AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Grey River Argus, 9 December 1926, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

BIG FIRE IN QUEENSLAND TOWN BRISBANE, /Dec. 8. A disastrous lire at Cloneurry destroyed an hotel, cinema hall, plumber’s shop, lind refreshment room. The damage is estimated at £15.000. This is thc third serious fire in three weeks. N.S.W. DRINKERS’ OUTLAY. SYDNEY, Dee. 8. The Drink Bill for the year ended June 30, 1926, was £12,633,000, equal to £5/9/11 per head of population, being an increase of £963,002 or 6/4 pei head, compared with the preceding year. The increase is chiefly attributed to the increased consumption of Australian beer, and the higher price charged for imported whisky, following an increase of 5/- per gallon in duty. PASSENGERS AND CUSTOMS. SYDNEY. Dec. 8. From thc beginning of tho New Year, Customs regulations for the ox amination of passengers’ luggage from overseas will be made more rigid. Up to the present, the practice has been to obtain a verbal statement from passengers, whether they have anything in their luggage subject to duty. Only occasional packages are examined. It is now proposed that every passenger shall make a statutory declaration on arrival enumerating all articles contained in the luggage.