GENERAL CABLEGRAMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1667, 6 February 1913, Page 7

GENERAL CABLEGRAMS.

IBy Telegranli—Press ' ABBociatlon—Oopyrliht

/; ; v ■DEFENCE DEFAULTERS! AND GAOL.

Melbourne, February 5. Senator Pearco, Minister for Defence, says the Federal authorities had not foreseen that imprisonment could bo inflicted undcr,,tho;Stato ; Act for the. nonpayment of fines in" connection with the' Commonwealth Compulsory Training Act, and, the matter had been referred to tho AttorneyGeneral! "." ! ' ' ' PREPARING FOR PANAMA CANAL; .'.' , _ ' Sydney, February 5. Noumea-advices state that a commission has been appointed to - inquire into tho question of increasing the dockine; accommodation in view of the opening of the Panama Canal. '."..-.." NEW WHALING ENTERPRISE. - Sydney, February 5. Captain King, who was formerly operating in New Zealand waters, is promoting a 'syndicate' with a capital of .£20,000 to undertake whaling near New Caledonia. SYDNEY UNDERGROUND RAILWAY. Sydney, February 5.:| The State Cabinet has approved of the construction of the first section* of ; . tho city underground electric railway from Redfern 'station to Wynyard Square. The scheme includes; tho building of a bridge across the harbour.. , ■ COMMONWEALTH ELECTIONS. Melbourne, February 5. • The Commonwealth election will bo held on May 31. .'' WRECK ON .AFRICAN COAST. ': L)nrion, : Fenr'u.iry 4, TV steamer Haddon Hall, jf 4177 tons tf.tl'e Hall Lino, Ltd!, on tho voyaje fitm Clyde to East London, has l>e n n Yn">*ked pt' Saldanha Bay, on tho co\st of Cape O leny. The '.rrcek involves the underwriters hi a < loss of-.£125,000. SIR GEORGE REID ILL. '■' . ~.'■■ London, February .4. Sir George Rcid,'Australian High Commissioner, is confined to his bed with an attack of influenza. Ho has cancelled all his engagements. ... ■■'....'..'. . OCEAN ISLAND. London, February-4 Mr. Lewis Harcourt, Secretary of State for the Colonies, speaking in the Houso of Commons, 6aid that the royaltv on phosphates payable by the Pacific Phosphate Company a.t Ocean Island in the Paoific in future would bo a shilling instead of sixpence per ton. . . ADMIRAL BEDFORD'S .FUNERAL. London, February 4. Sir Newton Moore, Agent-General, represented Western Australia at tho funeral at Walton of Admiral Sir Frederick Bedford, formerly Governor of, West Aus-, tralia. Thirty-sis bluejackets dragged the gun carriage. Admiral Bedford's collie, Tony, followed tho remains to tho graveside. .:.,-'. ; : ' ■■' • BANK IN LIQUIDATION. : . London, February 4. The official receiver of the Bank of Egypt, which is in liquidation, will discharge all liabilities. BLOWN TO PIECES. : . Brisbane, February 5. I August Strecker,. n travelling photographer, while camped near Noogoora. was blown;to fragments. It is supposed tho cause was accidental. ' MINE ON FIRE. . ' /■■ Brisbane, February 5. The Hampden South Consuls mine at Cloncurry is on fire. Tho men and explosives have been safely removed and the mine is being closed down. FIRE ON A LINER. , ' London, February 5. The fire on the German-Australian liner Magdeburg at Coruna ha 6 been extinguished. Tho fourth hold had to bo flooded. AUSTRIAN NAVAL ORDERS FOR GERMANY. Vlonna, February 5. Austria-Hungary has ordered from Messrs. Blohm and Voss, of Hamburg, a floating dock of forty thousand tons oapaoity, and also five submarines from tho Gormania yard at Kiel. \ DIAMOND SYNDICATE. The Hague, February 5, Belgian and Dutch capitalists have founded an Australian diamond syndicate at Amsterdam to finance prospecting in New South Wales where options hare been acquired.