AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 31, 19 January 1912, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

LIGHT ING BASS STRAIT,

(By Electric Telegraph. —Copyiighfc.) (United Press Association.) (Received 19, 10.30 a.m.) Melbourne, January 19.

As a result of a recent expert report the Federal Government has ordered the commencement of the work of lighting Bass Strait.

NIPPON YUSEN KiAISHA. (Received 19, 10.30 a.m.) Sydney, January 19

The annual report of tho Japanese mail line, just received, indicates a possible extension to New Zealand. The president foreshadowed the construction of seven new vessels at a cost of a million, including two for the Australian trade. He added that one liner would suffice for the Australian line, but in the event of the line being extended to New Zealand one more must bo added. VISITING JAPANESE SAILORS. (Received 19, 10.30 a.m.)

Sydney, January 19. The men on the Japanese warships ire being extensively entertained and svery facility is placed at their disposal to make their visit enjoyable, ■-peaking at a social gathering one >f the Japanese officers said that notvithstanding anything heard othervise tho Japanese feeling towards the Australians was strong, deep, and •oal. The men of tho navy would ’.ever forgot their welcome here. BIG CANEFIELDS FIRE. Sydney, January 18. The most serious hush fires in tho istory of tho north coast are occuring. The cane crops have suffered

veavily. (Received 19, 9.35 a.m.) Sydney, January 19. Fires in the cancliekls round Mnrvillumbah swept over 500 acres, and !/0 tons of valuable cane was destroy'd. Small Kanaka growers are tho hief sufferers. A number lost their ionics.

AN EARTH TREMOR. Sydney, January 18. An earth tremor was experienced t Panihnla, Cooina, on tho south oast. Houses shook and furniture pittled. (Received 19, 10.30 a.m.)

Sydney, January 19. The earth tremor was widely felt a the southern districts yesterday aorning. It was preceded by a heavy umhling. A peculiar feature was he rapidity of tho waves. There was io preliminary • wave. No damage is eported.

. INCOME TAX CONDEMNED

(Received 19, 9.31 a.m.) Sydney, January 19. A meeting of business men strong-

7 protested against the new income ax and decided to take stops to seure radical amendment of the more 'rastic provisions. THE COPYRIGHT ACT. (Received 19, 9.35 a.m.) Melbourne, January 19. A number' of loading artists and .•riters have memorialised the Fedral Government to amend the Copyiglit Act, placing a duty of £5 on uported pictures and a duty of at ■•ast thirty-three and a third per cent n foreign magazines and sixpenny ovels, with a view to having this lass of literature printed in Austraia.

PROHIBITION PARTY ACTIVE. (Received 19, 9.35 a.m.) ' Sydney, January 19. I’ho Council of the Prohibition Parly lias resolved, in view of tlie recent ■ow Zealand appeal, that all temperance organisations should enter an .etivo agitation to secure a State vote n “liquor or no liquor” by a simple lajority. The Council congratulated I he A ictorian Alliance on its adopion of this policy.