of the Zeehan mines (Tasmania) for the month of May amount to 1431 tone of ore, valued at £15,624. The Queensland Government proposes to issue a number of pamphlets on the subject of Federation, some of which will deal especially with the relation of Queensland to the movement. The League of Wheelmen's road race, from Manly to Bay view and back 25 miles, was won by T. Barkell. H. Bagnall made fastest time, lhr Bmin losec. William Snell, the well-known cyclist, arrived at Adelaide on the 29th ult., having ridden on his wheel from Menzies, West Australia. The Government Astronomer of New South Wales reports that 210 points of rain fell during the recent tornado. The steamer Merrie England arrived at Cooktown (Q.) on the 29th ult., from New Guinea, with 54 passengers, many of whom are in a pitiable condition .from fever and dysentery. The Itev. L. M. Isifcfc stated at Sydney that the difference between prohibitionists and local opiionisfcs was the difference between tweedledum and tweedledee. The bootmakers on strike at Adelaide unanimously decided on the 2nd inst. to continue the strike, even if they receive no further outside support. The Minister for Education and Labour in New South Wales is satisfied that when the Shops and Factories Act becomes thoroughly understood no hardship will be felt by the employers in any of the trades. A rich find of gold has been reported from Yow Yow-bill, one mile from Queenstown, in Victoria, 1930z of smelted gold having' been obtained from 82 pounds of stone. The number of prisoners of all classes in confinement in New South Wales on 31st December last was shown by the Comptroller-General of Prisons' report to be 2357, as compared with 2460 last year. Mr Gould, Minister for Justice, assured a Sydney deputation from religious and temperance bodies that a general amending law for the suppression of Sunday trading would be introduced as soon as practical. Mr Levien, M.P., proposes to ask the New South W 7 ales Parliament to frame a provision in the Federation Enabling Act to the effect that an absolute majority of electors should record their votes in favor of a Constitution before it is accepted.

A motion by Mr Copeland, M.P., for the Sunday opening of the Sydney Zoological Gardens was carried, on division, in the Legislative Assembly. Mr John Matheson, the general manager of the Victorian railways, recommends the use of pinch gas as the best, cheapest, and safest light for railway carriages. A young woman named Florrie Martin was sentenced to six months' imprisonment at the Sydney Quarter Sessions for bigamy. She was said to have committed the offence before. An initial shipment of frozen hares, rabbits, and poultry to London was made last week by the Export Board of New South Wales. News to hand from New Guinea by the steamer Merrie Lngland states that there is much suffering among rniuers at Port Moresby, and many of them were unable to pay their passages to Queensland. Over 100 Indian coolies have arrived at Brisbane, under engagement to work on North Queensland and Fiji sugar plantations.

It was announced at the annua convention of the New South Wales Loceil Option League that the indebtedness of the organisation had been substa nti alI v red u eed. The Queensland Government contemplates making large purchases of land on the Dovling Downs, in 01 dc-v to meet the demand for land for agricultural farms in that district. Thy revenue returns of New South Wales for May show that the receipts amounted to £892,894, as compared with £862,179 for May last year, showing a net increase of £30,625. Christopher Hetherington, aged 70, a selector residing at Emu Swamp, near Orange, N.S.W., was suffocated while at dinner at Brightman's Hotel through a piece of meat, lin. square, becoming tightly embedded in the windpipe.