AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14299, 19 February 1910, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

, , .. - o. By. Presj^'Assoclation.—CopyrijjKfcri^^M ; :: new savihos bank. T.,7,;. ' . ;. ■ '■' ' Sydney, Febriiary 18. The - Savings Bank Commissioners have purchased \ the i Royal Hotel George-' ':' street for ' £60,000, or. thjbj';ps*ps!JJe of I i ■ erecting banking .* premises.-' . ;' ■* [ , '•-.': fiilwE™ !',■-■ /•'"' bush fires. ■ -''ifiW , , Melbourne, February 18.:. - ;•;".':; Destructive bush, fires < are raging in the Moe Gippsland. . ■ ,'. -i- ' ?| -Bishop : Gam&ge, •Actißj^flroate,'hfct;:;' , v| requested the Archbishops to exerrawi;^ne\''; : £; right to vote. when, a -fresh : - vote for in© <■— Primate :is taken. •'' The- Archbishop; of ;-'■& Brisbane has conditionally offered: to re- *'* tire in favour >of the Archbishop of ' Sydney. ,' ■ ',\ ' ' • ,pn- •. *; : ■ TEE - ■ FEDERAL . ELECTIONS. '.;' , Sydney, , February, 18. -j Speaking at Glen Innes, "Mr. Deakin - ! controverted Mr. -Hughes'',argument thatthe main issuo' of the was a ;" i-progressive land tax. , The Commonwealth had the 'sole po^ey'^|: r^tf^|i^li, ;''- ■■ ;. and so long as that was' sufficient for its "; I needs, ■ had.no intention. of. interfering., M with the -prerogative direct k■' , taxation. , Only, in extreme cases would ; » the ' Commonwealth's -power to'.! resort to ; ■ ]'? direct 'taxation be exercised.'. *'" : -Mt?lfi , , , i, | j i i'' t ' rH „ • BEAUfORT RAJiWAY SMJiSH. .Melbourne, February "18. . - At the' inquest on . tho 'victims;6f'tS».-j-Beaufort .railway accident, the: driver;- .;. deposed that on the day of •;- : ; the accident he took the engine to which the accident. r was., due from Ballarat to ''■■ '> Geelon,g. He/found' a leak ,in ihe-j&gffi pipe, and plugged it up. Then the brake worked perfectly." :• ' He? reported the'7de-?(.r feet in a book at. Geelong. < After the^asHS 'cident he examined the book, and found the .entry removed. In connection with & the second , narrow escape from • accident ' : Beaufort, when the. car left the rails, ! the passengers- and! two guards, jumped c off, the guard putting; the brake hard •* on s- '-■•{ first. ' [: -/..'■■/: ■'.':'■' "'■:'■■:"■: "■ >. " i THE EUREKA TRAGEDY, ' Sydney, February 18. At the inquest oh the victims of ■ the -/['; Eureka tragedy, the jury found thatf. Hugh Clark-committed suicide, and.. : re- f { turned an open; verdict,'in tKe' : ca3e"oi^ili'tf/ ; bam Keys. .'! The theory was > advanced i"? that- the;shot which killed, Keys might have been accidentally fired. •' i "': [Hugh Clark, aged*64, was a farmer '?}). Eureka, near Lismore, and" for; the ;last~' three, years, William Key^,,'. aged.f',.w';-';:l brother of ' Mrs. , dark, J 4 had re«ia|l|| with him. -On Monday week' Clark • and his wife :' were .in' .milkingi", cows, Keys/ beingl ; up at the': house. Hia ; wife shortly afterwards'- heard the report {i of a gdn. - Then Clark -came 1 to her in the yard carrying. a gun. vv He said, "Wil-;'; liam has shot himself." i ; His wife endea-. voured to obtain possession of the gun, but failed. i, The man went away 100 yds : rom the : house and shot .himself jin the j| temple. A wound was found in .the side; \ of Keys' head. Death in ; both; instances was instantaneous. v Clark, it is reported, had at one time drunk heavily,; but g terly had given up the'practice. The bftrjif lief was that iClark's mind was arranged* ; and' that he shot the other.man, and than U was impelled 1 to take his own life. ' The ' men had been the best of friends.] ; ffl