AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17469, 1 June 1922, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

CHARGE AGAINST DETECTIVE. (J>y Cubic. —Press Association— I'opyiigiht.) (Australian and N.SS. Cable Association.) MELBOURNE, May 31. Detective Edmund Etheil appeared ia the City Court charged tli.'it lie took a bqle—a cheque for £!. : ooo—from Georgo at-uurt, to loigo his duty us :i member ot tlie Police .Force of Victoria. 'l'ho case arose from u report from America that :v war bond for £IB,OOO had been stolen, and that the muu suspected was in Australia. The man was report.'d to the police. "Ethell questioned him with respect to the missing bind. A trap was laid, and the arresting detectives stated that they saw sointhnig pnss between Ethcll and the man when they again met. The hearing of the charge was adjourned till Thursday. THE CANBERRA DISPUTE. SYDNEY, .May 31. Tho men's representative on the tribunal which is adjudicating in the Canberra wages dispute resigned, on tho ground that the chairman was about to deliver an award not based on the evidence The award is expected to-day.

LOAN POR NEW SCHOOLS. SYDNEY, May 31. Mr A. Bruntiiell, Minister of Education and Industry, submitted a minute to Cabinet recommending u loan of £1,300,000 for new schools. Cabinet has decided that for the future tho free railway carriage of children shall be restricted to children attending public schools. PRICE OF GAS REDUCED, BRISBANE, May 31. The Brisbane Gas Company has reduced the price of gas from 7s to 6s 3d per 1000 feet. A MELBA DISCOVERY. SYDNEY, May 31. Dame Melba gave an nudienco to a local bass singer, Mr Alfred Benhain, wiio :.ho diva considers will becomo ' world-renowned if trained in Europe. lhe ''Sydney Morning Herald" says: •—"Dame Melba'slind is a surprise to musical connoisseurs, who were aware of Mr Benhnm's fine voice, but u-cro always dissatisfied with his roughness of production." Dame Melba contends that European studies would result in giving . tho necessary polish for entry into opera. Mr Benham is a City Council employee, . and has figured on Sydney concert platforms nnd with tho local Philharmonic Society for several years.

N.S.W. PRINTING OFFICE. SYDNEY, May 31. Mr J. E. Spence, barrister and accountant, has been appointed for a period of one year to reorganise the Government Printing Office. The senior Inspector of the Public Service Board, the Hon. W. Brooks, a Legislative Councillor, ' and' tho master printer, who were recently commissioned to enquire into the working of the Department, reported that the business was too costly, owing tp generous concessions to the employees in the shape of sick pay, holidays, a short working week, and increased salaries, based on length of service instead of on efficiency.

ATTEMPTED TRAIN-WRECKING. (Received May 3lst, 10.10 p.m.) V SIDNEY, May 31. An attempt was made to wreck tine Brisbane, express train between Eastwood and Epping. a, sleeper being firmly fixed across tho rails. Tho police are enquiring into the matter. CIVIL SERVANTS' SALARIES. Mav 31st, 10.10 p.m.) 'SYDNEY, May 31. In reply to a deputation from the Public Servants' Association, which a-sked the Government to delay the reduction of the salaries of Civil servants in accordance with the decrease in the basic wage, Mr Bavin said it was not proposed to reduce the salaries of public servants, hut what was proposed to be done was that wherever salaries had been increased on account of tilic basic wage, those salaries must decrease with the decrease in the basic wage.

SHEARERS' AWAKD. (Received May 31st, 10.10 p.m.; MKL-BOURNJi, May 31. Commenting on tho case Australian Workers' Union v. the l'ubtoraliets' Federal Council, Mr Justice Powers said the more the evidence submitted was considered, tho more he was satisfied that the rate given in his recent award was a fair one.