AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15487, 14 January 1916, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

-EXPORT OF COAL. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) MELBOURNE, January 13. The Hon. F. Tudor lias issued in-, structions that no coat is to be exported without his written consent, which is tie only method of restricting shipment*.

AN ULTIMO TRAGEDY

(Received January 13th, 5.45 p.m.) SYDNEI, January 13.

A .tragedy occurred at Ultimo (a district in Sydney). Edward John Hayes smashed his wifo's head with an axe. Her condition is serious. Hayos fatally cut his own throat. The couplo frequently had quarrels, and after a row on Tuesday Hayes left tho house. He returned "early this morning, smashed the window with an axe, and entered the room where his wife -was sleeping with six of her eight children. One of the children vainly tried to ward off the blow from its mother. In ai note found in Hayes's pocket he referred to family troubles and his intention to kill his wifo. EARTHQUAKE IN NEW GUINEA. (Received January *oth, 8.4-3 p.m.) BRISBANE, January 13. ' Tho steamer Marsina, from-llabaul, confirms the recent news of a heavy earthquake in New Guinea. Considerable damage was done in the suburbs Rabaul. The shock was severe at Woodlark Island. N.S.W. WHEAT CROP. (Received January 13th, 11.50 p.m.) SYDNEY, January 13. Tho Government Statistician, in his latest estimate of the N ew South Wales wheat crop, says that 5,H36,*u0 acres were sown, of which- 4,17.1,000 were reserved for grain, yielding 62,050.000 bushels. Allowing 10 per cent, for farmers' • possible over-esti-mates, there should be 40,000, vAn) bushels available for export. About 807,000 acres were under hay, estimated to yield 1.-20,000 tons.