AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 97, 14 October 1911, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

ALLEGED SLANDER. A Supreme Court writ has ben issued at Sydney on behalf of Mr. Meagher, M.L.A., against Colonel Onslow. M.L.A., claiming £2OOO damagis. on account of alleged slander said to have been uttered during the recent Mudgee bye-election. TERRIFIC STORM. A terrific storm, accompanied by acloudburst, occurred at Marong, near Bendigo. The disturbance affected only a comparatively small area, and in ' its most intense form had a path less than five chains wide, but it wrought extensive damage. Few buildings in its course escaped. Several people had marvellous escapes from injury, but P. Jordan, a farmer, who was swept along with the ruins of his home, was go severely injured that it is feared that he' will die. DISORDERLY CADETS. At the Brunswick Police Court Captain Story charged a cadet named Albert Daniel Ward, aged 17 years, with misbehaviour on parade. Captain Story said he was in charge of a parade on the night of July 15. When the bugle sounded for the cadets to fall in, they did so in a disorderly way. The defendant na>!. his hands in his pockets, and when admonished for this behaviour, he replied, "That's good enough." Witness, instructed the defendant to leave the ranks and stand at ease. Another cadet named Warren, for insubordination, was. placed with Ward, and both began talking and misconducting themselves in such a way that disorder was spreading in the ranks. Witness was compelled to cancel the parade for the night. The solicitor for the defendant said Ward regretted his behaviour, and tendered an apology, with an assurance that he would obey instructions in future. A fine of £l, with £1 Is costs, was imposed.

SANDBAGGED AND ROBBED. * A startling case of sandbagging occurred at Balmain, the victim being a young man named Arthur Elliott, a resident of Leichhardt. According to his story, he had been in Balmain, and was returning along Weston road at a late hour, when he was accosted by a powerfully-built man, who asked for a match. The request was complied with, and Elliott was about to replace the box of matches in his pocket when the other swung a sandbag at his head. The Wow missed, and the two men closed. The assailant's strength prevailed, and as Elliott was thrown aside he received the full force of the sandbag on his head. He staggered! and fell to the ground. The other again used the sandbag, and also applied his boot with such severity that the victim lay stunned on the roadway. The assailant then ceased his kicking, and tore away a silver watch and chain from Elliott's waistcoat. With these articles he decamped, leaving the unfortunate man lying on the roadway. Early in the morning a passer-by assisted the victim to the Balmain Police Station, where the matter was placed in the hands of the police.

EGGS FOR HOSPITAL. ! A scheme for assisting the Warrnam* bool Hospital was inaugurated with greati success. The idea is the establishment! of a weekly "egg-dav." It originated with the Warrnambool Standard, which! appealed to the farmers of the surround* ing district to leave one dozen (eggs afi the office of that journal every) market! day (Wednesday), and undertook to! have them carefully packed and "forward* eel to the hospital. The response surpassed all anticipations. Xo "fewer than 73 dozen eggs were contributed by between 50 and 6(1 donors. Many of thosel contributing intimated that. th|y would! increase their supplies as e^gs' became more plentiful. The successful i nauguration of the scheme ensures a constant} supply of fresh eggs every, wee k, and iti is expected that during the sumpier there! will be a sufficient fot preserving, to enable the authorities to tide over the inevitable deficiency it) the winter.

SCENE AT A WEDDING. An unusual scene was witnessed, at the gate of St. Ambrose's Roman Catholic Church at Brunswick. A wedding was about to take place, and the father of the bridegroom, with the acting parish priest (Father Finan) a formal protest against the wedding, stationed himself at the gate,, and awaited the arrival of his son. When the bridegroom appeared his father endeavored to prevent him from proceeding with the ceremony, but the parentat\admonitions had no effect. The father caught his son by the collar of the coat, and made an effort to lead him'away from the church. Afraid of a serious altercation, Father Finan summoned Constable Anderson, and the appearance 1 of the policeman restored order. 'The bride arrived, and the bridegroom parsed into the church. Father Finan took --the precaution of locking the gate, and the ceremony was proceeded with Without interruption. The bridegroom, who is 25 years of age, had not been residing with his father recently.

WIRELESS FOR AUSTRALIA. Substantial provision will be made on the Estimates to be .put before the Federal Parliament for the establishment of wireless telegraphy stations around the Australian coast (says the Argus). The expert engaged in England by the Commonwoalth Government (Mr. Isalsillie\ will commence very shortly an examina, tion of the requirements of the Commonwealth in this direction. The details of the proposals to l>e settled later will depend in a large measure on Mr. Balsillic's recommendations. His first duty will be to report on the stations in course of erection at Sydney and Fremantle, in connection with"which the Commonwealth apepars to have been beset with difficulties, and he will direct his attention afterwards to smaller projected stations. There does not seem to be any intention of putting forward a scheme which will lit in with the interImperial chain of wireless stations suggested by the British Admiralty; but apparently the Commonwealth is to go ahead with an entirely independent and isolated system, for reasons which have not been made very clear by Mr. Fisher. Tn connection with wireless, the Prima Minister and the Postmaster-Genera! mentioned that they had received messages from Sydney sent by the Ref. Father Shaw, indicating that he had established wireless communication between his stations at King Island and Sydney, and conveying his greetings to Ministers, who have sent telegraphic acknowledgments of his messages.