AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXIV, 24 March 1924, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

FEB PBBSS ASSOCIATION —CKrtKIOHT MELBOURNE, March 22. The gas holder at the North Melbourne Gas Works took fire while an electric arc welder was being used for reconditioning work. The flames snot out with a terrific roar, and swept across an area of four acres, consuming the buildings in their path. Two million feet of gas were destroyed. The damage is extensive. Apart from the loss of a large volume of gas, the damage by fire was not serious. The welding gang had a narrow escape. The ropes of their scaffolding were burned through. They managed to slide down the supporting column, but were slightly scorched by gas flames. SYDNEY, March 23. Heavy rainstorms are interrupting the telegraph lines, causing delays in inter-State news, including details of the West Australian electio.ns’ * .„ . A man named Joseph Martin was remanded on a charge of maliciously damaging the candlesticks and sanctuary lamps in St. Mary’s Cathedral, to the value of £l5. While the service was in progress the man rose from his knees, and stepping over the Communion rail, dragged the altar cloth and scattered the sacred articles thereon about the building, creating much dismay among the congregation. The police gave evidence that Martin had been examined and was mentally right. He was drunk at the time of the occurrence.

I Schoolboys found the body of T. E. Drenville, comedian, in a beautiful secluded reach of the Upper Thames. He left at Berners Street Hotel on | Friday, where he was staying, a brief I note to his wife saying: “I cannot beat it any longer. Good-bye. You are the best little woman in the world.” It is understood he worried latelv because he thought his popularity was waning. The employees rejected a proposal for the appointment of an arbitrator to settle the dispute, and the strike I continues. MELBOURNE, March 22. The Federal Fovernment accepted the tender of an Australian firm for the construction of fourteen locomotives. There were eleven British and nine foreign tenders, all lower ’than the Australian, but the Government decided to accept the latter with a view to promoting Australian industry. The Commonwealth statistician estimates the population of the Commonwealth on December 31 last at 5,749,807, an increase during the year of 116,526. Males numbered 2,930,302 and females 2,819,505. Males exceeded females in all the States except Victoria.

Since the last census in April, 1921, the population has increased by SYDNEY, March 22. An interesting experiment in long distance wireless telephonic connection between America and Australia is being made on Sunday night, March 30. The “Chicago Tribune” has arranged to broadcast a three hour speech and music programme from its wireless station at the Beach Hotel, Chicago. Extra power will be used, and a special organisation created in an endeavour to reach Australia and New Zealand. .The experiments will be made between the hours of 10.30 and 1.30, New Zealand time. The station call at Chicago is S.J.A.Z., and the wave length is 448 meters. Amateur experimenters are requested to listen-in. Sir George Fenwick will be among the speakers.

PERTH, March 23. Great interest was taken in the State elections yesterday. Polling was heavy. One hundred and twenty candidates contested fifty seats. Four parties were in the field—Nationalists, Labourites, Ministerial and Country and Opposition Country Parties, also fourteen Independents.

The chief issue at stake was whether the Mitchell Nationalist Government retains the confidence of the electors in its immigration and land settlement schemes.

The returns so far are too incomplete to indicate the result.