AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8245, 25 September 1906, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

HOTEL DESTROYED BY FIRE.

Received Sep9mber 24, 10.42 a.m. MELBOURNE, September 24. The Commercial Hotel at Camperdown, (125 miles west south-west from Melbourne?, with five shopp, was destroyed by fire, last night. Several inmates had narrow escapes. I Two New Zealand visitors jumped from a height of 21ft, and escaped uninjured.

ALTERATIONS TO THE COMMONWEALTH CONSTITUTION.

Received September 24, IO.bO a.m. MELBOURNE, September 24. The referendum ballot-papers for the pronosed alterations to ttie Commonwealth constitution number 3,500,000. There will be a paper for each of iho three questions to be answered.

THE ADELAIDE SENSATION

CUSTOMS FRAUDS. * Received September 24, 9.48 a.m. ADELAIDE, September 24. Mr Tuoker, a member of the House of Assembly, and four times Mayor of Adelaide, who was arrested on Saturday, on a charge of conspiracy in defrauding the Customs, has, with three others, been remanded. Gourisel for the proseoution indicated that the alleged conspiracy had been in operation for ten years ap to within two or three months ago, aud involved a very large sum—probably upwards of £20,000.

THE SILVER MARKET,

Reoeived September 24, 9.48 a.m. . t V. 'Toe strong metal values in London are having a hardening effect on the silver shares. The market is active and prices are advancing.

STEAMEK SEKIOUSL? DAMAGED.

Reoeived September 24, 9.48 a.m. MELBOURNE, Sept. 24* The steamer Poehabontes was seriously damaged by striking an unknown obstaole while entering Port Phillip Heads. The steamer Afric was similarly damaged last month in the same channel.

ATTEMPT TO ROB A BANK.

Received Sentember 24, 10,59 p.m. SYDNEY, September 24. A daring attempt was made on Sunday to rob the Pitt Street branch of the English and Scottish Bank. An entrance was gained by tapping the electrical wires adjoining the building, and utilising the current to fuse the iron bars over the lavatory window. The robbers obtained an entrance, nod then reached the atrong-rooin. They partially fused a hole iu the heavy steel doors, were unsuccessful in their attempt to get the doors open and departed. The attempt evidently occupied from six o'clock in the morning tn two o'clock iu the afternoon.

The engineer in charge of the electrical supply works noticed unusual fluctuations between these hours. He was under the impression that a customer was using an extra supply.

WARENAMBOOL TO MELBOURNE ROAD RACE.

Received September 24, 9.57 a.m. MELBOURNE, Sept. 24. One hundred and sixty-two competitors finished in the Warrnambool to Melbourne Road Race. O'Connor, a New Zealauder, met with a sligh* aocident, whioh put him out of che race. Humm had four falls. The bioycles were over their axles in passing some of the waterooursos.