THE LATEST.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXi, Issue 6066, 12 September 1903, Page 2

THE LATEST.

AUSTRALIA*;

United Press Association—»By Flactric Telegraph- Copyright

Received Sept. 12, 8.49 a.m. Preferential Trade, lartonand Reid, Melbourne, Sepii;. 12 Mr Barton, in answer to a challenge from Mr Beid, defined the attitude of the Govemtßwiit on the preferential trade question. The Government would maintain the existing tariff against Britain, and ask the country and Parliament to increase the duties against foreigners. By adopting free trade, it would be utterly impossible to give any advantage to the country from which they had sprung. Queen Victoria, Memorial. Mr Barton proposes to ask the Houae to Tote -£25,000 towards the memorial to the late Queen Victoria in London. Fire on a Steamer. Afire which quickly assumed alarming proportions occurred on the steamer Pilbarra last night. It was apparently due to the spontaneous combustion of a quantity of nitre in the forehold. The flames spread so rapidly that the pantryman; named White, was imprisoned, and only rescued through a Hole out in the upper deck just as the fla^nes scorched his back. The fire subsided ' almost as rapidly as it began. The cargo in number one hold is practically burnt out. The amount of the damage is wr known. New Caledonia, The Governor-General has Beat congratulations to the Governor of New Caledonia, on the completion of the first fifty years of French settlement there.

An Explosion. An engine at Colao exploded, and the fireman was blown some distance and BUB--tainad cuts and shook. ' ,

. Received Sept. 12, 9.35 a.na. A Big Nugget. Sydney, Sept. 11 A sixty-two ounce nugget has been found at. Peter's Bush, Mount Morgan. . .

Tasmanian Governor's Salary. Hobajbt, Sept. 11 The second reading of the Governor's S^ary Amendment Bill providing for a seduction in the'pay of future governors, has been carried.

A Hiorrible Murder, Adelaide, Sept. 12 The body of a murdered baby has been found at Glenelg, The leg was evidently gut off while th.c ohild was alive. There is i^q clue to the perpetrators.