AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 March 1926, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

DROUGHT AT BROKEN H I LI

SYDNEY, March 1

At Broken Hill, owing to tho drought half time is now being worked at the mines, with the water l!.e Uovernment is making available. All trains will cease running alter Sunday night, and the employees will Ik' given other employment or an opportunity of taking their annual leave. The brewery has been compelled to close down, and the employees are idled.

ABERDARE .MINE KIRK. BRISBANK. March I. When the fire at the Aberdare Extended Mine at Bundamba was discovered huge flames and dense volumes of smoke were issuing from the mouth of Ihe mine. The poppet head was well alight, but the Ipswich Kite Brigade extinguished tho poppet head fire. A small creek in the vicinity was dammed, an,| water was pumped down the shaft, but the volume of smoke did not diminish. .Members of the Mines Rescue Brigade later entered the air shall ol the new Aberdare colliery, and thence entered three underground tunnels ol the burning mine, opening the doors which separate the air flows ol two collides. Members of the party were confronted by dense smoke, and were unable to locate the scat of the fire, which., however. is believed to he near the bottom of the main shaft. The mine was later scaled down. No miners were down the shaft when the outbreak wa* first noticed. N.S.W. POLITICS. SYDNEY, March I. The Ministry expects to he in a position to prorogue Parliament at the cud 111 this or the middle of next week. There will he a recess then till August. The Government is now considering a plan to despatch the Attorney-General. Mr McTierman to England, at an early date, to consult the Dominions’ Office on the Constitutional crisis that has been reached between the Assembly and the Legislative Council. The Government feels the Governor will not lie a party to further swamping of the Legislative Council. N.S.W. LOAN MOOTKD. SYDNKY. March 1. It is understood the Government is contemplating raising on the London market between six and seven million sterling. MINK ON KIRK. HR ISISANK, March 1. Gas front a burning shaft Aberdare Extend,sd mine blew off the sealing, and poisonous fumes, hunting tar and clouds of smoke poured out. The manager of the. mine in attempting to block the millet was overcome by the fumes and was taken to the hospital. A wall separating the extended mine from Aberdare colliery was strengthened hy a brick and concrete wall. '1 lie poinsonotts fumes are thick in the workings and several men were overcome. Fears are felt for the whole of Ipswich coal district, a.s numerous seams extend in all directions. Ihe Aberdare seam can la; traced lor several miles.

YACHT ON TOUR. FRKMANTI.K. March 1. |ho privately-owned yacht, Surmise. : m which Godlrov Williams of Wales and a party is touring the. world arrived here. The Surprise will proceed to Tasmania and then to New Zealand, where several months will he spent fishing. MURDER OF BANK CLERK. MELBOURNE, Match 1. According to the press reports, the true name of the man .sentenced as Douglas Robertson, in the Almeida case is .lames Erancis McMahon, hailing from New Zealand. Allegedly he went to the war with Robertson, whose paper- disappeared. Subsequently he passed himsell oil as Rol orison. It is further stall'd McMahon i- a prison esinpee and that the possession of a crooked nose lead to his arrest in connection with Almeida's murder, after evading the police for over a yea r. DENGUE; FEVER. SYDNEY, March I. The recent prevalence of dengue lever caused some consternation, and raised the question of its spreading to other parts of the Commonwealth and elsewhere. Medical opinion mostly negatives the fears ol the disease taking hold outside the tropical and subtropical areas. The type of mosquito responsible for dengue has not I wen located south ol Newcastle, though other of the mi.re common types have been exceptionally prevalent and troublesome during the present year, and arc almost a scourge in many districts. At the ladies' swimming , hampionsliips on Saturday, the Queensland representative. who recently sullorcd irom dengue fever, collapsed after |.,0 vaids. and had to retire.

VOLUNTEERS EX LISTED. SYDNEY, March 1. ft is reported that as a result of efforts made by Ulan ari a and East Coast Steam Navigation Company to restore shipping service by enlisting volunteers, a full crew is ready for OH? vessel which will probably be despatched from Syiicy to-day with volunteer crews. No difficulty will be experienced in handling cargo at outports. though it is I bought in Union circles that watersiders might feel called on to take action.