AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 134, 24 October 1912, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

AN ELECTION PETITION. By Cable —Press Association—Copyright. Brisbane, October 23. Mr. Mitchell has filed a petition against Mr. Corser's return, claiming that he received the majority of lawful votes. THE CAS BILL. Sydney, October 23. The Council has made more drastic amendments in the Gas Bill, including provisions that the Bill is not to become operative until May next and raising the selling price from 3s 3d to 3s 0(1 per 1000 ft. NEW SOUTH WALES BUDGET. j Sydney, October 23. The Budget showed that the railway »md tramway earnings for the year were £S,S72.BGG. After paying working expenses there was a net return on the capital invested of £4 10s 4d per cent. Deposits in the Government Savings Bank bad increased by £2,500.000. The total balance to the credit of 435,000 depositors was £ 18,012,000. In the Estimates, the proposed expenditure for public works totals£G,ll3.170, including £2,427,000 for new railways, duplication of lines and rolling stock. The Treasurer anticipates difficulty in raising the Joan money required, but has every confidence that he will be able to provide £0,000,000. Tie proposes to raise £200,000 by new taxation, from probate and stamp duties. £70.000 by the readjustment of the income tnx. Last year 7734 buildings were completed in Sydney and suburbs at a cost of £4.400.017, a record. The total overseas trade was £50,504,82!), an increase of £4,230.385. The excess of exports over imports'was nearly £15,000.000. The butter exports increased by 0,000,0001b. The Treasurer anticipated a decrease in the wool clip owing to the drought, but a satisfactory harvest. The Herald's preliminary estimate of the wheat crop is that it will average ten bushels. It adds that any estimate at this stage is problematical, everything depending on the rainfall of the next few weeks.