AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 322, 8 June 1911, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

THE SHEFFIELD CHOIR. By Oable—Bress Association—Copyright. Fremantle, June 7. Dr. Ha-raiss, conductor of the Sheffield choir, who is a passenger by the Marmora, in am interview, said he expected good results from the visit in the way of musical reciprocity around the Empire, which, had a threefold mission—music making, business making, and Empire making. He mentioned that the .whole choir would be the guests of New Zealand people while in the Dominion. I HAREM SKIRTED WOMEN. 1 Melbourne, June 7. Two harem skirted women paraded the streets of Dimboola and used their hat-pins to force a way to escape from a demonstrative crowd, finally seeking police protection. A LEPROUS RAT. Melbourne, June 7. A rat, discovered in a dying state in a dwelling in a soautern suburb, was found to be infected with leprosy. This is the second leprous rat in the same district. CORONATION CELEBRATIONS. Melbourne, June 7. Cabinet will confine its Coronation decorations to the illumination of Par- . liament House. MONEY AT 2»/ 2 PER CENT. Sydney, June 7. The City Council hag made a new departure in loans and obtained £50,000 from .the City Amusements Company at the rate of V-fa per cent. STRIKE OF SUGAR WORKERS. Brisbane, June 7. The sugar workers at Ayr object to the present system of piece work, and have struck for an eight-hour day with a minimum wage of 30s weekly. A LICENSING APPEAL. Melbourne, June 7. The High Court refused an appeal against a recent decision of the New South Wales Full Court in connection with the local option poll. The Chief Justice said the Jaw provided that the Sipecial licensing board's decision should be final and conclusive. The licenses in question liad been sentenced to come to an end at a certain date, and could not be revived. FEDERAL LAND TAX. Melbourne, June 7. The returns from the Federal land tax already amount to £1,126,000. A large number of assessments have still to be made, and it is expected the return .will eventually exceed the estimate of a million by over £200,000. GOVERNMENT HOUSE. Sydney, June 7. In the Assembly Mr. Holman, ActingPremier, confirmed the statement that Government proposed to take over Government House and transform it into a National Library and Museum and the grounds into a public park. He added that as the result of negotiations he hail decided to offer the Inderal Government the use of the building for a few months longer, but certainly not beyond the end of the present year.