AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 24 September 1907, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

THE COMMONWEALTH TARIFF.

' Melbourne, September 23. A notification is published in the Commonwealth Gazette that a drawback of duty will lie allowed on New Zealand timber to be used for making butterboxes.

HEAT WAVE LV AUSTRALIA.

Sydney, September 23." A heat wave is passing through the state. Tile thermometer registered 89 degrees in the shade at Svdnev •on Saturday. This is the second highest record for September since 1859. At Bnurke the temperature went up to 97 degrees.

THE PLAGUE.

Brisbane, September 23. A fatal ease of plague occurred at Cairns.

AUSTRALIAN LAIiOR CONGRESS.

Perth, September 23. A congress of delegates from trades unions and political laltor bodies is sitting at Kalgoorlie. The congress negatived proposals to make protection a flank of the Federal labor platform. A proposal that the constitution should he amended to provide that the Federal Parliament should control all the industrial legislation of the Commonwealth was also rejected. A RUDELY-DISTURBED MEETING. Melbourne, September 29. While a councillor was addressing 2000 people in a street at Ballarat, an overhead electric wire broke. In the rish to escape the wire many people were knocked down and badly trampled. Councillor Penhalluriack had a leg broken.

THREATENED BAKERS' STRIKE.

Melbourne, September 23. At a meeting of operative bakers it was decided to give a week's notice of resignation unless the wages fixed by the Wages Board were paid. It is not considered likely that this demand wiil be conceded. A general strike in the bakery trade is predicted.

UNNECESSARY CIIARiTY.

Sydney, September 23. The Mu-willum'irah Borough Council has asked the Lord Mayor of Sydney to stop subscriptions for the relief of those who suffered by the recent disastrous fire in the town. The Council says the people are not in distress.

POOR HARVEST OUTLOOK IN VICTORIA.

Melbourne, September 23. Tha outlook for the coining harvest h deputing, particularly in regard to l the wheat crop. The season has been remarkable for general backwardne:;-. There ha- lxvn a shortage of rainfall in all parts with the exception of the Winmiera di-tri.-t. In that di-triet the prospect-, although not e'jiial to thnsj of la-t year, are not altogether discouraging. Crops are only six or eight indies high; and, unless immediate soaking ■ rains come, it is stated that there is a risk of the utter failure of the crop.

TIIF. FEDERAL MAIL CONTRACT. Adelaide, September 23. Mr. Kenneth Anderson, a director of the Orient Steamship Company, has arrived here. His visit is in connection with the new mail contract. If successful, the company will put on faster, larger, and more up-to-date vessels. If the company lose the contract, it will hare to rearrange the service, for, he says, the company would be unable to continue the passenger service, since it is only the subsidy which has enalded the company to run that class of ship in (lie past.

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