AUSTRALIAN AFFAIRS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 205, 30 August 1926, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN AFFAIRS.

A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY. WHOLE FAMILY OBLITERATED. MARKET GARDENER'S CRIME. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received 12 noon.) MELBOURNE, this day. A domestic shooting tragery, involving five deaths, was discovered in a lonely marketed gardener's hut, at East Waverley. The victims were Edward Alcock Forth, his wife, and three children, aged seven, four and two respectively. It is thought that Alcock shot his wife and children, then himself. Financial worries are supposed to have been responsible for this terrible tragedy. (A. and N.Z.) MELBOURNE TRAMWAYS. RUNNING OF MOTOR BUSES. A DISASTROUS RESULT. (Received 11 a.m.) MELBOURNE, this day. At the opening of a new section of tramway, the chairman of the Tramway Board, Mr. Cameron, said the system of motor buses which the board was forced to operate to compete with private bus owners had involved a loss of f 50,000. Last year alone the receipts were £17,000 short of working expenses, to which had to be added depreciation, interest and other charges. Mr. Cameron contended that the condition of the roads made it impossible to run a motor bus service for more than two years without meeting disaster.—(A. and N.Z.) UNION OF CHURCHES. THE BAPTIST ATTITUDE. " EXTENDING THE KINGDOM." (Received 11 a.m.) SYDNEY, this day. A conference of the Baptist Church Union of Australia, dealing with the question of Church Union, carried a motion that the assembly should urge Baptist churches to firmly and courteously maintain Baptist principles, but at the same time to co-operate heartily with other communions whenever possible in all that pertained to the extension of the kingdom of God.—(A. and N.Z.) % WASHED OFF ROCKS. PLATING A LARGE FISH. FISHERMAN DROWNED. TWEED HEADS (N.S.W.), Aug. 24. A fisherman was washed off the rocks near Point Danger last night and drowned. Bert Donnelly and Jack Rafter, who had been residing here for four months, last night went fishing on Schnapper Rocks, a favourite fishing place near Point Danger, on the Coolangatta side. While trying to play a large fish a huge breaker washed over both Donnelly and Rafter, carrying them out into the ocean. Rafter managed to struggle out, but Donnelly was not seen again. Rafter arrived home with the news, and the police were communicated with. They made a search, but up to this morning the body had not been found. Donnelly is survived by a widow and three young children.