AUSTRALIAN CABLES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XVIII, Issue 12120, 23 December 1913, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN CABLES.

fßv Electric Telegraph-

Copyright.]

(PER I'ItESS Association.)

THE NEW HEBRIDES. Sydney, December' .22.

The Rev. Mr (iillon, a missionary from the Neiv .Hebrides, makes a'sfcriiiig charge of maladministration ami maltreatment of natives by the l'Vencb Condominium system. He declarer; that if the Englishmen did anything half as bad as some things the French 'do' they would be severely punished. The French can do as they like, and ,a condition of things next door to slavery prevails amongst the French. They buy . and sell natives like - cattle.. It could not be worse if Britain had no say. at all. THE AMBRYN ERUPTION. Sydney, December.22. Mr Gillon and other passengers •by the last Island steamer say that' the volcanic outbreak at Ambryn Island presented a magnificent spectacle from the deck' of the vessel. It will lprobably never be known how many natives perished, as there were numbers in the bush, and it will be some time before their; fate can be ascertained, if ever. Some who swam in the sea were .scalded to death, the water being boiling'as the result of the flow of lava.

QUARRY FATALITY. Received December 22, at 9.50. p.m. x Sydney, December 22. ', A fall of stone in a quarry,'at/Manl.v killed two men named Kincaid- 1 and ■Highley. BUSH FIRES. Received December 22, at 10.15 p.m. Melbourne, December 22.. Disastrous bush fires in the A'fepehdale, district are reported.- A. n\uiiber of residences have been destroyed. Received-December 23 ,at 9.ls*n.iti. ' Melbourne, December .23. \ •The bush lire at Aspeiidale swept niiles along the foreshore, upon whieh stood 100 houses, bungalows, and' weekend ca nips. The damage is estimated at £20,000 to £30,000, and is mostly covered by insurances. ; ■'.

MAGISTRATE ATTACKED IN; NEW GUINEA. Port.Moresby, December.'23. ' Mr Ryan, a magistrate, has arrived s.Tfl'erifig from two spear wounds.. The residents regret his conflict with the natives, as it will take years to regain shattered confidences in the thicflcly populated region about the Bamf River. AUSTRALIAN POLITICS. Received! December 22, at 10.5 a.m. Sydney, December 22. An analysis of the, election results show that Labor won fourteen Liberal seats,, while the Liberals captured ten lialibr strongholds'. SMALLPOX. Received December 22, at 10.15 p.m. . Melbourne, December 22. New Zealand having lifted the quarantine against Australia, the Commonwealth regulations against the North Island will be lifted as soon as the Director of Quarantine receives froip the New Zealand Department information regarding the last New Zealand case.