At a preliminary conference, an official of the National Road Motor-{sts Association In referring to the suggestion made in Parliament for a speed limit of 30 miles an hour in Built up. areas, remarked that the conditions it has produced would not sult Australians, "I cannot imagine," he said, "our drivers taking Kindly to being followed by a delivery van manned by disguised police waiting for them to attain a Speed of 31 miles an hour in order launch a prosecution."
Another speaker at a conference quoted the writer of the motoring oles in one of the leading English weeklies who stated quite recently that he had addressed more than tone meeting of motorists on the subject of the dangers of the road, and that he had been distinctly conscious of an atmosphere rather of resentment than of sympathy.
'One thing most people here' do not expect is that any evidence will support the notion, often more than half seriously advanced, that women drivers are a menace. That idea has even Jess basis than the worn-out mother-in-law joke. Of all the too numerous accidents reported daily as occuring in both town and country, rarely, indeed, is it to be noted that a woman at the wheel is involved. Perhaps this is in part to be accounted for by the obvious fact that women who drive are scarcely ever to be seen "under the The figures indicate that approximately three people are killed every two days in New South Wales.
"Populate or Perl That slogan said a speaker at a recent political meeting, should be written in loiters of fire on the heart of every patriotic Australian, In seeming response to his threat, the Empire Migration Sottiemeni Group has recently decided in London to despatch a mission to Aus: tralia this year to investigate immigration schemes.
Dealing with population Agures, a Government bulletin states that at the end of 1934 there wore 6,905,609 Persons in Australia, a growth of 823,695 in 10 years. Natural increase contributed 81 per cent, and immigration the remainder. "The average annual increase over 10 years was 82,368 representing a growth of 132 per cent. It is pointed out that in Australia "there are only 225 persons to the square mile, varying from one person per 100. square miles inthe Northern Territory to 2091 per square mile in Victoria.
The birth rate for 1934, namely 1639. per 1,000 of population was the lowest ever recorded. but Australia's rate which is ow compared with other countries, is fortunately compensated by a low death-rate, giving a relatively high natural increase, There were 35 deaths of contenarans, 18 males and 17 females. Deaths of children under one year numbered 4,772 the rate being 44 per 1,000, which was lower than any other country in the world, excluding New Zealand and the Netherlands.
Land at £20 an Inch A strip of land with a frontage of 4% Inches to Collins Street, Melbourne, and a depth of 110 feet was sold last week for £135, or £20 an Inch. A dispute arose some years ago between two owners of property, and as no settlement was possible, 'a building was built 4% inches off the title boundary. 'This strip has now been acquired by another purchaser, who did not wish to have a gap' between the two buildings.
Probably for the first time on record, a Commissioner of Taxation "My friend for this 111 call thee friend, 'Your mottle plea my heart to rend, Quite proves a slip, for many more Load up my desk with troubles sore, heed' be pald, to" all their woos The Slate's Ueelt larger grows. breeds auch. wit really"
'Tu end of Apri, we'll 'Then cash and stamps together' send."
The stamps referred to are tax instalment. stamps, which are used here to pay Slate taxes when the department Issues Its assessments, Wild While Man of the Bush Mr, I Kdrless, the Australian author, in a recent address to the Rotary Club in Sydney described some of the little known parts of Australia through which he red and told of some strange meetings in jungle and mountain He spoke of the wild jungle range north of Cairns which, he said, no white man had yet been able to explore, and where the gorges and mountains were supposed to be rich minerals. With native guides and carriers he had penetrated some of the jungle where the vegetation was thick tat It was impossible to see the sun, and where the only sound was the drip, drip of rain drops and. the hiss of wild pigeons.
Whilst they were sitting in the Jungle one "night by a camp fire, with only the fire-flies to break the intense darkness, a white man sud denly seemed to come from nowhere and stood before them. He was a man who, according to Mr. Hdtless should have been born 3,000 years ago, His only evidence of civilization was the rifle he was carrying, a sheath knife and some matches, He had made the jungle his home, living on wild rats, roots and yams. Romance came into his life when' he met a quarter-caste irl, and after his marriage to hor hho of work cutting sugar cane for atime, but then he answered the call of the Jungle again, and wanted the girl lo share his life there. She was not the sort who was content to live on wild rats and wild roots so the wild man went back to the jungle alone. When the wild man durned (0 her there was a shooting. match.
On another occasion his party heard the wailing ery of native hun" fers, and so they hid in trees wait. ing for the leaders to come along. The first to appear was a head killer, husky aboriginal with hair dis-bevelled armed with spears, and whose only altiro was a belt of human hair.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.