AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8267, 22 October 1906, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

A JOCKEY KILLED. , Received October 21, 5.25 p.m. SYDNEY October 21 JRegau, a well kaown crass oountry jockey, whs killed at the Mooieflelci course, yesterday, through bis horse /ailing on him, I and crushing his head in the Steeplechase. INDICATIONS OP A GENEKAL STRIKE. MELBOURNE, October 20. Unless wiser counsels prevail there is an indication of a general strike in .the buildiog trades over the question of a reduction of hours from 48 to 44 per weelr. ALLEGED MURDER PERTH, October 20. A man named Horton Selby has been arrested on a charge of murdering Georuina Hussey, who died from the effects of strychnine. THE FEDERAL BOND. PERTH, October 20. sspeaking at a banquet at Newcastle, Sir John Forrest said he waa aware that there had been dissatisfaction expressed in an Indefinite manner in regard to the Federal Bond. He did not think a great oase had been made out yet against Federation, but be could well believe that things were not as good as they ought to be. He did not. say they bad not cause for complaint. He did not think they had been wel[l treated hy South Australia in regard to the compact entered into when the State joined the Federation. There was a clear agreement between the responsible persons in both States that they would give their consent to the construction of a railway if Western Australia entered the Federation. Soutb Australia failed to keep its word mane in the open -and in writing that the State would pass a Bill giving consent to the trans-Austra-lian railway line going through its territory. Sir Frederick Holder, Speaker of the Soutb Australian House of Representatives, had written to him saying that he did not believe South Australia would be guilty of such a pieoe of political treachery as not to carry oat its promise. He (Sir John Forrest) had kept this letter to himself for years, as he did not wish to drag the Speaker into the political arena, but he would keep the fact back ;no longer. Asked why Sir Frederiok Holder not come forward and said to the people of South Australia, "I made n promise on your behalf; you must carry out that promise," Sir John Forrest said Sir Frederiok Holder had not done his duty. He thought if Western Australia was to be isolated from the other parts of Australia he for one would have nothing to do with Federation. If that was tu be the idea of Federation, then it was a delusion, a sham, and a farce, and Western Australiugmight just as well be an island in the Indian Ocean as be in its present position.* They desired that the continent should be joined together. He [said, however, deliberately, that be was a strong Federalist, for he did not believe tnere was room in this continent for six sovereign States. But if they were to remain isolated, Federation was of no use to them, and the sooner they were out of it , the better.