The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-05-14
AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND
ITEMS

tue muTueT Oh j. d. SLACK, at the
Central Criminal Court, Melbourne,
and sentenced to death.
The profits of the City of Melbourne
Bank were G43, 72S for the past half
year, and a 10 per cent dividend was
declared.
1t was stated at the meeting of the
Melbourne Trades Hall Council that
the AttOrney-General had promised
to introduce a bill into Parliament,
| making months wages due to en-
ployees the first charge on the en-
ployers' machinery, plant, etc, in
event of insolvency, whether pre-
| viOusly mortgaged or not.
The Queensland gold mines are
turning out well, 20 tons of rock at
the Charters Towers mine having
yielded 1926 ounces of gold. This
company's half-yearly report shows
that during the past six months the
mine yielded 20,954 ounces gold, and
&55, 900 was paid in dividends; the
total dividends to date being G26l, 799.
The total crushings at the Charters
Towers goldfield for the month of
March was 1915 tons, yielding 1927
ounces of gold.
The Special missioner for New
Guinea is calling for tenders for a
mail service between Cooktown and
Port Moresby. No arms, ammuni-
ton, explosives or passengers are to
be conveyed without a permit from
the Special Commissioner.
A destructive storm swept over
Norfolk Island on March 18th, de-
stroying the crops, blowing the roofs
off the houses, and uprooting trees in
all directions.
The bark Pladen, owned by Ham
burg firm, bound from Levuka to
Falmouth, has become a total wreck
on Wangaroa Island, one of the
Chatham group, off the New Zealand
coast. The crew of the vessel were
saved.
The eight-hour movement is MAX
ing great Roadway in Sydney and
Melbourne. The Governor of Vic
toria attended the demonstration in
the latter city. The Bulletin would
call this "demagogy" and pandering
to the 'rabbIe suffrage"
Private advices from New Zealand
intimate that the Government is ex-
pending 100000 $4,000, OOO) on land
Notifications and torpedOes without
an appropriation.
1t is understood that the New Zea-
land Parliament will meet for the
dispatch of business in the first week
in June.
The following is from a Sydney
dispatch, April 18th: "Great excite
ment has been caused by the capture
of the prisoners Thurston and Angel,
who recently escaped from CONAN
BILE Jail, and murdered a warder.
The police having received informa-
ton leading them to suppose that two
men were in the neighborhood OF
Outgoing, secreted themselves in
Stewards store, and waited the ar
rival of the prisoners, whom they
called on to surrender. On seeing
the officers, Thurston fired atStewart,
and shot him dead. The police then
fired on the bushrangers, killing
Thurston and wounding Angel, who
has been since lodged in Jail.
1t is announced that the Imperial
Government have chartered the Pc
ninsular and Oriental Royal Mail
steamship Rosetta, for service as an
armed cruiser on the China station,
and the Orient steamer Lusitana fol
a similar service in Australia.
A private letter from New Zealand
states that two of the new direct line
of steel steamships, plying between
and Kaikoura-have been turned into
cruisers by the Admiralty, besides
three or four other vessels which bave
been engaged for the Australian
waters. John Bull does not mind the
expense.
The cable steamer Magnetic is sup
posed to have been lost in the Bay
of Biscay, with all hands. She was
on the way to Australia, to relieve
the cable repairing steamer Agnes.
1t is stated that the Directors of the
Colonial Insurance Company of New
Zealand have decided to recommend
to the annual meeting, next month,
the payment of IL 10 per cent divi-
dend.
The Central Trunk Railroad
through the North Island of New
Zealand has been started.
The Government of South Australia
intend to establish patrol service in
the Gulf of st. Vincent, in order to
give warming of the approach of
hostile vessels, and measures are
being taken for the protection OF Port
Glenelg.
Precautionary measures, in view OF
the possible outbreak of war between
England and Russia, are being taken
by the Queensland Government, in
order to place the colony in better
state of defense. The various forces
are being increased, and stringent
regulations have been drawn up to
IL l.,