AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 2884, 8 January 1891, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

(UY KLECTIUC TELEC.KAPU— UOI'YKIIiHT.) Svdnky, January <>. Intexse heat is being experienced in Uio city iiml throughout the colony generally, the temperature ranging from !)7 to 1 l.'J in tlie shade. Tremendous l)ush (ires urc raging in the Barmedmau district, 313 miles south-west of Sydney, and :l Lomestead and 3,000 acres of grass have, been burnt. The mission vessel Southern Cross, which has arrived from the Islands, reports great mortality among tin; natives of tlie Gilbert Group, where an epidemic of measles and dysentery has been raging. Eight eases of true leprosy h.'ive been discovered in the Penrhyn Group. The natives of the Hervey Group have been suffering from La Grippe, and a number of deaths have occurred. It is stated that, the defalcations of Bennett, late manager of the Paddington branch of the English and Scottish Chartered Bank amount to £13,000. A bush fire in the vicinity of Condobolin, about 300 miles inland, Las devastated about 120 miles of country. Twenty thousand sheep perished in* tho flames. The fire travelled at tho rate of ten miles an hour. If the, wind had not suddenly changed, nothing couH have saved the township. January 7. The Secretary of the Miners' Union has received a cable from Demiiston (New Zealand), appealing for help, but as the message was not signed by the official secretary of the loctil Minors' Union, further information is required before any action can be taken in the matter. Melbourne, January G. ilr ilines, engineer of the HarbourDepartment, will proceed to New Zealand as repi-eseutativu of Victoria in selecting a site for the erection of ii light-house on the Snares. The Premier of Tasmania has replied to Mr Munro's circular with reference to General Booth's scheme. stating that he thinks it advisable to await further particulars of the scheme before entering upon a discussion. In the intercolonial match between Victoria and South Australia, 1-hi> latter, in their first innings, juadi; 172, O. Giffuii .scoring 237. Victoria made l>2o and 190, being beaten ii> one innings, with 62 to spare. January V. The gold yield in Victoria for Inst your was the. lowest, for the past ten years. Eeisba>'i;, January 6 \ difficulty has arisen owing to shearers declining to shear under the nvw agreement with the Pustoralists' Union." The latter will wait for »- few weeks to see if tho men give in, and if they do not then free labour will be employed. Newcastle, January 6. The city has been lighted with electricity,'the installation being the third largest in the world.