INTERCOLONIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 25 August 1909, Page 23

INTERCOLONIAL.

MELBOURNE, August 19. i A decree nisi has been granted Lady Clarke' in her divorce feuit against her , husband,' with costs. August 23. A ballot by the Typographical Society on the question of ceasing work on September 4, in furtherance of the demand for £3 a week as a minimum wage for compositors and letterpress machinists, Tesuifced in a large majority in favour of pressing the demand. The position now is that unless the concession be made before August 31 the men will cease work on the 4th September. SYDNEY, August 17. Damsey and Love (Customs officers) and Wickham (a policeman) have been committed for trial on a charge of opiumsmugglrng. The principal Chinese witness declared that be received opium from some other Customs officials than the accused. . . August 19. i- ' The Government has raised the interest on inscribed stock from 3£ >to 3f per cent. " The' advance is made in view of "the higher prioes now being paid for money on the local market by other . States. The Government is issuing half j a million of new stock at 3f per cent. ' The report of the Inspector-general of the Insane shows that at the end of last \ear there were 5705 insane persons under official supervision in this State — an increase x>f §8. Their cost of maintenance was £165,427. and the proportion of increase to the general public 1 to 281. August 20. A man named Selby, i-esiding at Chippendale, quarrelled with his wife and allot her dead. . Five revolver shots were found in her head and chest. He then cut his throat with a breadknife, but there are chances of his recovery. A pronounced earth tremor was recorded at the Observatory on Wednesday. There was a series of seismic waves, extending from 10.44 to 11.55 in the- forenoon. A violent hailstorm took place at Broken Hill, and hail 3in in circumference fell, some of the pieces' weighing half a pound. . ' August 23. The increase of 'population in the State for" the \Tun& : quarter was 12,038, including '5259 jrepieseriting the excess* of arrivals over departures. 'This is the largest quarter's "increase for many years. BRISBANE, August 20. An extensive creep has occurred in the I open cutting of the Mount Morgan mine. Ail work lias been stopped in the vicinity

PERTH, August 18. Sir Albert Spicer. addressing the Chamber of Commerce, said that nothing would tend to bind the Empire closer together than a reduction m the cost of cablegrams. It was the most important question that could claim the attention of the different parts "of the Empire. He declared that Great Britain was never in a stronger^ position commercially and . industrially than she was to-day. '. ■ ' ■-"■ August 21/ An Italian named Castellima stabbed two of his countrymen, Fxurasti and Carra. The former is dead, and Ca-rr'a'-s condition is serious. The crime was the outcome of a quarrel. * ;