AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2969, 5 January 1917, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

- ,— — FLOODS IN QUEENSLAND FORTHER PARTICULARS. (Rec. January 4, 10.5 p.m.) Brisbane, January 4. Many 1 houses, on the roofs of which | families took refuge, were swept away, ■in the flooded area, and overturned, and most of the women , and children were drowned. A number of men managed to swim to safety. Mr. Crawford, ex-member of Parliament for Mount • Morgan, and his wife_ fled to the roof of a house, which drifted, and Crawford was drowned, and his wife, after being swept miles, : was rescued. £There is much destitution, but sufficient food supplies are now available. The devastated country presents a gruesome spectacle. Dead stock are strewn everywhere, the bodies of horses, cattle, and sheep' are hanging to trees, and piled in heaps on the .■river banks. .. Hnghenden has been flooded, and a ' number of the residents were, rescued injDolice boats. <■ There are severe floods in the Cairns ;3istrict.—Press Assn. , SPREAD OF THE FLOODS. (Rec. January 4, 11.55 p.m.) Brisbano, January 4; ■He flood' at Hughenden is the biggest for twenty-five years. The whole •.outlying country is inundated, but so far there has been no loss of life. , At Rockhampton the river has' risen i'forfy-five feet, and is still rising. Tho wharves are flooded.—Press Association. .. COMMONWEALTH FINANCE ®y Telegraph-Press Associatjon-CopyriElit (Rec. January 4, ,9.15 p.m.) ' Melbourne, January 4. I The Commonwealth revenue for the half-year totalled £8,114,000, an injiorease of £141 ; 000. 'He Post Office learnings amounted to' £2,644j0Q0, an •increase of '£236,00.0. The year closed with 91,824 old age Sind 24,769 invalid pensioners, while £1,942 war pensions were granted, carrying an annual liability of £890,000. . ... The amount paid in maternity allowances for the half year , was £330,000. The Australian, note issue totalled £46,660,000, against, which'tjiere;.is., a gold reserve of £16,600,000. WESTRALIAN COLD YIELD. (Rec. January 4, 10.55 p.m.) . Perth, January. 4. The Westralian gold yield for last year was 1,061,398 ounces fine, of the .value of £4,508,531, a decrease of 148,712 ounces compared with 1915. TASMANIAN REVENUE. (Rec. January 4, 10.55 p.m.) " Hobart, January 4. The revenue for tho half-yeaT shows t-credifc of £20,569.