AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9047, 13 March 1908, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

CABLE NEWS.

United Press Association-By Electric Telegraph copyright.

FLOODS IN QUEENSLAND. RAILWAY WORKS DAMAGED. Received March 12,10.37 a.m. BRISBANE, March 12. " Floods have extensively damaged the Elridge railway extension. THE BIRTH-RATE. DISCUSSION AT METHODIST CONFERENCE. Received March 12, 9 a.m. MELBOURNE, March 12. The Methodist Conference discussed the declining birth-rate, and adopted a resolution in favour of legislation to prevent certain practices. One speaker declared that women could be seen about the streets nursing black-faced dogs and fierce-eyed cats, but who would be ashamed to I be seen nursing a baby. MURDER NEAR PORT MORESBY. A CURIOUS STORY. Received March 12, 10.40 a.m. MELBOURNE. March 12. A report by the Administrator of Papua contains the record of a curious incident. A European named Weaver was murdered near Fort Moresby. The murderer had been on good terms with Weaver. One of them built a house and wished to paint it in a certain manner, but native custom forbade him doing so unlees he previously killed a man. Thereupon he killed Weaver and afterwards tried to charm him back to life. The murderer was hanged, and his accomplices imprisoned. PATENT MEDICINES. AUSTRALIAN LEGISLATION. « DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER FOR CUSTOMS. Received March 12, 10.40 a.m. MELBOURNE, March 12. Messrs Glover and Kenningham, representatives of the proprietary articles section of the London Chamber of Commerce, interviewed the Minister for Customs (Mr Chapman) concerning the proposed legislation dealing with patent medicines. They urged that disclosure of the formulae would completely ruin trade with Australia. They admitted that there were numbers of undesirable articles that legislation should aim at eliminating, but it should not destroy good ones. Mr Chapman promised careful consideration of the representations of the delegates. He added that the legislation was intended to regulate, not eradicate, business; GENERAL CABLESReceived March 12, 9 a.m. LONDON, March 11. The Socialists have.deputed Mr F. Maddison (Radical) to move the rejection of Mr J. H. Wilson's (Liberal and Labour) Unemployed Bill, which provides for registered unemployed and their dependents to be maintained at the public expense. VANCOUVER, March 11. Eighteen Hindoos were fined one hundred pounds each for entering British Columbia in contravention of the Act. LONDON, March 11. Mr Justice Neville has sanctioned the sale of W. and A. M'Arthur's warehouse, the proceeds to become the assets of the new company. (The well-known firm of W. and A. M'Arthur, Ltd., recently went into liquidation, but a reconstruction scheme was evolved which met with the approval of shareholders). The French Fxesident will visit England in May next. Received March 12, 11.12 p.m. MOROCCO, March 12. Bigsoos, an influential sheriff in South Morocco, has been proclaimed Sultan.