KC'-"'- -■ " •♦ • • (Eleottio Telogr»ph-Copyrlght— United Picst K " MELBOURNE, Dec. 20. '•'': ■'■ The Pacific Cable Authorisation Bi '""■ ' passed all stages. •-.';,?>• ADELAIDE, Dec. 20. '-■'Js-r' ' -The Eastern Extension Cable Compan '"'■'■ ■ have reduced rates to 3s 6d per word o : -<i Ist January. There is no alteration ) ■;: .the^ressrate. ByDNEYt Deo . ,„. ■"-'"■" New Zealand residents of Sydney wi \ .:' present Mr Seddon with an address < ; .' fires In Cooliinion distric ' many- finners have been totally ruiro and their families are homeless. 1 •fires round Albury are subsiding. J least £10,000 worth of wheat has bei destroyed. • There is a special " Departmental Coui in South Australia for children under . years of age, who are never brought b fore the ordinary police court. It is good idea. Some interesting revelations as to tl conduct of the Transval dynamite mo opoly has been elicited by the Concessioi Committee. iDuring 1897, 1898, at 1899, £39,000 was set aside for the pu pose of ( 'influencing public opinion. 1 Leyds was shown to have received lanre sum of money from the concer '<■ ■ More astonishing stUl was the testunoi to the effect that the syndicate had su plied the Boers with 20,000 rounds of c pansive bullets.
TEH COMMONWEALTH.
