AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8999, 9 December 1907, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

THE NORTHERN TERRITORY. ADELAIDE, December 7. The State Council has ratified the agreement to transfer the Northern Territory to the Federal Government. DEMANDING MONEY. A SYRIAN IMPRISONED. SYDNEY, December 7. A Svrian named Moses was sentenced" to three years' imprisonment for demanding money from Mr Samuel Hordern, the well-known merchant, under a threat. Judge Docker undertook to recommend the man's release on sureties being provided and Moses sent back to Syria. TWO SISTERS DROWNED. MELBOURNE, December 7. A sad affair is reported. Lily Kean, who was suffering from melancholia, rushed into the sea. Her sister went to the rescue, but both were drowned. TRADE UNION RETURNS. SYDNEY, December 7. The report of the Registrar of Trades Unions shows the number of trade unionists at the end of 1906 was 88,428.and that the funds totalled £82,053.

THE RECEPTION OF MR KEIR HARDIE. ANGRY LEGISLATORS. ADELAIDE, December 7. . In the Assembly several members hotly resented remarks made by a Legislative Councillor regarding the reception given to Mr Keir Hardie, British Labour M.P. at Parliament House, and urged the Premier to take action in view of the reflections cast on members of the Assembly. One member characterised the remarks as insulting, blackguardly insinuations. THE LITHGOW WORKS. ATTITUDE OF A BANK. WHAT THE GOVERNMENT ARE PREPARED TO DO. SYDNEY, December 7. The Commercial Banking Company informed Mr Sandford, of the Lithgow ironworks, that the bank could not agree to the Government's lerms for a proposed advance to the Lithgow works. . In the Assembly, in' reply to a statement that the bank had decided to close djwn on ihe ironworks, and to appeal to the Government to devise means to keep the works going, Mr Wade, the Premier, stated that be had no official information on the matter, and could not say what further steps would be taken. However, the Government was prepared to make efforts to prevent dislocation of the industry.

NEARLY ALL DEPARTMENTS TO BE CLOSED DOWN. 1,750 MEN RENDERED IDLE. Received December 9,12.51 a.m. SYDNEY, December 8. The latest development in,connection with the Lithgow ironworks is a notice posted to-day that all departments oi the works with the exception of the blast furnaces and the iron mine at Carcoar will be closed down to-morrow. This will render 1,750 men idle, and directly and indirectly affect 3,000 persons. A deputation of representatives of all classes at Lithgow will wait on the Premier to-morrow to urge the Government to take steps to prevent the disaster threatening the town by tha stoppage of the works. OBITUARY. A NEW GUINEA EXPLORER. Received December 9, 12.55 a.m. SYDNEY, December 8. The death is announced of Mr Theodore Devan, the New Guinea j explorer; aetat 47.