COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2769, 26 March 1910, Page 5

COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS.

NEW SOUTH WALES SHOW

United Press Association— Copyright SYDNEY, March 23. Lord Dudley .(the Governor-Gene-ral), and not Lord Chelmsford, opened the Royal Agricultural Show. Additional a-warcls were: —Shire stallion, three-year-old; The New Zealand-bred Brilliant Boy was first, but a protest was entered. Active farm Clydesdale:' The 74ew Zealand-bred Lord Kyle was second, and Lord O’Neil, a New Zealand horse, third. In the butter competition the Kyogle Dairy Company won the £IOO challenge cup presented by the Salt Union, England. PERILS OF MISSION WORK. SYDNEY, March 24. An elaborate plot to simultaneously massacre all missionaries in German New Guinea has been discovered. The principal cause of friction appears to he that the missionaries set their faces against the practice of polygamy, which the natives greatly favor. Eight natives concerned in the plot have been arrested.

THE QUEENSLAND FLOODS—A FATALITY.

BRISBANE, March 24

A man named Brushaber has been drowned in the flood waters of Warrego river. REDUCED FREIGHTS. * LONDON, March 23. The Australian Shipping Conference has reduced the measurement freight on mail steamers by 10s, and on cargo steamers, fine measurement, by ss, others by 2s 6d. KNOCKING OFF THE “STRIKE” CHARGEMELBOURNE, March 24. The inter-Stato steamship companies have now decided to cease levying the surcharge of 10 -per cent on fares after April 1. -v SIR WILLIAM LYNE SUPPORTS THE LABOR PARTY. (Received March 25, 12.40 a an.) ' Sir William .Lyne lias opened his ‘election campaign by declaring that he Twill have nothing to do with the Fusion 'Government. He intended to sit -with the Labor party. AUSTRALIANS V. ENGLISHMEN. LONDON, March 24. Mr. Foster Fraser, in an article in the “Standard,” accused young Australians of slackness and flaccidity, due to their languorous climate. Mr T. A. Coghlan, Agent-General for New South •Wales, replying, points to their proficiency in athletics, and denies that ‘Australian workmen’s energy and enterprise are inferior to Englishmen’s. He instanced linotypers, compositors, coopers, and bricklayers as being quicker workers than English.

CO-OPERATION OF AGENTS.

GENERAL-

(Receivcd March 24, 8.45 p.m.) LONDON, March 24

Sir George Reid had an informal meeting with the Agents-General of the various States, and agreed, in order to advance the interests of Australia, to hold a scries of meetings, and to fully co-operate in all matters affecting the general interests of Australia. THE PENRHYN CASTLE FIRE. (Received March 24, 10.50 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 24. The Marine Court found that the recent fire aboard the barque Penrhyn Castle was probably caused by setting fire to the straw of the crates, stored near the seat’of. the outbreak ,by some one unknown trying to broach the cargo.