AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 January 1925, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[tv TELEGRAPH PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] LABOURER'S PECULIAR BELLA VIOL* It. PERTH, Jan. 21. A peculiar incident has occurred at Government House. AVlien a constable came on duty early on Tuesday morning. he found a labourer named Bush dressed in a military staff officer’s uniform in the private Secretary’s room, and he informed the constable lie could go off duty, claiming to lie the Governor's son. He then walked into the drawing room and made himself comfortable in an easy chair. The constable called a footman who Bush, in a nonchalant manner sought to dismiss, hut who recognised Bush as the man who had lately given considerable trouble about Government House. Lady Campion came on the scene and denied that Bush was her son. whereupon he halted, hut was captured in

the garden, being .subsequently sentenced to two months’ imprisonment, the charge living one of unlawfully on the premises. Bush was recently discharged from the hospital after being under medical observation. SYDNEY RAILWAY SAIASII. SYDNEY. January 21. The Railway Board inquiry into the railway smash at the (Central Station oil January 11th found the equipment was in perfect working order, and the accident was due to the driver of the Ashfield train running against a series of signals, and colliding with the outgoing Hyde train. The Board also found blame attachable to the fireman and guard of the Ashfield train.

SYDNEY HARBOUR. SYDNEY, January 21. Last year the Sydney Harbour Trust besides carrying out many improvements to the wharfage and lighting facilities of the port, dredged a western channel. There are now separate incoming and outgoing channels seven hundred feet wide, with a minimum depth of forty feet at low tide. These facilities are considered ample for modern shipping. GENEVA PEACE PROTOCOL. MELBOURNE, January 22. The Federal Government lias decided that it will not be in the interests of the Coiiiiiiimwealth recommend Parliament to accept the Geneva peace protocol. The Ministers will therefore reciimm.cnd that it he rejected. It leatned that Cabinet has received information from the British Ministry to the effect that it could not see its win clear to recommend the British Parliament, to ratify the protocol and that certain other Dominion .Ministries hold similar views.

THE DINGO PEST. SHEEP SERIOUSLY A EF EOT ED. (Received tins dav at 9.25 a.m.' SYDNEY, Jan. 22. The rapid increase of the dingo pest, during ievent vein's in various pacts of Australia where they were formerly scarce, has been causing grave concern to sheep owners who have suffered .severe losses. Lance l.osque, the well-known /.oo'cgist, who has been investigating the subject for the past two years and i as just returned from an extended trip it: \Vest ralia and South Australia, stiles the pest is undoubtedly increasing rapidly throughout the continent. 'I liere were dingoes to-day where there were none twenty years ago, and their ravages were causing immense I i.sjes. Some stations had. in a lew years, lost ten thousand sheep and lambs ironi their ravages, while the sheep tally in the West Darling country'had dropped from fifteen million to lour million, largelv from the same cause. Lie dingoes had not killed all of that number. but because of I lie trouble ibev gave pastoralists they had withdrawn from that, country. The erection of dog proof fern-mg was adding a heavy burden to the win! industry. The inii'eic-e ami the spread of the rabbit a lihdi pro' ided lood lor tec dingoes was one cause ol the gre.Gei prevalence ol the pest and unless an olganised war ol extermination was quickly undertaken the wool industry was hound to sutler much more seriously than at present. TIMBER INDUSTRY. MELBOURNE, Jan. 22. Giving evidence belore the I aril! Board, which is investigating requests that the duty on timber imported into Australia should ho increased, -Mr Moore (Secretary of Australian Timber Tariff Protection Executive) said in 1913 the quantity of timber produced in Australia was 083,089,000 super feet, hut. in 1922 the quantity was only 56 1 I ! 1.090 super feet. The decreased production was due to keen oversea competition, in consequence ol which a number of mills had gone out of operation. Australian hardwood timber laid, for the same reason been reduced in price from 21s to 19s per hundred super feet. Oversea coinpctitinrs had many advantages. In most foreign timber producing countries logs were transported by floating them down the rivers, and water was available as powci for the mills. Practically all limber m Australia had to he transported y rail or boat. Comparing tlm difference i„ labour conditions. Air Moore said the actual wage in the lumber iinliislo i„ Canada was 25s per week of 58 hours, in United States it was •<>* bd for a week of 571 hours, m Sweden it was 7s 7d a day, while in Australia the minimum was 83s lor lorty-eight houts.