Early on the morning of Cup day, the Chief Secretary with the aid of the police laid violent. hands on a private tote shop titnated in one of the nearer suburbs. Yor years has the proprietor of the place defied the law, and rendered his place of "business almost as impregnable as a for-trees} fences of barked wire and other fuch Boer-like entanglements were laid down to prevent the entrance of un-Authorised and hostile persons. Clerks garbed in long black hoods did business with customers mere holes in a substantial hoardings whilst janitors food guard all day long over the many Places of entry, On this occasion, how" ver, 2 posse of police some sixty strong, awe on the premises at about 8 a.m, but to their surprise found none to oppose them and deny entrance. Armed wath a search warrant they took posses-Sion, and the only incriminating evidence to be found wae a number of betting theets. The cash had been there but 1% ras gone along with the proprietor and assistants, For days afterwards re-Faye of constables guarded the premises, way the time as had! little oF nothing a saya has since been reduced till now it Busut two in number, but what action the Government intend to take is still wrapped in mystery.
Two Plucky Women. 4 "h.powerfuity-built man of the, Bill gykée class met with a novel and un-Vasant experience recently in Sydney.
veffne early hours of the morning he had fected an entrance to the back yard of Princess's Theatre. The pi the sum of £905 for appearances in opera at the rate of £8 each performance. counterclaim of £5,000 damages for al-Yeged breach of agreement is also made by the. defendant. Some interesting evidence as to the high rate of salaries popularly supposed to be earned by theatrical stars, has been given during the progress of the action. Mr. Mus-grove under cross-examination stated that only once had he given a star a greater salary than £25 weekly. The issue mainly rests on what constitutes a week's work. For the plaintiff it is claimed that the agreement was £25 ockly for three performances, whereas the defendant bases his'action on the understanding in the profession that a week's work consists of three perfor-manees of grand opera, or six with per-hope a matings of comic opera. For the defence most of the leading lights of the profession who have appeared in Melbourne under engagement to Mr. Mus-grove hare been. called, amongst. them being Miss Nellie Stewart, May Beatty, and George Lauri. The case is still pro-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.