AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 12 March 1925, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLSO ASSOCIATION CHILD WELFARE. ‘Received this day at 9 a.m.) SYDNEY, Alareh 12. Before the Federal Health Commission, Doctor Wade, sour, surgeon of Alexandria Hospital for children, stated in evidence that during the period between 1911 and 1923, there were 33.915 deaths of infants under one year of ago and -16,0 b I under 5 years, in New South Wales. He added that a big proportion of this appalling death rate could have been obviated by the exercise of proper precautions. During 1923 there were 3302 deaths of infants under one year. 1.700 occurring within the first month of life, and 1,400 could have been avoided. The situation justified the establishment of a Government Commission of child welfare.

GEELONG SCHOOL BURNT. .MELBOURNE. .March 11. A fire destroyed Geelong Grammar School at C’orio. early this morning. The pupils escaped in their night clothing. The damage is estimated at £15,000.

OBITUARY. (Received this day at 12.30 p.m.) SYDNEY. March 12. Obituary.—Thomas Clarke, aged 72, formerly town clerk of South Dunedin and ex-Lord Mayor of Sydney. N.S.AY. RUGBY UNION. SYDNEY, .March 12. The annual report of New South Wales Rugby Union states last season showed a profit of £2050 sterling. The season was commenced with a deficit of nine hundred sterling. NICE KETTLE OF FISH. ARBITRATION COURT POSITION (Received this day at 10.25 a.m.) BERTH, March 12. The resignation ol Air Justice Bumside as President of the Arbitration Court leaves the Government without a president of that institution, bath Justices Harper and Alorthmore having previously resigned. The Act state's the president must be a Judge of the Supreme Court. Air AlcCnllum, .Minister of Labour, says the Legislative Council, by its obstinate altitude towards the Government's policy, as contained in the amending Arbitration Bill, which provided for a president outside 1 the Supreme Court, had created a nice kettle of lish.

THE WHEAT HARVEST. SYDNEY. Alareh 12. To tlie end of hist month 7,811.901 bags of wheat have been loaded into the railway trucks nt County sidings, this being an increase of II millions as compared with the corresponding period of tho previous trig harvest in 1929-21. .MOTHER AND DAUGHTER SHOT (Received tl's day at 10.2 b a.m.) SYDNEY. .March 12. Two shots, fallowed by a loud scream were heard in a house at Redfern at 2.20 this morning, and two men were seen leaving a tenement building. The police a few minutes Inter found two women. Alary Smith and Alice ()uirk, mother and (laughter, lying in bed with bullet wounds in their heads. A holster was pressed on the face of .Mrs Smith who was in a semi-coucious condition. Both were sent to the hospital and are not expected In live. The police found a girl aged about four in an adjoining room, and a boy of ten, who bad clambered on to the roof. Both were in a state of terror. FLOODS IN AUSTRALIA. SYDNEY. March 12. Heavy rain on the Richmond watershed during the past week culminated in a flood at Lcsmorc. The river rose 24 feed, the low-lying parts cf the town and surrounding district being covered in same parts to a depth of (i to S feet.

The business portion of the town is so far dry, but ninny residences suffered badly. .Many residents bad previously taken the precaution to remove their belongings. .

The wharves on the river arc deep under water. Rain is still falling and the liver coni .-in ucs In rise. THE VOi.U.MNIA DEADLOCK. SYDNEY, .March 12. .Members of the Returned Soldiers’ Waterside Workers’ Union offered to work the Voltunnia’s cargo, bill it is doubtful if this will be availed of. The threat of the Watersidc-rs’ Federation to regard as black any steamer which carried transhipment cargo Irani the Yoluniiiia to Melbourne and Adelaide would possibly create difficulties. FATAL MOTOR ACCIDENT. MELBOURNE. March 12. A motor accident involving the death of one man and injury to six others occurred at Coburg, the men obtaining a car to go for a ride. It was when returning that the accident happened and the car is said to have been travelling at a fast rate when a tyre blew out and Lite car overturned pinning tiie men beneath it. Patrick 11coany, aged ID, was killed, while Herbert Guest and Sydney Taggart were admitted to the hospital in a serious condition. The others are sulleiing from minor injuries and shock. Ihe driver of the car was missing when the ambulance arrived ffnd ho was found later in a dazed condition wandering about Newmarket.