E.T. Hutton to the command of the Australian forces has at last been definitely announced in the House. Negotiations have been proceeding for months regarding this appointment, and many eminent military men approached. Not a few have declined it on various grounds. prineipal-Ly it seems on account of the salary attached to the office. Major-General Hutton's appointment gives much satisfaction local however. has the advantage of previous 2c-quaintance with the needs of Australian military forces, as he was for some years in command of the N.S. Wales forces. Re cently he has had command of Australian contingents in the Transvaal, and is thus well acquainted with them both in peace and war. Bearing a reputation for encrgy, he is just the man for organising a svstem of Mounted Infantry detachments, which past and present operations'seem to point out will equally with artillery bear the brunt of any future campaign.
The Three Mutineers. week me R.ALS. Oroya were Privates Amongst the passengers arrived last
Steele, Richards and Parry of the Fifth Australian Contingent, who were sentenced to death by Court Martial at Middlcburg in Jyly last for mutinous conduct. This sentence was afterwards commuted by the Commander-in-Chief to ten years' imprisonment, and the three mutineers were sent home to do their time in a military prison. Shortly after their arrival in England, the matter was taken up by Mr. Keames, a young Melbourne medical student who is going through his course in a London hospital, and, a petition was got up in the neighburrrhdod of Clapham and signed by twenty Aus: s resident in London. The Petition, which wound y "we trust Your Majesty will have matter inquired into," was duly forwarded to the King, with the result that the sentence on the three privates was quashed, and their release—ordered. Their mutinous conduct lay in some remarks passed by Private Steele to his comrades about their Imperial commander, shortly after the disaster to a detachment of the Sth Victorian Contingent at Normsi hurst. These remarks were overhead by a Lieutenant, who reported them to his senior in command. The decision of the court martial held on 11th July was that the three prisoners should be shot, but this was not communicated' to the men, who were kept suspense for a month. The sentence was then read out to them with an intimation that the Commander-in-Chief had commuted it to ten years in the ease of Steele and twelve months in the case of Richards and Parry. The fact is the discipline of the British Army fits Austra ian privates badly; as the latter from their youth up are mostly brought up in the freedom of the bush, where it is the rule for the man to openly criticise the aotions of his boss, without the slightest fear of ulterior consequences, Oil Monopoly.
Shell "Transport C5." by the Standard Cables reporting the purchase of the Oil Ca. of New York, are recently to hand. (N.B._ This has since been contradicted.) The price is stated to be £12,00',000 storling. By this move the Yankee Company will acquire a monopoly of the oil trade in Australasia. The advent of "Shell Ca." into the business was hailed as a godsend locally, and the price of this most useful commodity dropped in a few months by nearly 50 per cent. The latter company ro-cently erected spacious warehouses and receiving tanks in one of our seaside districts, and commenced the house-to-house distributing business in country as well as" metropolitan centres. The industry being now in the hands of a foreign syndicate, should give a fillip to the production of Kerosene in N.S. Wales, where large its of shales exist. Hitherto the extraction of oil has been neglected, the shales being merely exported in bulk to one or two European ports.
One Man one Business is the latest ery of the numerous class of small shopkeepers, and a meeting was recently held in the Town Hall, with the object of arranging for a deputation to the Premier, urging him to bring in legislation on the subject. The case of the country trooper, who, although a Government servant, occupies many billets was, says the Age," apparently overlooked. Amongst his many jobs are at times included customs officer, Crown lands ranger, bailiff, clerk of the court, commissioner for taking affidavits and inspector of fisheries, besides one or two unconsidered trifles. The man of numerous billets, though his revenue from all sources will probably not equal the remuneration his versatility merits,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.