AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 February 1924, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. THE .MELBOURNE BANK ROBBERY. TWO ACCOUNTANTS ARRESTED. MELBOURNE, Feb. 4. Detectives arrested Edward Potts and Albert Treloar, both accountants, in connection with the bank frauds cabled on -7th December. Giving evidence at the Police Court hearing of the charge of stealing .C 3.300, the property of the English, Scottish and Australian Bank, the detective stated that on Dee. IStl, the branches of the hank in .Melbourne received letters sialing that Russell. the son of a well-known Sydney racing man, would be visiting Afelbotinie, and would requite a certain sum of money. Later [ further letters were received confirming the rode telegram. Specimen signal uns had also been received from Sydney and these were written on tile bank'- own form- on Dee. 21st by Tr. lour, who was then employed as an accountant in the victimized hank. He drew L'.'i.M ii i in favour of Pott-, the latter presenting -papers apparently in order. Potts some lime later went to another branch of the hank, but tin- manager. becoming suspicion-. eoinmiinieuioil with the police who interviewed amt received a description of Potts. Warrant, lor Lhe arre-l of the two men were then issued. Treloar was taken to the watch house where lie confessed that he had e life red into an agreement with Potts to obtain money from the Bank. Potts was arrested and admitted that lie bad entered into an agreement with Treloar. {.'l(lol) was recovered a! Treloar's home.

The detect ive further stated that lhe total amount the men attempted in get was ten thousand.

I'EAR OF WRECK DISSIPATED. SYDNEY. Feb. I. The wreckage found on the North Coast, as cabled yesterday, lias proved to bf only tlolsam thrown from a steamer which roioiuly deputed Irom Newcastle. SYDNEY BAKERS. SYDNEY. February I. The hearing of the application oii hella 11 of the Ma-ter Bakers A-.socin-tiun for the do-registration ol 1 lie Sydnev branch of the Baking Employees Fedi ration was adjourned lor a Inrtr.iglit. LIST'S SUICIDE. .MELBOURNE. Fob. I. Black tracker- are now engaged in searching for List’s missing coat and waistcoat, and for the instrument with which he committed suicide. C ANVAS WORKS EIRE. (Received tilis dav al 10.23 a.m.) SYDNEY, Eeb. 3. The lire at Chapmans caused damage to the extent of fifteen thousand.

I'd,ODDS IN AUSTRALIA. SYDNEY, Eeh. .">. Heavy rain is falling on the North Coast, ensuring plenty ot feed lor the V inter. Flood- arc feared in the Murwillimbnh district., u here I lie low-lying, land i. already inundated. BRISBANE. Eeh 3 ||. .• rain v, a- genet a I om i most of ih. Haw during the I'.e.-k-eud. In many districts it ua- accompanied by terrific imi! and cyclonic uiml-. which eail-ed many thousands north oi damage to tiic cotton crops ami also venous dulling' v. .is c.iu-cd io bridge- and railways by the Hoods. Duly one fatality i- reported, a man being drowned in the Sprii' g-ute district.

.■•TfH'GGJ.F WITH A TJJirj . SYDXFY. I - I,ntc vc I'‘(lav allci'uuou a vcning man entered a jeweller's shoo in the heart of the eiiv and asked In be shown diamond rings. While the girl was displaying them the man seized the two trays and decamped after a desperate struggle with the girl and another assistant, who chased the thief. The thief was knocked down livIiv a civilian and arre-ted alter throwing the rings into the street where a crowd scrambled for them. All the ring.-, with tin* exception ol one, were later returned to the shop.

PRICE Hi*’ BETTER I! EDITED. M ELBOCTINE. Fob. 5. The w’noh -ale price of butter has been reduced l>v ten -hidings to 168 s per cwt. FEDERAL FINANCE. (Received this dav at 12 noon). MELBOURNE. February 4. Federal revenue for the first six months of the current I'maneial year, exceeded the receipts lor the corresponding period last year by C0f11.540. The expenditure also increased by £846,038, mainly due io the increase in the rate of the old ago pensions. 'file /postal; Depart moot for six months showed an increased revenue ot £105,070. hut income and land taxes showed a considerable reduction, though it is too early to lorm a definite estimate of these sources ot revenue. The Commonwealth public debt now totals £411,008.115.

PARTICULARS OF LOAN. Received this dav nf 9.15 a.m.) MELBOURNE. Feb. 5. The Commonwealth Loan is to be issued almost immediately. Hie amount will not- be specified, and no limit will be placed upon the amount to he allowed. Holdings will lie subject to Commonwealth, hut not Stare taxation, and the period will he from three to live or ten years, this being at the option of subscribers.

Dr Earl Page in announcing the loan, said that it was to lie used untile redemption of the war gratuities, and represents the last direct effort of war finance.

EX-LORD MAYOR DEAD. MELBOURNE. Feb. 5. Obituary—-Sir John Swanson. exLord Mayor of Melbourne.