AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8338, 22 January 1907, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

LABOUR IN POLITICS. Received January 21, 9.30 a.m. ' MELBOURNE, January 20. Complaints have been made to the executive of the Political Labour Council that certain members of the Federal and State Parliamentary Labour parties assisted Ministerialists at the Federal elections where Labqur candidates were in the field as opponents. It was held that if members had not themselves been chosen by the Labour Council, they would not have got into Parliament. They were therefore merely spokesmen for the party, and for them to advance the interests of candidates contesting seats in opposition to the Labour candidates was a gross misuse of the power which the Labour members held in trust. The secretary was instructed to write to the offending members. THE STEAMER AIRLIE. Received January 21, 8.30 a.m. BRISBANE, January 21. The steamer Airlie, which struck the rocks when rounding Bulimba Point, has been re-floated. \ NEW ZEALAND'S EXHIBITION. A VISITOR'S IMPRESSIONS. Received January 21, 10.27 a.m. SYDNEY, January 21. The Hon. W. Kidston, Premier of Queensland, in the course of an interview, said he could not say his policy had been altered in any way as a result of his visit to New Zealand. Though he was impressed with the size of the Exhibition, he did not think it could re a ult in anything but financial loss. However, the advertisement it had given the resources of the colony would probably more than • compensate the Government for the money spent. SWEPT BY A HURRICANE. TOWNSHIP BADLY DAMAGED. Received January 21, 9 30 a.m. BRISBANE, January 21. A brief telegram received by the Postmaster at Palmersville from the Postmaster at Cooktown announces that the latter township, which is 1,050 miles north-west'of Brisbane, was laid,in ruins by a hurricane. Received January 22, 1. 7 a.m. : BRISBANE. January 21. The Postal Department advises that the Cooktown gales increased to a cyclone on Saturday night, doing enormous damage. Nearly every building in the town was damaged, and numbers were entirely demolished. The Post Office was "unroofed and flooded and wires were blown down.J *■ The weather is now moderating, and it is raining heavily. The cyclone caused great destruction between Emerald and Clermont. The telegraph lines and railway communication are interrupted in various directions. PLAGUE. Received January 22, 1.37 a.m. § SYDNEY, January 21. $ There are now eleven cases of plague in the hospital.