AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Kumara Times, Issue 1394, 21 March 1881, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Melbourne, March 10. During a discussion in the Assembly on Wednesday, on the question that 125 miles should be the maximum distance charged by the Victorian railways for the conveyance of all description of farm produce in Victoria, the Minister for Railways pointed out that last year the receipts were £166,000 short of the interest. The Banks have restricted the maximum rate of interest on deposit to 3 per cent, for twelve months, aud 2-| for six months. At a meeting of the Harbor Trust on Wednesday, it was stated that there was reason to believe that the Trust did not receive all the wharfage rates to which they were entitled. Sydney, March 10. The imports to date show an increase of about 95 per cent., and the exports 32 per cent, over the corresponding period of last year. One-third of the permanent force, headed by Major Spalding and two or three other officers of the force, forwarded a requisition to the Government on Saturday, asking that their services should be offered to the Imperial authorities in their operations against the Boers at the Cape. During a hailstorm on Tuesday, a child was swept into a sewer and drowned. A meeting was held in the Exchange last night for the purpose of recognising Laycock’s services. Mr Thompson, in the course of his remarks, said he would give £2O, and if the other members present would take the matter up in the same way, something like £2OOO would be collected. In the Legislative Council on Wednesday, the subject of packing the benches of the Police Courts will be discussed on the motion of Sir Alfred Stephen. Adelaide, March 10. The Agricultural Society is offering to forward, under their auspices, parcels of fruit and grapes to London by the Orient. The commander of the French warship Rhin has written stating that he has placed samples of South Australian wines before a meeting of the leading merchants in France, who requested full information regarding the kinds most largely grown in the colony. The letter has been referred to the Royal Agricultural Society. The Register’s estimate of the wheat harvest is just out. The total crop covers 1,583,584 acres, being an increase of 125,490 acres over last sea-

son. The gross production will be 8,191,870 bushels, and after deducting for seed and horhe consumption, the quantity available for export is mated at 137, 500 tons, being tons less than last yean