AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2576, 25 September 1915, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

THE KIDMAN CASE

Alleged conspiracy in 'army CONTRACTS.

By T<Jei.'rai>li—Press Association—Copyright . (Reel September 24, 10 p.m.) Sydney, September 24. Diiviiig ■ tlic; hearing of the charges against Arthur Kidman, Major P.. AY. I'agej Major A". G. O'Donnell, and Sergeant 'E. Leslie, of conspiring amongst themselves -and with others to defraud tho.Commonwealth of large sums by procuring tho payment of excessive prices for goods for tho armed forces, tho Director .of ■: Commonwealth Equipment, who investigated the papers in connection with the', disputed contracts, said that he had found that increases had been granted'in regard to a number of contracts. He did not know that such a practice existed without tho sanction of the Minister for Defence. A number of contracts had been varied by the Commandant, or at the direction of tho Commandant. .

Kidman's counsel proposed to submit the prices which it. was agreed should be paid for the goods. Counsel for tho Grown replied: No, the price agreed upon—the allegation being that Kidman was allowed to charged what; he liked 1 . It was from this that the charge of conspiracy arose.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CABINET. QUESTION OF A NEW MINISTRY. | Est T«leffr»pli—Press Association—CouyrisM Melbourne, September 2-i. As the outcome of a. meeting, dissatisfied Ministerialists suggested to the Premier that the. Ministry should agree to confer with the remainder of the party on the question ,of electing a new Ministry, or, .alternatively, electing a Premier who I 'will choose his own colleagues. ' Sir A. J. Peacock (Premier) subsequently announced that Cabinet would consider tho matter. • „/ [The Hon. 11. M'Kenzie (member for Rodney) is generally regarded as the leader of the new .section.]

POLITICAL TRUCE. 'AGREEMENT IN TASMANIA. ' Hobart, September 24. . In the Legislative Asembty- the Preinier ann<hinced;tliat' : bot'h, parties had agreed to. a, political truce till March, 191?,' 011 condition that tlio Governor consults members, of the Liberal .I'arty on-legislative matters. ' Should any disagreement arisebefore July, j'Jl6, there ■noil be a dissolution;< ' trade union combine. : •AN ABORTIVE EFFORT. Sydney, September-24. At /a meeting of representatives :■ of Railway \ Workers: and' the Australians porkers' Unioli it v was reported . that the proposed amalgamation could not bo completed. ■!. . ; [It was reported on April 26 last that a ballot of tile members of the Railway Workers and Genoral Labourers' Association had decided in favour of amalgamation ..with the Australian Workers' Union,' the voting being 5203 to 1541.] ■ '..

| COAL' AND SHALE EMPLOYEES. i DEMANDS INVOLVING 14,000 MEMBERS. Melbourne, September 24.. . The Coal arid; Shale' Employee- Fed-' Oration's application for a compulsory conference lias been granted, the. date being fixed for September 30. ; . , ; Mr. Baddely stated, that 1 he; believed unless a'■ conference .-.was' held a crisis would arise involving 14,000 members of the federation. LThe Coal and Shale Employees' As-: sociation, which includes Queensland and Victoria, recently resolved that, as tlie_ coal-owners, had refused,to increase their wages, thoy would give a fortnight's notice:-of tho termination of their existing agreement from September 13.1 v '. " UNTIMELY SPORTS. PROTEST, BY! BAPTIST CHURCH. Sydney, September 24. | The Baptist Union adopted a resolution expressing : "deep indignation at the authorities permitting the continuance of prize-fighting, horse-ia'cing, and all other ■ like ...untimely. and" unseemly sports at this awful crisis in the world's affairs." :' . '. ' ' V ANTI-CONSCRIPTION, RESOLUTIONS. BY AUSTRALIAN ... - ' WORKERS. ■ . . ; Sydney, September 24. A meeting or representatives of the Railway Workers and the : Australian. Workers' Union, supported by delegates from many trades unions and Socialistic societies, carried-a resolution protesting against conscription in every form. Tho meeting formed itself into an Anti-Con-scriptionist-League; and a committee was formed to carry on the anti-conscrip-tioiiisfc propaganda. . ,

ITEMS IN BRIEF. x 'ALLEGED OVERCHARGING FOR ; NURSES' OUTFITS. (Rec. September 24, 6.40 p.m.) • Sydney, September 24. The official inquiry has cleared wellknown Sydney and Melbourne firms' from _tho allegation of overcharging on outfits; for nurses oil active service. , 1 [It was recently alleged that certain firms had b6eu grossly overcharging on outfits for nurses on active service,' and the Government promised and instituted a searching inquiry.] ESCAPED GERMAN STILL 'AT • LARGE. ' Melbourne, September 24. The escaped prisoner of war is still missiiig. __> . . [The military orders for the''Victorian district, dated September 3, contained news of.tho escape of a, prisoner of war, named Frank Werner von Bungardy, whilst he. was' being transferred from Adelaide to the. concentration camp at Liverpool.] v.

THE RIFLE CLUB BOOM. • Sydney, September 24. The membership of the New South Wales Rifle Clubs totals 36,460, compared with-14,600 last year. SHIPMENT OF CHILIAN OATS. ' - x . Sydney, September 24. 'A shipment of 60,000 bags of Chilian oats lias "arrived. . '