AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2572, 21 September 1915, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

... TRADE'WITH THE ENEMY ■ 'ABOUT A WIRELESS LICENSE. By Telocrapli—Press Association—Oopyright (Reo. September 20, 9.30 p.m.) Sydney, September 20.' Tlie Amalgamated Wireless Company ' of Australasia, Ltd., E. Fisk, ■ C. P. Bartholomew, and H. R. Denison, wero charged under the Enemy Trading Acts . with having, on or about December 8,. by. executing an indenture of license with the Tolefunken Company, traded - with the enemy. ■ The case for the. Crown suggested that on' the execution of the indenture by. the Amalgamated Company the Telefunken Company would bo put in a strong position in regard to the pfttent rights of wireless ■ telegraphy - throughout the Commonwealth during the existence of the-war. It appeared that a 'draft license had been prepared for a considerable time before the war, but had not, been executed before the out- . break. : The. Crown contended that the execution of tho instrument after the outbreak was trading with the enemy. Counsel for the defendants claimed that the to show that any financial or: other contract had been ■entered into with, or for, the benefit of' the enemy within the meaning of the ■Act; The only thing the. Amalgamated Company got was a- formal document to - wilich it had been, entitled any time from 1912 onward. . ( ■ The general manager for the, Amalgamated Wireless Company gave evidence regarding the.litigation between - the Marconi, Telefunken,- and Australasian Wireless Companies over patents . flnd the securing of a license. The case is not finished. ALLEGED EXPLOITATION SUPPLIES CONTRACTOR CHARGED. (Reo. September 20, 9.30 p.m.)' . Sydney, September 20. . ■ The High Court of Criminal Jurisdiction has commenced the hearing of tho charges against Arthur Kidman, Major .IP. W. Page, Major A. G. O'Donnell, and Sergeant' E. Leslie, of conspiring amongst themselves and ivith others to ,defraud 'the Commonwealth of large sums by procuring the payment of ,excessivo prices for goods for the armed • forces. The defendants pleaded not guilty. Counsel for the Crown said that evidence would be supplied to show that Kidman was tinduly favoured by certain officers. The Government had to pay large sums to Kidman on tho recommendation of Page and O'Donnell, and the V only inference to be drawn was that the • three officials before the.Court knowingly violated their duty. He submitted figures showing alleged over-charges on goods. ■ . - SUSPICIOUS FIRE ATA DRILL' HALL. 7 'AMMUNITION AND RECORDS DESTROYED. Sydney, September 20. - , There has-been.a'suspicious fire at the drill hall at Kogarah. : Most of ' the building, military gear, and rifles were saved. Many hundreds of rounds of'amjnunition and official records were destroyed. ' " " 7/ : -——' '. \ • MENINGITIS IN DAMP. • THE VICTORIAN OUTBREAK. Melbourne, September 20. ' Four deaths and three new cases of meningitis were -reported at' the weekfend. ' ' It is announced that a supply of Flex- . ner's serum has arrived from America', and it is anticipated that its use will make a great difference, in the death percentage. ' QUEENSLAND ENLISTMENTS. Brisbane, September 20., The enlistments for the week totalled 860. . .. STRIKE SETTLED AT. SMAL"L ARMS .FACTORY. _. Sydney, September 20. The small arms factory strike has been Settled. The men are returning to work to-day, ■ THE EXPORT BAN ON FROZEN MEAT. , ,' NEW SOUTH WALES GOVESN- " MENT'S AGITATION. - Sydney, September 20. • Mr. Blaok, State Secretary for New South Wales, states that he is still agitating that the Federal Government should remove the embargo on meat export. He pointed out that there was meat stored in New South' Wales intended for the Imperial Government on which New South Wales had been paid £50,000. The Imperial Government reto take delivery, and the meat was deteriorating and could not be sold here "except at 2d. per pound less. Meat,works wero closing down, and the action of the Federal Government was tending to divert the meat export trade to ,Vic° , toria. ITEMS IN BRIEF, - . OBITUARY. (Rec. September 20, 7.35 p.m.)' 1. 5 ■ Sydney, September 20. Dr. AsWburton ex-prcsi-dent of the Board of Health, is dead. [Dr. Thompson was formerly surgeon at King's Cross Station for tho Great Northern Railway, and entered the New South Wales Public Service in 1884 • was examiner in' Public Health at the .University of Sydnoy, chief medical officer of. the Government,'president of the Board of Health, and permanent head of the Department.] TANNERY BURNT DOWN. * Melbourne, September 20. Zwar Brothers' tannery at Beechworth was destroyed by (iro. The damage is set down at twenty thousand.