AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8122, 20 April 1906, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

STORMS IN TASMANIA. Received April 19, 10.30 a.m. HOBAtfT, April 19. Terrific storms and rain have been raging on the west coast during the past few days. At Queenstown ttie whole of the West Queen > tram was washed away, and every bridge on tbe Mount Lyell railway has either been swept away or badly damaged. One house was completely demolished, and many flooded. A number of people became isolated on a bit of rising ground, and had to be drawn through turbulent waters by ;yeans of rope 9 to a place of safety. The flood waters have broken into the North Lyell mine, and flooded tbe main abaft from the 800 to 700 feet lerel. POPULATION OP NEW SOUTH WALES. Reoeived April 19, 10.26 a.m. SYDNEY, Apri 19. The statistics for 1905 show that tbe population of New South W.ales increased by 34,500 on the year, of whioh number 2i,50Q are by excess of births over deaths. The birth-rate ie equivalent to 26.72 per thousand. In the metropolitan area the birth-rate was the highest for ten years. The death-rate was 10.13 per thousand, which is 5 per cent, below the mean average for the last 10 years. The deaths from phthisis wore the lowest for v five years, while the mortality from oancer is steadily increasing, the rate being twelve per million higher than tb.9 quinquennial average.