CABLE NEWS IN BRIEF

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24913, 28 June 1946, Page 7

CABLE NEWS IN BRIEF

Air Chief Marshal Now Shipping Director.— Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris, who was Commander-in-Chief, Bomber Command, R.A.F.. during the war, has been appointed managing director of a new shipping company. South Africa Marine Corporation, which aims at building up a merchant fleet to carry an increasing proportion of exports and imports in South African ships manned, when possible, by South African crews.— Cape Town. June 26. More Newsprint for British Press.— Speaking at the Trades Union Conference at Walthamstow, the Minister of Labour (Mr George Isaacs) said that by the end of July it was anticipated that British newspapers would receive an increased allocation of newsprint. The Government was anxious to increase the allocation, and reports indicated that increased supplies from Norway, Sweden, and Canada would shortly be available.— London. June 26. Sale of Royal Jewels.—Women crowded the saleroom at Christies and Waited for two hours for the sale of jewels bequeathed by Queen Alexandra to the Duchess of Fife, which are now being sold by the executors of Princess Maud. Countess of South* esk A gift from the Tsar to Queen Alexandra, which is a superb sapphire and diamond collar, realised £4900 and a diamond and amethyst tiara £l7so.—London. June 26.

Medallions for Churchill's Ministers. —Mr Churchill is sending a bronze medallion to all the Ministers and junior Ministers of his late Coalition Government. They are inscribed on the obverse side “Salute the Great Coalition. 1940-45." and the reverse side bears the recipient’s name and “From Winston Churchill.” There are more than 100 recipients, belonging to all parties. Some are no longer in the House of Commons and some have gone to the House of Lords.— London, June 26.

14th Century Iron Still Good.— lron and steel experts who inspected the famed 404 ft Salisbury Cathedral spire last month were amazed to find that the unpainted wrought iron reinforcements which were inserted in the spire when It was built in the 14th century showed extremely slight and only superficial corrosion, but the wrought iron inserted in the 19th century had rusted and required painting periodically for protection.—London. June 26.

Cigarette Paper Shortage. The famine in cigarette papers throughout Australians so serious that the Minister of Customs (Senator J. M. Fraser) has agreed to permit the import of papers into the country. The cigarette paper shortage has overshadowed even that of tobacco. Illegal factories have been discovered and operators fined. Heavy cigarette smokers who have been able to get reasonable supplies of tobacco but no papers have been reduced to rolling cigarettes with other kinds of domestic paper.—Canberra, June 27.

40-Hour Week in Australia. — Beginning on Monday, members of the Australian Workers Union in the employment of the Government of Victoria will have a 40-hour week of five days. The agreement has been certified in the Arbitration Court. Increased rates of pay are already in operation. In Newcastle tramway employees are threatening a stopwork meeting if they are not granted a 44-hour week. In Melbourne the Federal Arbitration Court is still sitting to determine the practicability of a general 40-hour week throughout Australia.-—Melburne, June 27. Ellsworth Vines wins Golf Title.— Ellsworth Vines, the former national tennis champion, won the State open golf at Long Meadow. Massachusetts, detesting Home, a club professional by a strpke in the 18hole play-off. Vines 1n his final round took 72, one over par.—New York, June 26.

Lit Match In Explosives Factory.— When a workman in a New South Wales explosives factory lit a match “to get thrown out or blown out" he committed an offence for which he was fined £lO and ordered to pay costs, in a special Federal Court today. The man had made several unsuccessful applications for release from the factory and finally adopted this novel method of bringing things to a head. The offence was committed in the fuse section of the factory. When he went back, his fellow workers would not let him through the gate “as the idea had got about among the other men that he was a fire-bug."— Sydnev June 27.

Work op Australian Ships.— West Australian carpenters anti joiners have decided to work on all Dutch ships in future whether the vessels are armed or not. This decision was reached at a conference of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners held at the suggestion of the president of the State Arbitration Court. Union members had previously refused to work on Dutch ships because of the ban placed on them by Communistcontrolled unions last September. The West Australian unions are the first to reverse this decision. The decision may have a bearing on the future movements of the Dutch destroyer, Piet Hein, now lying at Circular quay, Sydney, after having been refused repairs at Fremantle, Adelaide, and Port Melbourne.—Perth, June 27. British Finance Bill.—The House ef Commons, amid loud cheers, concluded the committee stage of the Finance Bill at 3.17 a.m. on Wednesday, after a second marathon sitting of 13 hours 47 minutes.—London, June 26. Six Killed in Crash.— Four British passengers and two of the crew were killed, and two passengers were injured, when an Anson aircraft crashed on a hillside in Germany near Bielenield.—Herford, June 26,