AUSTRALIAN NEWS. By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8168, 27 April 1895, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS. By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

Received April 20, at 0.20 p.m. Sydney, April 26. News Ims boon received that the Catollno Islands were swept by a hurricane during January. More tlmn two thirds of the house* on Yap, one of the principal islande, were lorolled to the ground. The roof of Government House <raa blown off, and the Governor injured by the falling debris. All the food and crops were destroyed, and famine stares the nitives in the fao(», unless soma assistance is rondered by the Spanish Government. Most of the smnll trading vessels of the group were wrecked! in some cases with loss of life.

Received April 26, at 11 a.m. SypNBY, April 2(1. Th« Conferenoo betireen the two Hou.* eß on Liai Bill hut «rriv«d »t a ■ettlemenfc. __ ...

Melbourne, April 26. The dlreotors of the Centra! Mine, Broken Hill, h»ve oflored to at? 1 . 1 tbe mm ' M to a eyndicft'e for L 200.000. The ajru'u" c*te offered LIoO.OOO, but it is probabl* that the direoton' figure will be agreed to.

Hobart, April 26. The fruiti growers' Conference discussed the question as to whether the English market should bo concentrated in London or divided among; the provinces. Himpson, the Auckland delegate, advooited the establishment; of a bureau of com me roe, and urged that tho subsidies paid to mail steamers should bo shared with cargo botts. He favored distribution in England through other markets in preference to maintaining London as a distributing centre. Proposals were nvido to hold the nexb oinference at Wellington, aud the New Zaaland Gorernment is to be approached on the subjeot.

Adelaide, April 26. A lunatio in Ptrksido inylum brutally mardered an attendant named Houston by battering hU hottd to pitoea with a spado. Thursday Island, April 26. Reports from Hong Kong state that many thousand cooliǤ struck work owing to fcho Gorernraenfc enforcing tho registration of coolie lodging houses. Convicts and military ware engaged coaling ships and handling oargo when the British mtil steamer left, tt was ex* pectod that the strike would soon collapse.

Received April 26, at 7.45 p.m. Melbourvk, April 26. At a meeting of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce the retiring president's address expressed the opinion that the greatest obstacle to the progress of the colonies was the high rato of freights, high interest, and fratricidal tariffs. Mr Reid strongly con. detnnod tho stock tax ou the ground that it had done more than anything elso to alienate the sitter colonies. The revenue of Victoria suffered by an amount almost e^ual to the money colleotod from the tax, and this strangled the meat preferring industry He believed, however, that th« colony is now on the up grade. Sir J . Patterson, ex-Promier, was satisfied Victoria's depression was duo to trade being cramped by her borders. It was no uso to talk of Victoria being at liberty to make treaties with South Africa, Canada, India, and othor portions of the British Empire, when she could not even get across the Murray River. The libel action brought by Downio, a contractor, against the former proprietors of the Herald relative to the alleged disappearance of dooumonts from the Public Works Department, resulted in a verdict for defendants on all points.

Recoivod April 2Q, at 9.40 p.m. SypKEy, April 2(J. A deputation of merchant* and importers waited on the Premier to-day, and asked him to adopt a sliding «cale for wiping out the Customs duties, otherwi»<» holders of largo stocks would bo great losers, TUoy were fully in accord with with the freotrade principles of the Governmen. but deprecated extreme action. Mr Reid said plenty of warning had been given of the intentions of the Government, aud he distinctly refusod to agrco to the request. There would be no slidiug scale, and nothing of Sir G. R. Dibbs' tariff would be left. He would bring in an unmistakable freetrade tariff on July fir«fc, and M the oolony had always been for frectrada he would give it a ohanoe of know* ipg what true frcetfodt really yay.