AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8860, 21 October 1907, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

PRICE OF BREAD IN SYDNEY, j Received October 20, 3.38 p.m. ' SYDNEY, October 20. , The price of bread will be increased , to-morrow to 3Jd the two pound loaf. The price will probably go up to 4d . before the ord of the week. If the j dry weather continues it is expected , that the price of flour will reach £l3 ] or £l4 per ton within three weeks. < PRESS ASSOCIATION CON- ; FERENCE. ! i " J[ < THE LIbEL LAW. Received October 20, 5 p.m. ; SYDNEY, October 19. . The Presa Association Conference to-day concluded with a gathering of 300 journalists. Among the guests ( were the State Premier, Hon. C. G. Wade. Hon. J. A. Hogue, Minister of Public Instruction, and Mr J. Henniker-Heaton. As it was Mr Wade's first public function he marked it by promising an early alteration of the libel law. 1 He said that as a practitioner in the ] Courts of the State he had been struck with the marked disability ■ under which the whole of the press suffered owing to the state of the present law. He had heard judges . point to the unfairness of the conditions in this- matter. A man might in all good faith insert statements in his '< paper obtained perhaps from a public meeting, which brought him within the Defamation Act, with the result ; that matters of public interest were ■ printed at the risk and expense of the editor. Side by side with this < came attacks by people —who had no ; character and nothing to lose—who attacked a newspaper against which they had some grudge. Such a condition of affairs did not occur in Britain, and an alteration should be required in justice and to keep abreast of the times. While providing against the press becoming victims of unscrupulous persons, the public was entitled to protection against those who had power to spread slanders broadcast. A limit must be laid down, and no man allowed license with regard to falsehoods. Early 1 next year the Government's pro- ; gramme would contain a message to give the press the necessary relief. As to the censorship of the press it was not needed. The best censorship 1 of the press was their own good taste. Sooner or later those papers which abused the privileges by mak- 1 ing unfair comments or drawing unreasonable deductions would be relegated to the position of papers which published articles that could not be relied upon. THE NEWCASTLE "CREEP." SYDNEY, October 19. It -if* thought probable that the Newcastle "creep" will continue for some time, and that it may move towards the city. Experts take a favourable view of the situation. They consider the estimate of damage has been exaggerated. NO FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS. Received October 21, 1.4 a.m. NEWCASTLE, October 20. There have been no further developments in connection with the "creep." THE WRECK OF THE ALFHILD. HOB ART, October 19. A relief steamer expeets to get in touch to-day with the missing members of the crew of the Swedish ship Alfhild, wrecked on the west coast of Tasmania on Thursday morning of last week. STARVED TO DEATH. . Received October 21, 1.4 a.m. • HOBART, October 20. The relief steamer found the bodies of two of the missing members of the Alfhild's crew near the place where the survivors left them. They had evidently starved to death. No details are available, nor is mention made of the others who are missing. THE SOUTH PACIFIC. PROBLEMS TO BE DEALT WITH. SYDNEY, October 19. The Herald, commenting on the rumours regarding the possible sale or transfer of New Caledonia and Tahiti, says;—"lt is specially desirable that Australia should assert her claims to be consulted on the question of dealing with the problem of the South Pacific now, when there is so much talk of shuffling of the international cards in this part of the world at our own doors. ' DRY WEATHER IN NEW SOUTH WALES. DISASTROUS EFFECT ON AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT TRADE. SEVEN HUNDRED EMPLOYEES DISCHARGED. SYDNEY, October 19. The dry weather is having a disastrous effect on the agricultural implement trade. Seven hundred employees have been discharged from various works. ; BUSH FIRES IN QUEENSLAND. BRISBANE, October 19. Immense bush are sweeping the country of the Charleville and | Barcaldine districts.