AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 February 1926, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

(Australia & N.Z. Cable Association.] HEAVY EIRE DAAfAGE. SYDNEY. February 13 The damage at Peterson and B.csen’s fire in York Street (cabled last night), is estimated at £120,000 sterling. Only the shell of the building remains. The Departmental manager says be had locked up the warehouse live minutes before the discovery and everything then seemed to be in order.

FIRE HYDRANTS. SYDNEY. February 15.

The Chief Fire Officer states the city of Sydney is running considerable fire risks owing to the single valve hydrant at present in use. They have now to u«e hundreds of feet of hose to Lung into play three or four hydrants, wasting far more time than if pillar hydrants with three heads, which are installed in every hig city in the world were in use. They could get double the force of water in half the time by adoption of this method of fire lighting. INQUEST VERDICT. SYDNEY, February 15 At the inquest on tlie deaths of the aviators Pitt and Callender. FiiglitLietic Hepburn, who was waiting for the aviators ul Canberra gave evidence that they appeared to be running right-. Pilot Pitt shut oit the engine and proceeded to turn, but the ’plane stalled and spun to the ground from about a hundred feet. His opinion was that tlie crash was due to ail error of judgment on tlie part of the pilot. Had the plane stalled at a thousand feet, he would probably have been able to avert ail accident. The coroner returned a verdict that death was caused by an error of judgment on the part of Pitt.

AIORTS DOCK STRIKE. SYDXEAL February 15,

Owing to the continuation of the strike at Morts Dock a number of clerks have been given a month’s notice of dismissal. Others will be given similar notice when the work in hand is completed. The strikers loss of wages amounts to seven thousand sterling weekly. V FIRE. AIELROURNK. Feb. 15. A lire in the furniture bedding factory of Alurris and Ludwig Prabrnn caused damage to the building and stock e-timaled at thirty thousand sterling. Sailed.--- Manuka, for AYeMington. COUNTRY PARTY. SYDNEY, February 15. A meeting of the State Parliamentary Country Party discussed the proposal of the' Government to abolish the Legislative Council and suggested a memorial to the King. The concensus of opinion was that the real issue was not so intuit the abolition of the Council as the method adopted by the present Government to make what is a violent change in the constitution of the State, without recognising the right of the people to lie consulted. An appeal to the King in the form of a memorial was necessary am! justified.

THE OOMA DOOM EH. SYDNEY. February 15,

A message received from Sydney states the forepeak and engine-room of the steamer Ooma are full of water and there is no hope of salvage. The vessel is insu red for about 280.000.