AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 March 1924, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

BY TELEGRAM —PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT. STORMS IN AUSTRALIA. {Received this day at 8 a.m.) SYDNEY, March 24 Heavy rain storms are interrupting tlie telegraph lines, causing a delay of inter-State news, including tlie details of the Westralian elections. CHINESE FOR SOUTH AMERICA. SYDNEY, March 24 Sailed, liiiignum for Wellington. Several hundred youthful Chinese are aboard en route for South America to settle. THE GAS HOLDER EXPLOSION. MELBOURNE, March 24 Apart from the loss of a large volume of gas the damage by fire is not serious. The welding gang bad a narrow escape iis the ropes of their scaffolding burned through, but they managed to slide down Lhe supporting column, being slightly scorched by the gas flames. ITALIAN DIVORCE CASE. SYDNEY, March 21. Emily Yitaii, wife of Commander Yitali, Italian Consul, is suing Frank Lubrano, shipping agent, of Sydney, to recover two thousand sterling for alleged assault, and also for allegedly publishing fuse statements regarding her. The action is the sequel to a divorce suit wherein Commander Yitid: was co-respondent, and was adju.

guilty of adultery with Airs Lubrano The alleged assault consisted of l.ubra no slapping her on the face at an Italian dinner.

WF.STIiALIAX ELECTION. PERTH. March 23. Great interest lias been taken in the State elections of Westralia held yesterday. The polling was heavy. There were 120 candidates contesting fifty seats, four parties being in the field, the Nationalists, the Labourites, and the Ministerial Country and Opposition Country parties. There also were fourteen independents. The chief issue at stake " is whether the Mitchell Natioalijst Government retains the confidence of the electors in its Immigration and Land Settlement schemes. The returns so far are too incomplete to indicate the results. NEW COAL SEAM IN X.H.W. ißeceived this day at 9.15 a.m.) SYDNEY. March 24. All eighteen inch outcrop of anthracite coal lias been disovered on the Manning River. The analysis is highly encouraging. It is anticipated to develop a workable seam, but there is no great dentil. The find is important as it is the first anthroeite seam found in New South Wales.

BIRTH AND DEATH RATES. SYDNEY, March 24. Tlie Coiiimniiweidth Statistic reports show that for 1923 there were 135.222 births in the Commonwealth as compared with 137.4911 for the previous year. The deaths numbered 56.236 as compared with 51,311 in 1922. FUEL SUPPLY DEPARTMENT. MELBOURNE. March 24. Mr Bowden lias announced that the Nava,l Board i.~ considering the establishing of a fuel supply depot, at Darwin. or some other northern port fur the Australian Navy. COUNTRY PARTY’S DENIAL. MELBOURNE, March 24. Tho Federal Country Party’s Parliamentary Committee lias issued a dental to the recent action of the farmers' Union Conference whit u resulted in the dissolution ol the State Composite .Ministry, and its direct bearing on the position of a Federal Composite Ministry.

RAIN DAMAGE. (Received this day at 10.1(1 a.in.) SYDNEY, Manli 21. Rain caused considerable damage in the city and suburbs. Many houses were Hooded and orchards in the suburbs ruined. DOUBLE; TRAGEDY. SYDNEY. March 21. Doris Brown, aged seventeen,, was shot in the head and hand, suffering serious injuries, bv Stanley Sheen at the boniestead at .Mount Horeh ileal* Gii'idagaiu where they were both employed. Sheen afterwards committed .suicide. When the gill entered her bedroom. Sheen behind the door, and seized her by the throat and fired three shots with a revolver, two taking olfoet. Sheen then decamped and when tbe police arrived, and forced the door of ail outhouse bis body was found with ;i bullet through the heart. No reason for the tragedy is known. Sheen was ail Englishman and served with the New Zealand forces during the war. WESTR ALI A N KI. ECTI ON S. BERTH. March 23. Out of thirteen electorates where the counting is complete. Labour lias secured seven, Nationalists six, giving Labour eighteen in the new House, as eleven of their candidates were returned unopposed. Labour won three metropolitan seats from the Government, and are leading in several country and goldfields electorates. The indications m e that Labour will secure twenty - three or more scats and with the autiMinistcrial section of the bounty Bar-.y will out-number the Government. The Premier retained his seat by a- narvev margin, and tlie Leader ci the Opposition was also returned. Mrs Cowan (Nationalist) the only woman member of parliament in Australia, was defeat-