AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 March 1924, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

] [by TEL EG It Aril—per press association.] TRADE WITH RUSSIA. i (Received this day at 8 a.m.) I SYDNEY. March 7. . A meeting of Sydney business men . discussed the question of business relations between Australia and Soviet Russia. They formed an Australian* and Russian Trading Committee which decided to write to the British Charge 'l' Affaires at Moscow and request assistance in the matter. It was also decided to communicate with the Chum—hers of Commerce and the. manufacturers. informing them that the Committee would receive lists of commodities | available lor export to Russia and to give all information procurable. HIDES MARKET. MELBOURNE. .March (i. The hides market is fairly active, stouts and heavies being lirm and unchanged. Kips and lights declined an eighth to a farthing. COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. SYDNEY, March C. Shiittlevurlh has l>een committed for Dial for the murder of Sharp. I’RISONEI! SLASHES THROAT. SYDNEY. -March fi. Al the Albnry qua iter sessions a man named Joseph Storm, on hearing the •sentence of guilty on a charge of false pretences turned hack to the Court crying, good-bye to you all, and slushed Ms throat with a razor. Tin; police overpowered hint and secured the weapon. They removed Storm to the hosh’ftiil. He has a nasty wound. RAILWAY RETRENCHMENT. MELBOURNE, .March fi. Between lour and five hundred employees of flic railway service are being immediately dismissed. This is part ol tlie State Government’s retrenchment policy which is the outcome of an agreement between tho Commonwealth and the Stales that the latter should not borrow until OoinmnnweaUli lean requirements have been satisfied. The dismissals ehielly affect tiie const motion and rolling stock workshops, lack oi lands to pay wages is given •is the cause for the step. ! THE WADE TRAGEDY. SYDNEY, March fi ' At the inquest mi the Wades, bus *■ hand and wife, who suicided, the due- 1 tor who attended Mrs Wade for several ( veals gave evidence that she was si if- * feting from an incurable disease and 1 was mil sound mentally. Wade was •' very worried about his wife’s condit.on * Lilt he refused to enleraiti the doctor's suggestion to place her in a public institution. lie did not impruss the doctor as being mentally unstable. A friend of Wade's gave evidetp,» that the couple lived on ilie most * all'ect innate terms. Wade was worried during the past few months, lie off. n said he would shoot himself owing to his business worries, Imt he never s■:'iT r nytlung-about his w ife.

The evidence was similar to that! niready cabled. A verdict was returned that Wade murdered his wife and then suicided. THE ALPINE ACCIDENT. MELBOURNE. March fi. Niehteirlein, the victim of the Alpine accident, was brought home suffering from a fractured ankle and three scalp ii.mods. lie is weak hut is progressing satisfactorily. DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED. MELBOURNE, March fi The death sentence on Johnston for murdering Price ieaMed February .Hi), has been commuted lo imprisonment for life. COLONIAL SUGAR COY. SYDNEY. March ti. Oli March 51. Me* siiareholdei s uf the Colonial Sugar Refining Company will meet to confirm or reject resolutions for revesting the business of the Fiji and New Zealand branch of the company in tiie Australian Company. The resolutions provide that £1.(125.000. which was received from the liquidation of the former company be capitalised and transient'll in file shaie eapil'd of the Australian Company, by dividing the amount into fully paid up shares of C2O each, to he divided pro rata amongst the holders of shares in D'e Fiji and New Zealand Company. Under this arrangement CH1.‘250 of unissued £J(.) shares of the Company would lie credited as fully paid up in the proportion of one such share for every two shares in the capital of the Australian Company then held by such persons respectively; such shares to he treated

as an increase of the amount of the capital of the company held b.\ such persons and not as income. In i-a.se of holders of half shares, these would be soil, and the. proceeds distributed among the holders. F LT GIIT POSTPON ED. .Received this day at I). 15 a.m.) SYDNEY, March 7. Wilson and Briggs have postponed their attempted flight to Auckland for several months, to enable them to procure a special seaplane. LABOUR- COUNCIL. SYDNEY. March 7. Broken Hill Labour Council is considering the extending of the strike of municipal employees lo the electric lighting works. So far efforts at a settlement have, been abortive. L’OSTAL REVENUE. .MELBOURNE, March <7. Postal revenue for the past eight mouths decreased hv £271,050 compared with the corresponding period last year, due principally to the reduced letter rate. CHURCH UNION. MELBOURNE. March 7. The Anglican Aichbishop of Melbourne visited the Methodist Conference and made a moving plea for fellowship and Christian love, as an instillment towards the union of churches FLEET SAILS. PERTH. March 7. The lleet have left Albany en route to Adelaide. OBITUARY. .'PERTH, March 7. Flags were half-masted in town when tiie news of the death of Lady Brand was received. I-A BO PR. ATTITUDE. BERTH. March 7. Speaking in reply to Air Bruce, Mr Charlton said the Labour Party would never, he a party to the establishment of a naval base at Singapore. BUILDING STRIKE. ADELAIDE. March 7. I Master builders are taking legal •step; to compel builders labourers to > honour the decision of the Arbitration Court reducing wages. The Unions are 1 striking a levy of ten per cent on all 3 bnildors labourers working, by which 3 means the strikers receive £2 10s weekiy strike pay.