AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 December 1925, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[Australia & N.Z. Cable Association.] KNITTING MILLS DESTROYED. (Received this day at 8 a.rn.t SYDNEY, Dec. 15. A fire totally destroyed tbe Granton Knitting Mills at Balmain. The damage is estimated at twenty thousand sterling. About one hundred employees are idled. EX ROUTE TO NEW ZEALAND. SYDNEY. Dec. 15. Herbert Maithew> secretary ol the Central Chamber of Commerce, England. is a passenger by the Omnia, cn ronio to New Zealand. TYPHUS PNEUMONIA. .MELBOURNE. Dec. 15. The crew of tbe barrpie William .Mitchell L .Niiii'ering from typhus pneumonia. WALSH AND -R HINSON. SYDNEY, Dec. 11.

As a sequel to the High Court judgment in the deportation cases, writs have been issued on behalf of Tom Walsh and Secretary Johnson of the Seamen’s Union, claiming £20.000 for wrongful arrest and imprisonment. The defendants are the Commonwealth. Mr Stanley Bruce, and Mr Gates, tbe bead of the Commonwealth Police Force. Writs have also been issued on behalf of the wives of both Walsh and Johnson claiming £SOOO each. The latter base their claim on their loss of the service of their husbands, and also because of the pain and suffering caused them.

obituary. SYDNEY. Dee. 15. Obituary—fames Enlwistle Walk in. the first- white child bum in the Friendly Island, formerly of Wellington, New Zealand, and a. conscript in the Maori War; aetatt ninety-five. A FIRE. (Received this day ni 9.0 a.m.) SYDNEY. Dec. 15. Last night a tire occurred in Baker and Wilson's knitting mills at Balmain. Many adjoining houses were damaged, residents having narrow escapes. N.S.W. POLITICK. SYDNEY. Dec. 15. The Legislative Council rejected a clause in the Industrial Arbitration Amendment Bill, providing for absolute preference to Unionists. BOXING. SYDNEY. Dec. 15. Billy McAlister defeated Sain Thorton on points in a 20-round bout for the bantam-weight championship of Ansi ralin. ALLEGED BRIBERY PLOT. SYDNEY, Dec. 15. The l.alsHir Caucus at a stormy meeting almost unanimously repudiated the alleged plot by the Nationalists to bribe members of the Labour Parly. .Members generally took tinview that the plot was without reasonable foundation. 'Explanations were given by flic directors < ; f the |.aimin' daily newspaper. Dm- were mil sa List aci m-y to the caucus, which called lor assurances which were furthcoming, but tla- directors immediately published a complete statement regretting tile publication of tho article.

COM MON WEALTH-STATES CONFERENCE. SYDNEY. Dec. 15. Mr Bruce is convening a. conference of Cummjuwenlth and State Ministers early in the New Year to discuss a number of questions concerning tbe relations between the Commonwealth and States and llio submission of certain proposals to the people by way ot referendum may fellow. THREE CHILDREN DROWNED. BRISBANE. Dec. 15. Throe (liildren named Gormley, two brothers and a sister, their ages ranging from three to nine years, fell into a water bole in West End and were drowned. DESTRUCTIVE CYCLONE. BRISBANE. Dee. 15. A cyclone at Clmrleville unroofed many buildings in The city and caused extensive damage in the country. BENEFICIAL RAINS. (Received tins day at 12.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, Dee. 15. Csci'ul rains are falling throughout the State. They will greatly benefit the crops and relieve the drought conditions which are being severely lelt in some districts. SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS. SYDNEY. Dec. 15.

The annual report of the Education Department shows it is greatly hampered by a shortage of teachers. It demands far more teachers owing to the ever increasing number of pupils and the outflow from the service fully counterbalancing the additions. In |()21 new teachers numbered 755 while -189 left the service. New pupils totalled ten thousand. DISPUTE ON (iAHI)EN ISLAND. SYDNEY, Dec. 15. A case is proceeding in the Courts involving the ownership of the naval station at Garden Island. formerly vested ill Queen Victoria as an imperial property for naval purposes. In 1913 it was banded over to Australia, as a station for the Australian Fleet. The State Government claims it, reverted to it as a crown land. Ihe Commonwealth Government claims t.ie island and all the Imperial naval properties thereon were banded over to it by the. Imperial Government lor naval purposes. NFW MELBOURNE TOWN HALL. .MELBOURNE, Dee. 15. \ contract lias been let at £126.090 for the rebuilding of the Melbourne 10,111 Hall which was destroyed by lire early this year. _____