AUSTRALIAN NOTES.

Mt Benger Mail, Volume 17, Issue 850, 29 August 1896, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN NOTES.

SYDNEY, August IG. The Tick Conference, who hope to be the means of eradicating (or at any rate minimising) the ravages of the busy little tick, have got to work on their task. Experts had before them ticks in battalions, some dead and some alive. Of the latter there were some poor specimens, two together not being larger than a pin's head. These had lived in an uncongenial place, and showed it in their tenacity. Their vitality was unquestioned, for although bottled in May last they were still alive, and only required a decent bullock to become opulent. It was mentioned that as many as 40,000 ticks had been removed from one hide; that each female tick laid as many as 2,000 eggs, which were deposited in sand, where they were hatched ; and that when once a district became thoroughly infected it was impossible to eliminate the infection.

An effort has been made to again raise the Tiehborne skeleton. A member of the Legislative Assembly urged the Government to have the lunatic Cresswcll examined, but the Colonial Secretary regarded the case as one in which the Government should protect Cresswell from his friends, and prevent any further annoyance. They therefore declined the request. An abstract motion in favor of a penny inland post was carried by the Legislative Assembly, although the Government damned the motion with faint praise. Treasurer Reid's new-found surplus would not stand the strain, and it was stated that a loss of over sixty thousand i>er annum was involved. A private member obtained peruiission t<» introduce a Bill to abolish the Public Works Committee, an octopus which costs the country at the rate of £l5O per week. He suggested that the work done by the Committee could be done by the Civil servants without any sacrifice" of efficiency. The Minister of Public AVorks stoutly defended the institution, which, he claimed, was comparatively inexpensive. The Factories Bill has passed the committee stage in the Assembly. The Labor party succeeded in obtaining two important amendments—one fixing a weekly half-holiday for ail shops, and another prehibiting the making up of clothing outside of a factory or work room. The latter prevision was only tallied on the casting vote of the chairman. Noumean files contain a story of remarkable bravery displayed by a woman. A short distance from the New Caledonian coast lies Bailly Island, the sole inhabitants of which are a man and his wife and children and two men servants. On July 10 Rouel and the two servants left their home in a cutter to bring stores from the mainland. As they were returning, and when iu sight of home, the boat capsized and all were drowned. The wife and children witnessed the accident. Madame llouels stock of provisions was exhausted, and the couditiou of the household was desperate. For elsveu days she kept signal

fires burning to attract assistance, but none came. As a last resource she launched a table, and, taking advantage of the favoring current, drifted ashore to the mainland, twenty miles from Noumea. Then she walked to the town and told the state of affairs on the island. A boat was despatched there, and the children were rescued, almost exhausted from starvation. The Actiug-Governor sent for Madame Rouel and applauded her self-sacrifice, while the residents of Noumea are subscribing to a testimonial in recognition of her bravery. The half-yearly report of the Sydney Benevolent Asylum shows a veiy large increase in the number of distressed persons who have been relieved. The odds appear to be iu favor of a further increase. Visitations revealed an unusual amount of pitiful distress, especially amongst women and children. One hundred and thirtyfive thousand loaves, 32 tons of flour, 28 tons of meat, and large quantities of clothing and bedding were distributed last week. Island advices show that war is again raging amongst the Natives of New Hebrides and that cannibalism is rife. The trouble arose through the abduction of a chiefs daughter at Vau. Portions of the grcup are suffering severely from a plague of rats, and a famine is threatened.

Sunday football at Narrabri (N.S.W.) has given rise to bickerings amongst the religionists. The mayor summoned a number of young men for thus desecrating the Sabbath, but the cases were dismissed. Bishop Green has delivered a philippic against the practice, whilst his brother of Rome replied from the pulpit the same evening, taking up the footballers' side, with one reservation—viz., that they observe the practice of church-going. He declared that such forms of recreation tended to keep young people together and away from other forms of vice. The local footballers showed their appreciation and justification of these comments by badly beating the representatives of an adjoining town the same Sunday. MELBOURNE, August 16.

A novel income tax appeal has been decided by Mr Justice Williams. The appellant was the widow of a former officer of a Melbourne company. After the death of her husband the company became incorporated, and under the articles of association provision was made to pay the widow £3OO per annum for ten years. The Tax Commissioner assessed this allowance as income, and the police magistrate confirmed the assessment. Mr Justice Williams, however, ruled that the allowance was a pure act of benevolence, on which the widow had no legal claim, and held that it was not taxable.

A suggestion of an improbable nature has been made that the knife found in Butler's "swag" is identical with the weapon with which the Dewars were killed, but it was with an axe that those unfortunate victims were despatched. The knife, of course, if taken from Dewars' house, would be an important piece of evidence, but there is nothing in it to indicate such ownership or to distinguish it from a thousand other knives. Should anything come to light, it is contended that Butler could not be charged with the crime of murder, as a nolle prosequi was entered on the second charge of murdering Mrs Dewar. It is thought, however, that such an astute criminal is quite unlikely to keep anything that could possibly connect him with the Cumberland street tragedy. The sequel to the story told in May last of the fraud committed on the Railway Department by means of stolen tickets was the summoning of Huysman, ex-clerk in the railway booking office, to appear to answer a charge of stealing a large number of Melbourne and Sydney tickets valued at £5 each. The defendant, who had gone to an out-of-the-way part in the country, did not appear. It was explained that he objected to come unless he got a free railway pass. As a result of this obstinacy accused got his own way, but under the care of a policeman, a warwant having been issued for his arrest. An incautious remark by Judge Williams, presiding at the Divorce Court, led to a discussion in the House. According to the Judge, were he to class every mau who got drunk on Saturday as a habitual drunkard the Court would require to divorce two-thirds of the labor population. Members characterised this statement as an unwarrantable slur on the workers. Premier Turner called upon the Judge for an explanation. The latter admits that he made the assertion without the slightest thought. He never intended to reflect on the working classes. The Estimates engaged the Yictoriau Assembly for the best part of the week. £l2O was knocked oft" the salary of the President of the Council, and the Chairman of Committees in that body was reduced from £4BO to £4OO. ADELAIDE, August 10. The Assembly has been making steady progress with the Licensing Bill in committee. It was decided to give all electors (male and female) the right to vote at the local option poll. Club licenses are to be renewed yearly, and arc liable to be closed by the local option vote without compensation. The Attorney-General promised to introduce a Bill to cheapen and simplify legal proceedings. The Council rejected the Council Franchise Extension Bill. The formal opening by the Governor of the Happy Valley waterworks marked an important event in the history of the colony. The work was commenced early in 1892, and has been finished at a total cost of a little over half a million. The source of the supply is the Onkaparinga River, in the Mount Lofty range. A storage reservoir capable of holding 3,000,000,000ga1, with a disohargp ' of 1,000,000 gal daily, has been constructed. Mr Mason, leader of the Westralian exploration expedition, which left Perth three mouths ago, arrived at Eucla with Mr Yougc, another member of the party, after a very unpleasant experience. The two left the main camp of the flying expedition, and, accompanied by a Native, travelled within IGO miles of Eucla. On the night of July 28 the blacks stole nearly all their food, but left eight gallons of water. The two white men then started to tramp through unknown country to Eucla. On the second day Mason's feet gave way, and he had the greatest difficulty in travelling. Ou the fifth day they drank the last of the water, and had no food for two days. They then killed the dog, drank its blood, and ate its flesh. For tho next two days they were without food and water. Shortly before reaching Eucla, Masou collapsed, but Yonge managed to reach a telegraph station, and assistance was sent to his companion. He states that a large portion of the country they- passed through is the grandest pastoral country be has seen in

any of the colonies, but it is absolutely waterless. BRISBANE, August 16. The Government have handed over the control of Good Island signal station to Lloyds, London, who have agreed to maintain the signalman on the coudition that he acted solely under their control. They consider the island of great importance as a signalling station, it being the last point of departure and the first of call for ships who use the Torres Strait route. Reports are now cabled direct to Loudon by Lloyds' representative.