AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9047, 5 February 1908, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

CABLE NEWS.

United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph Copyright.

THE THODE FAGELUND. EXTENSIVE REPAIRS NEEDED. L Received February 4, 10.20 a.m. SYDNEY, February 4. One hundred and twenty plates will have to be renewed on the bottom of the steamer Thode Fagelund, which went ashore on the Cronulla beach while on her way from Adelaide to Sydney in ballast. ft LABOUR IN CONFERENCE. PROPOSAL TO INCREASE LAND TAX. Received February 4, 10.40 a.m.] SYDNEY, February 4. The Labour Conference rejected a proposal to increase the land tax by a halfpenny in the pound on each £2,000 or estates worth over £2,000.

SEQUEL TO A COLLISION. CAPTAIN'S CERTIFICATE SUSPENDED. Received February 4, 10.40 a.m. MELBOURNE, February 4. The Marine Court suspended the certificate of Captain Holyman, of the Waratea, in connection with the collision with the Glaucus orf November 30th. A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE. HANGING TO THE BOTTOM OF A BOAT. Received February 4, 10.40 a.m. BRISBANE, February 4. Owing to the capsizing of a boat a fisherman clung to the bottom for three days, and drifted forty miles before be got ashore. His mate, a coloured man, clung with him for two days, and then dropped into the sea.

ALLEGED INCITEMENT TO KILL. A PRELIMINARY TO MARRIAGE. A PACKAGE OF STRYCHNINE. Received February 4, 10.40 a.m. MELBOURNE, February 4. The police at Terang, a small town between Geelong and Warrnambool, are investigating a peculiar case in which a young woman received a letter inciting her to kill her child, as a preliminary to her marriage with a young man. Accompanying the letter was a package containing strychnine, with full directions liow to administer it. There was sufficient in the package to kill several babies.

(INCREASED MAIL SUBSIDIES.

BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

BETWEEN AMERICA AND AUSTRALASIA.

Received February 4, 10.35 p.m. NEW YORK, January 4. The new Senate's Committee of Commerce reported favourably on the bill for increasing the mail/subsidies of steamers between United States, Philippines and Australasia.

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS. CATTLE-DRIVING IN IRELAND. Received February 4, 11 p.m. LONDON, February 4. The Earl - of Dudley, speaking in the House of Lords, said he believed that cattle-driving in Ireland originated not through the covetousness of drivers, but through patriotic devotion to national demands. While warmly advocating the governing of Ireland according to Irish ideas he did not consider that this necessarily involved Home Rule. He regarded the application of the Crimes Act as inconsistent with the whole spirit of unionism. Lord Ashbourne said that when the last Government left office Ireland was in a state of perfect order. At the end of six months there was demoralisation and disorder and intimidation vas rampant. Cattle-driving prevailed in ten counties, and the system which could have been stopped in a month had reached gigantic proportions. Lord Lorcburn insisted that the disorder was much exaggerated and that cattle-driving had much diminished. The Government declined to apply the Crimes Act because it would create exasperation and bitterness, and be productive of more evil than good. The Address-in-Reply was carried.