AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 August 1927, Page 1

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association. NEWSPRINT. SYDNEY, Aug. 18. Senator McLougldin (assistant Minister) announced there is every reason to believe as the result of the work of the Council of Scientific Research, that a process lias been developed whereby newsprint may be produced in Australia- at a price sufficiently low to enable it to complete with imported material. Private- interests intend to spend fifty thousand sterling in testing the process on a semi-commercial scale. Local hardwoods will be used. The consumption of newsprint in Australia has doubled ill the last five years, increasing from sixty thousand to 120 thousand tons per annum, and is valued at 2', million sterling. Hie “Herald” comments there is little reason to doubt that efforts at local manufacture will he crowned with success. and eventually mean a saving to Australia of our 2 million sterling annually.

INCREASE OF PBTCE OF BUTTER. SYDNEY. Aug. 17. The wholesale price of butter increased by Os Id to 210 s Id per hundredweight. GHASTLY TRAGEDY. MELBOURNE, Aug. 18. The bodies of Robert Parsons, his wife Florence, daughter Violet, aged seven, son aged five, anil | baby aged eighteen months, were found at tlieir homo at Nobel Park, a small village Id miles from Melbourne. It is alleged that Parsons, who was a returned soldier, 35 years of age, murdered his family and then committed suicide. Hie tragedy occurred this afternoon. A neighbour, bearing a scream, looked over the fence and saw Mrs Parsons with her throat cut. running from the house, with Parsons, razor in hand, and also bleeding from the throat pursuing. Parsons caught his wife and dragged her hack into the house. A neighbour raised the alarm, and when the police arrived, they were confronted with the ghastly spectacle of two children lying on the bed with their throats out.

The motive of the tragedy is unknown. as they always seemed a very happy family. REWARD OFFERED. SYDNEY. Aug. 18. Hie Government decided to offer a reward of £2.30 for information lending to the arrest and conviction of the murderer of Condon. HTDES MARKET. MELBOURNE, Aug. 19. Hides were irregular, all grades being one eighth to a farthing lower.