While one part of Australia—the north mainly—has had a plentiful supply of rain which stayed the ravages of drought at a time when ruin stared the settlers: the face, the other section—north-em South Australia and western New South' Wales—is suffering from a very severe drought. The Rey. S, G. Drummond, who has completed a tour of the drought area, embracing some 9,500 miles, speaks in anguished tones of the west of New South Wales. Sir Victor Wilson, travelling" through northern South Australia, speaks about seas of dust. In the Tibooburra region, some stations have been closed and the natives in this country are being forced into civilization owing to the scarcity of water, On the Bogan it was reported that one stock owner has been pa; ing £25 a week for over* three months to have water carted to his place. On the Murrumbidgee River, near Darlington, Mr. J. Ross, of Uri Station, was compelled, wit to the high' cost of fodder for hi sheep, to experiment with rice. On five days in the week he has been feeding 3,000 merino hoggets half-a-pound of vice per day, and hay on the other two days. The sheep are thriving on this new fodder and, as the rice is second grade irom the Murrumbi gee irrigate
for some years and, owing to a where rice has been grown sound market for it' being found, advertised by the daily papers as if they were some popular form of play which has run for 12 weeks in a theatre and is likely to close down at any minute if you do not hurry to see it, the Air Inquii wanders from State to State collec ing evidence. The shameful part of the business is the continual allega tions that the losing of the Sout! cern Cross was in reality a "stunt Several men have given evidence to the effect that Flight-Lieutenant Ulm had suggested getting lost as far back a3 1927 as a means of raising money through causing public sympathy.
The main witness is William Angus Todd, 2 master mariner. who has related a conversation in tan hotel in San Francisco at a time when Todd was engaged to act navigator by Smith and Ulm. Witnesses have conte forward of their own free will to give evidence to the effect that Todd had told th he would do Ulm a bad turn ever he got a chance. So much has been said both ways that the inquiry is likely to develop into two sets of witnesses calling each other liars. The whole business is becoming very unsavoury indeed, though the attack is entirely launched against Ulm, even Todd declaring that he could not remember whether Kingsford Smith twas present at any of the alleged conversations or nut. Most people fare too astonished at the astound. ing allegations to even realize that the fate of two intrepid and tried airmen—socially, at any rate—is in the balance.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.