AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8165, 23 June 1906, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

TRADE WITH THE EAST. Received June 22, 10.50 a.m. BRISBANE, Juue 22. Mr Suttor, New South Wales commercial agent in the East, has arrived from China. He is impressed with the growing commercial activity in the East, and the prospects of increasing trade with Australia, bat competiton is keener than ever. It will be the Australians' own fault if, by shutting tneir eyes to their opportunities, they fail to cater for the requirements of the Eastern poeple and allow their trade gradually to disappear from the oommeruial horizon of the Orient. It is a mistaken idea to think that anything will do for the East.

COLLISION IN SYDNEY HARBOUR.

A TUG SUNK. •ONE MAN DROWNED. Received June 22, 10.47 p.m. SIDNEY, June 22. The steamer Guthrie collided and sank the tug Warung in the harbour. One of the Warung'a crew was drowned.

LAND TAX BILL. ATTITUDE OF THE OOMMON : wealth parliament. Received June 22, 9.9 a.m. LONDON, June 21. '* At the South Australian Company's mooting the chairman complained of the drastic Commonwealth Land Tax Bill. Mr John Bakwell deoiared that the attitude of the Commonwealth Parliament gave the greatest misgivings. Australia, he said, was now in the grip of tyrannous legis* lation.

LOCAL OPTION POLLS. MR BENT'S COMPLAINT. Received June 22, 10.40 p.m. MELBOURNE, June 22. The Hon. T. Bent states that the Government has no money for local option po'ls until a new Licensing Bill has been introduced. He complained that only £7,000 of tue £20.000 advauoed from Ihe revenue to assist the licensing fund in connection with the previous local option polls had been returned.

DEFENCE MATTERS. Received June 22, 10.40 p.m. MELBOURNE, June 22. Jn the Senate, discussing Defence matters, Senator Givens urged the establishment of a small arms and ammunition factory. Senator Playford said that it depended op whether the quantity required would pay for the establishment of such a factory. He had tried to get New Zealand and the Admiralty to join. Negotiations with the Admiralty were still proceeding. Senator McGregor favoured building an Australian fleet. "It was all very well to say that they had British security," said the speaker, "but the flagship Powerful had recently broke down, and the Pyramus was undergoing repairs." These were the sort of Ship* that were relied upon to protect Australia. I _______ OBITUARY. Received June 22, 9.30 a.m. MELBOURNE, Jund 22. The Rev. Dr Alexaader, Presbyterian Moderator, is dead.

CABLE NEWS.

By Telegraph—Proas Association —Copyright,

A TERRIFIC EXPLOSION. Received June 23, 12.30 a.m. MELBOURNE, June 22. A farmer, named Griffiths, was burning off a stump near the old home of the Kelly gane when a terriflo explosion occurred. The stump had served the Kelly gang as a magazine. A keg of powder had apparently been overlooked. Thk explosion was so great that the clock in the State School, a mile away, was thrown off the wall.

A NEW MAIL SERVICE. Received June 22, 10.40 a.m. MELBOURNE, June 22. After a Cabinet meeting, Hon. A. Federal Premier, stated that an English mail contract is on the verge of being signed. It is understood, from other sources, that it is practically completed, the final cable message having been received from London. The names of the companies in combination whiob it is reported has, or will, receive the oontract are not stated. It is understood they will have a capital of between three and four millions sterling. EMBEZZLEMENT. Received June 22, 0.40 a.m. MELBOURNE, June 22. Frederick Doe, late manager of the Commercial Bank of Australia, has sentenced to three years' imprisonment on a oharge of embezzling £1,220 of the ban&'s money. ANTI-TRUST BILL. Received June 23, 12.30 a.m. MELBOURNE, June 22. The House of Representatives adjourned the debate in the second reading of the Anti-Trust BUI till Tuesday. A real fight is expected in the Committee stages.