AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 21 January 1927, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

[Australia & N.Z. Cable Association.]

LFl.il EST F'ROAI DARWIN. DARWIN. January 21. The Town Council has asked North Australia Commission In cancel the coastal shipping contract and to withdraw Lin- subsidy paid to the Company. which should be spent on making roads. Thu Council pointed out that settlers and miners along the coast are being starved out; that produce is going to waste ; that despairing the waiting of the arrival of a ship villi supplies, pastoralists had procured motor lorries and cut roads through the rough country at their own expense. 'Hie Council asked the commission to finish these mails, thus making the settlers independent of shipping. SERIOUS, BUSH FIRES. ADELAIDE. January 21. Basil fires are sweeping through the country. At North Gawler. twenty-live miles from Adelaide, throe houses have already been burned and more damage is likely. Residents are lighting the flames which have a good Hold on vinevards and farms.

HIDES SALE. .MELBOURNE, January 21. At tho hides market, general medium and lights were one-sixth higher heavies and stouts firm at late rates kips n farthing lower.

BIG FLOODS. BRISBANE, Jan. 20. Serious floods have followed torrential rains in the Coastal districts of Northern Queensland. At one place eleven inches of rain fell in four hours. Trains were unable to complete their journeys, oiling to the lines being awash.

The Bi ishane-Townsville line at Howard was throe feet under water. The Herbert River is now nine feet above its banks, and is still rising. TRADES COUNCIL ATTITUDE. (Received this day at 11.0 a.m.) SYDNEY, January 21. The Trades and Labour Councils passed a resolution repudiating the workers’ representatives and Federal Government industrial delegation to the United Slates and stating any report of tin* delegation will not be discussed by the Trades l nion movement. SYDNEY, January 21. The Government stiffen'd another defeat in the Legislative Council, one of the clauses of the Crown Lands Amendment Bill being defeated by 22 lo I, votes. CHILD ENDOWMENT. SYDNEY, January 21. At a meeting of the Parliamentary I.aimin' Caucus, Mr Lang stated the Government was concerned over the question of constitutional validity ol the proposed child endowment scheme, and that M.r McTieriiiau had gone to Alclbourne to consult the authorities thereon. Feeling generally amongst Labour me label's is that the Bill will be dropped, as it cannot legally be applied to children of workers within the State, who are governed by Federal awards. TERRIFIC HAILSTORM SYDNEY. Jan. 21. A terrific hailstorm swept Barden Grove near Dungog. Corn crops mid fruit trees were stripped and large numbers of pigs and fowls were killed. Horses and cattle it’sn suffered severely. Hail-stones .weighing eight ounces fell denting roofs as if by hammers and cutting telephone wires. Lumps of ice were found in (lie centre of water melons, most oi which were chopped to pieces.

DROUGHT DAMAGE. BRISBANE, Jan. 21

The Pastoral Inspector after a tour of the State reports with the exception of the country east and south of CharleviTle the country is in a had siito, owing to drought, and _ H’otn three miles north of Charlevi ie to Lmgreach is in a deplorable condition. It is only possible for holdings to carry on With present food for five weeks. BUSH FIRES. ADELAIDE, Jan. 21. Bush fires fanned by high w_ilids are sweeping Lyudmil, Alount Crawlord and Eden Valley where the ioddei crop is one of the heaviest known. The fire passed within two miles ol AVilliamstown, where it. was temporaril> checked. The Avind then changed and the lire divided into ttvo spits and the flames got out of hand. At sunset the wind dropped and it is anticipated the outbreak will he extinguished. 1 lit damage totals many thousands sterling. A AHLLION MILES. .MISSION STEAAIER’S VOYAGES. SYDNF.IV, Jan. 13. Every few months the London Alissionarv Society’s steamer. John "Williams/puts into Sydney after voyages to the islands of the southern Pacific. It has been doing the same for 33 years, with the exception of a period of twelve months after the war. I luce times a year the John Williams does a voyage of about 10.009 miles, and having covered 30.000 miles a year for 32 years, the John Williams lias travelled close upon a million miles in its work of spreading the Gospel among the natives.

The record of the ship is only equalled by the record of its pursuer. Air A! . Fraser, who has not missed a single trip on the John \\ illiams. He is old now. but still hale and hearty, and is sanguine that he will still 'be on the ship when it has travelled its millionth mile in mission work. During his period of service. Air Fraser calculates that scores of thousands of natives have been converted to Christianity by missionaries working from the John Williams.