AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 184, 21 December 1912, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

SYDNEY BUTCHERS' DISI'LTE.

By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Sydney, December 20. The retail butchers' wages board has agreed: to withdraw the week's notice i given by the employees and consent to L varying the award to allow shops to be i closed at six o'clock on Saturdays. DESTRUCTIVE BUSH FIRES'. • •Sydney, December 20. There are destructive bush fires in the Cootainuiulra district. Forty thousand acres of grass and considerable quantities of wheat and bay have been destroyed. •CYCLOXrC STORMS. Sydney, December 20. There bare been cyclonic storms' at Kyogle and Brewarrina. Many buildings have been damaged. A GOVERNMENT ATLAS. Melbourne. December 20. Mr. O'Malley is planning the issue of a comprehensive Australian atlas. THE WHEAT CROP. Melbourne. December 20. The newspaper Australian estimates the wheat yield at 23,050,000 bushels, an average of 10% bushels per acre. ATTEMPT TO WRECK. TRAIN. Launceston, December 20. An express train had a narrow escape near Evandale. A truck was detailed by running over some dog spikes driven ) into the sleepers. It is believed it was :an attempt to wreck the train. The j vice-regal party were passengers. A SUGGESTED AGENT-GENERAL. Sydney, December 20. The newspapers hint at the possibility of Mr. Holman being appointed AgentGeneral. FEDERAL LAND TAX. Sydney, December 20. The High Court, deciding an appeal, unanimously decided that the Federal land tax was valid. MURDER AND SUICIDE. Perth, December 20. At Kalgoorlie, George Trew shot his wife and himself dead. The only explanation is that his wife took a position as musical barmaid. Her husband objected and thev quarrelled. KAURI TIMBER COMPANY. Melbourne, December 20. At the annual meeting of the Kauri Timber Company the chairman stated that the outside liabilities had not increased. The assets were £809,000 last year. During the year the company had acquired' more timber than they had cut down, while enough timber was recently acquired from the jarrah sawmills property in Westralia. for fifteen to twenty years' cutting. The report and balancesheet were adopted.

A HOT TIME IX COURT. Adelaide, December 20. The police were roughly handled while arresting firemen, deserters from the steamer Clan Alpine. When charged in court, two fiercely attacked the captain of the vessel, and a general melee followed on the floor,, in which/the counsel were mixed, one solicitor receiving a black eye. Some of the police were knocked out. Two firemen were heavily sentenced. The others were imprisoned pending the departure ,o£ the steamer for New Zealand.