OVERNIGHT CABLES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17781, 26 February 1926, Page 10

OVERNIGHT CABLES.

SYDNEY, February 25. In the Assembly", in reply to a question, the Minister of Lands stated that he would conduct a searching investigation into the allegations that the recent disastrous bush fires in New South Wales had been wrtfullv lighted. NEW YORK, February 24. Forty-three films, of an estimated exhibiting value of a million dollars, were stolen on Wednesday from the Motion Picture Exchange, the thieves carrying them away in a truck while thousands of people were passing. As the pictures are registered, they cannot be. shown without leading to the detection of the thieves. BUDAPEST.*February 25. The report of the Parliamentary Committee which investigated the forgeries concluded that neither the Government nor any member of the National Assembly was in any* way connected with the crime, which the Government had done its utmost to clear up. ADELAlDE,*'February 25. The damage in the sugar works fire is now estimated at £IOO,OOO sterling. A mass of 17.000 tons of sugar, the property of the Queensland Government. is still burning in a mighty bonfire, which can be seen for many miles. The fire has either destroyed or damaged all stocks of refined sugar, and supplies are being rushed from Melbourne to avoid a shortage. x WASHINGTON, February 24 Following the receipt of London despatches stating that the British Ambassador here would be instructed to conduct an enquiry into the alleged bombardment of the Canadian schooner Eastwood when twenty-one miles off Long Island on February' 15 by the Coastguard cutter Seneca, the Treasury officials said on Wednesday that the facts would be probed if such an enquiry" were made. The Eastwood limped into Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, badly" damaged byshot. SYDNEY, February" 25. Mr Lang stated, in reply to a deputation, which presented a resolution carried at a recent citizens' meeting in the Town Hall protesting against the action of the Government in endeavouring to abolish the Upper House, that he intended to ask the Governor for , the appointment of sufficient members to the Legislative Council to ensure the abolition of that Chamber and, failing success in that quarter, to demand the appointments from the Imperial authorities as the right of self-governing States. lie added that if it was going to be a question of government of New South Wales by" elected representatives of the people or by Downing Street he did not think there Would be any"/ doubt as to the issue. XXX SYDNEY, February 25. There has been a further development in the dispute between the owners of the coastal' vessels and the seamen. The owners have paid off the' crews of five steamers, which will be tied up pending a settlement of the dispute. One steamer, which, on arrival at a coastal port where the seamen refused to unload unless paid the wharf labourers’ rates, has been recalled to S\"dney\ where she will tie up. The seamen claim wharf labourers’ rates of pay at ports along the coast where they handle cargo, although they signed an agreement in July last, after the coastal and inter-State strike, that they" would do the work. Both parties to the dispute are determined. • MELBOURNE, 25. Fanned by a strong’wind the forest fires burned fiercely throughout the night but a change of wind averted all danger to life. In the afternoon the position of Kingslake, where for the past ten days a terrific fire has raged in the heavily timbered 1 surrounding district, was . so serious that school children had not even time to reach their homes. They sheltered in the post office which, with other refugees, housed 150 persons. When the flames swept down the township was wiped out in little more than an hour. The flames then swept across the Yea River and attacked Queenstown. Messages for help were sent to the city' and a large number of volunteers arrived on the scene. After a strenu-

ous fight the wind luckily changed and other townships in the district were saved from total destruction 1 , although heavy damage was-caused.