Australian.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 March 1917, Page 3

Australian.

, n (Feb Press Association.—Copybiohi Registered Mail Thefts. a (Receive! March 8, at 840 am.) w Sydney, Match 8 Extensive thefts of registered mail have been reported, extending ovei s several months and involving £i5,00( [ to £20,000. X l Despite a careful watch, the bagf a are tampered with ea route and the 3 parcels mail extracted, stones being . substituted. The authorities are tin- . able to solve the mystery. t Population Return. 1 Sydney, March 8 The Statistician’s estimates of the r population of New South Wales last 1 year is 1,846,578, a. decrease of ' 22,066. — / Wheat Prices. Melbourne, March 8 Official figuraa of the wheat poo’ of 1916 show the wheat exported totaled 45,491,000 bushel.’, equivalent in flour to 6,715,000. The net realisation of wheat was £11,762,000 and flour £1,670.000, an average return of 5/2 per bushel, of wheat and converted into fl mr of 4/li j, the total return being 5/14. The surplus is to go under contract to give a net average of 4/9 2-5 per bushel. Australian Representation. (Received March 8, at 10 5) Melbourne, Mrrch 8 In the House of Representatives, Mr Cook said no public servant, now matter how highly placed, would be considered as the representative of Australia at the Imperial Conference. Home Rule Motion. Melbourne, Maroh 8 The Senate carasd a motion by 29 to 3, to petition the King to grant Home Rule to Ireland. MR HUGHES’S ADVICESoldiers’ Votes to ba Arranged. Melbourne March 7 The Governor-General has accepted Mr Hughes’s advice to dissolve mentMr Hughes has announced that tho position now is that members of the House and Senators retiring at the end of June proceed to the country forthwith. The Government intends to ask Parliamegt for the necessary Supply, It will make arrangements for taking soldiers’votes abroad and will deprive alien enemies of votes.

In the course of a lengthy statement, Mr Hughes said that the people of Australia demanded representation "ao the Imperial Conference and he can now disclose that the delegates had intended leaving tonight.