AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 April 1925, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. N.S.W. MARRIAGE BILL. SYDNEY. A!an-h 31. In the Assembly, the Marriage LawBill Amendment was passed by an overwhelming majority, the Labour Party, w ith one exception, voting cm bloc with the Government. The Labour Lender lMr Lang), in supporting the amendment, said that for once, the Labour Party found itself ranged alongside the members of the Upper House in ail effort to prevent the Minister of .Justice from paganising marriage and bringing about a sectarian election. The Assembly, by 42 to 32. parsed the Legislative Council’s Amendment to the .Marriage Law Amendment Rill.

SENTENCED TO DEATH. (Rnneived this dav at 9.45 a.m.) ADELAIDE, April 1. Thomas William As-ov, charged with the murder of Robert James Trenorden, was found guilty, with a strong recommendation to mercy, hut was sentenced to death. BRISBANE WOOL SALESBRISBANE, April 1. At the wool .sales there was an average selection and competition was keen. Prices computed with the February saie were from ten to fifteen per cent lower. ALIEN IMMIGRATION. BRISBANE, April I. The Queensland Government has appointed a Koval Commission to inquire into alien immigration into North Queensland. It has arranged with the Federal Government to check or icgulate the How of aliens to the North. LAO VS lIATK CONFISCATED. MELBOURNE. April 1. M.rs Ehrett who arrived by a steamer from China on a. holiday visit was not allowed by the Customs officials to land when wearing a hat decorated with Egret plumes, which are prohibited by the Customs regulations. Her luggage also supplied another idle tiding hat. The prohibited articles were placed in bond till she departs from the country when the wearing of Egret plumes is not an offence. VITAL STATISTICS. BRISBANE, April i. The Registrar-General’s report on the vital statistics for 1923 refers to the declining birth rate as a matter for grave national concern. The Queensland birth rate fell from 27.58 per thousand in 1920 to 24.89 in 1923 while the marriage rate declined from 9.8 to 7.21 and the death rate increased by .09 per ecru.