AUSTRALIAN.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 December 1921, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN.

\USTSIALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. ! A DISHONEST SERVANT. ! MELBOURNE, Deo 29. ' The Spiaker in the Assembly of Victoria, has suspended Worthington (Sergeant at Arms) whose case wati cabled oil October 14th when lie, received stolen debentures. The Speaker stilted lie was guilty of conduct rendering him unfit to continue in the public service. FRUIT POOL. 'Received This Dav at 11.39 a.m.) MELBOURNE; Dec. 39. The Commonwealth Government has increased the amount involved in tlie fruit pool from C 750.000 to a million, and also granted freight concessions. BRISBANE FLOODS. BRISBANE, Dec. 39. Floods have interrupted traffic in Queensland. The town of Cliim-illa is under water, uml people arc seeking refuge in trees. Considerable damage was wrought. The trams ate unable In move on either side o; the town, till tho water recedes. AUSTRALIA AND NEW HEBRIDES. 'Received This Day at 10.15 a.m.) MELBOURNE. Dee. 30. The proposal made to the Federal Government to acquire a considerable area in New Hebrides from the French Land Coy. has been definitely dropped, in view of the opposition shown, When the matter was before Parliament Hon W. Hughes did not press it. and allowed the session to end without proceeding further with it. ATHLETICS. Adelaide. Dec. 30. The Biennial Conference of the amateur athletic representatives fixed the new Australasian standards. The half mile is reduced from 2.1 to two minutes. and walks, mile to seven minutes, two miles to 14.45; three miles 23.13. The hudred and twenty hurdles. 3ft. 'flic hundred and twenty hurdles. JD sixteen seconds ; high jump. Sit. Biil.; running broad jump . 21ft. to 21 {.ft; polo vault is raised trout 19ft to 10{ft; sixteen pound shot 3i to 39ft. discus throw, 195 to 119 ft. Officers elected were; President. R. C-oombes; Secretary, E. S. Marks; Treasurer, 8. R. Rowlv. X.S.W. ORCHESTRA. (Received This Dav at 10.15 a.m.) SYDNKY. December 30. The State orchestra sailed for New /calami on Thursday It is announced Herr Vcihrugghcn is going on a six month recuperative leave immediately the New Zealand tour concludes. Medical advisors recommend a visit to Europe. His friends iear he will not return to Australia. The orchest rtil Guarantee Fund Committee is see j■ I i-■ • i and applied to Government 10, a refund of live thousand sterling guarantee.

TRAFFIC RETURNS. SYDNEY, December 39. Figures of tin' Tramway traffic during th<' Xmas holidays disclose a tailing off in fares amounting to £4.384 sterling. THE SONOM.VS GOLD. 'Received This Day at 1.30 p.m.) SYDNEY. December 39. The Sottoma has arrived. Details ol the gold robbery supplied by officers show an extended search hv detectives failed to locate it. Then Kuuden assistant engineer tapping a vent pipe noticed it sounded unusual and investigated. He found 6200 sovereigns inside. Tile finding of the boxes ol gold in the Harbour occupied in the following manner. A wharf labourer heard a splash and asked a nearby quartermaster if someone hail lalletn ovorIxiani. A reply was "No". The whnrlie saw a box sinking in the water and thought it was a cask of whisky but said nothing. When news of the iohher v leaked out. the wnhrtic told the officers his experiences. The harbour was dredged and three missing boxes of’ gold strung together, were hooked up. Meantime the quartermaster had disappeared.