AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 April 1924, Page 1

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. MURDER MYSTERY. ADELAIDE, April 7. Part of the body of John O’Neill, a motor driver was found in Swan rjvjer with the head frightfully battered. Tracks showed the body was brought to the river in a car and thrown in. O’Neill’s . ear which was heavily splashed with blood was found three miles from the body. The motive is a mystery. The poii.ee are searching for two men who engaged O’NeiJl to drive them into the country. They gaye names which have since been ascertained to he fictitious. SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS. ADELAIDE, April 7. Incomplete returns of deferred polls in two electorates indicate both scats are won by nationalists. AN ADMIRAL’S VIEWS. SYDNEY, April 7. Admiral Field intervewed at Jervois Bay, warmiy favoured Australia constructing her own warships and building up a navy, hut lie depreciated any attempt on her part to construct a big capital ship base. There was plenty of other work which Australia could do first in building her own warships, and improving her docks, wharves and harbours, so that they could be used immediately in case of need. When these were accomplished she could think about a capital ship l base.

JAP STEAMER’S PLIGHT. SYDNEY, April 7. There was heavy rain and a stiff blow all day, with the weather rough and high seas on the Coast. The Honolulu Mam is anchored at Jervois Bay. Her deck is at such an angle that it is necessary to crawl up it. When the tugs took charge from the H.M.A.S. Dragon, the Honolulu Maru was rolling so heavily that the captain was afraid to trust to towing. Ho steered as best he could himself to the entrance to the hay, but was unable to steer into tho bay. The tug, with great difficulty, got a line aboard and towed the Honolulu Maru in. 'Phe captain is suffering from an injury in his head caused by being washed across the decks early in the storm. The crew are in a worn out condition. Captain Karnataka states that when he received his injury ho wa ,; unconscious for nearly twenty-four hours. On recovering consciousness he found the cargo had shifted and broken bulkheads causing the steamer to take on a dangerous list. The officers, who had no experience of such positions, were unable to handle the situation. The Dragon raced to the rescue at one hundred and twenty miles for six hours .11 a tempestuous sea. She found the Honolulu Maru with a deep list to the weather side. She was almost inert, being knocked about by tho high seas, anil plunging dangerously. The night was dark and the weather so had that the Dragon could do nothing hut stand by. The steamer’s officers and crew were apparently unable to help themselves, believing that all was over. Throughout tho night the Dragon Hashed cherry messages to those on the stricken vessel to keep up their heart#. Next morning hours were spent in futile attempts to get a hawser a heard. Then a line was run across the hows of the steamer anil this got aboard the Honolulu Maru, hut it proved ineffective. "When the tug arrived the Dragon surrendered convoying them.

SALVAGE DANGERS. SYDNEY, April 7. There were ninny narrow escapes on board the Dragon and Honolulu Maru, and several minor casualties, while both vessels were attempting to get a line aboard the Japanese vessel. The Dragon fired eight rockets, but owing to the strong wind all efforts were ineffectual. At one time the line became enmeshed in the bows of the Honolulu Marti, and one Japanese crawled over the side with a rope round his waist and freed the line. A gang of stevedoring hands hits been despatched from Jervis Ilay to restow the cargo. JAR STEAMER OUT OK DANGER. SYDNEY, April 7. Pumping has materially reduced the list of the Honolulu Marti. She is now out of danger as the weather in the bay has modern led. GIRD DODDS DIES. MELBOURNE, April 7. The girl Dodds has succumbed to her injuries. OBITUARY. MELBOURNE, April 7. Obituary.—Sir John Mackay, speakci of the Legislative Assembly. Suddenly.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS. ADELAIDE. April 7. The Sttite of parties is Labour 24, Liberal 1(3, Country Party 2. doubtful -4. It is expected the final returns Mill give the Labour Party a majority over all other parties. LINER. ON FIRE. BRISBANE. April 7. The Australian and American line steamer Kansas with a cargo of oil and motor cars was discovered to he on fire at midnight on Saturday and burned until Sunday morning, when it was extinguished. Shortly afterwards a fresh outbreak was discovered which raged all day. Long holes were cut in the sides and the deck of the vessel and manv thousauds of tons of water ■were pumped into the vessel before the fire was controlled. The damage will be very extensive.

AIR FLIGHT. -

MELBOURNE, April 7

Wing Commander Goble and Flying Officer"Mclntyre commenced a seaplane flight round Australia on Sunday. It was intended to start on Saturday but heavy weather compelled a postponement. TOO MUCH HOSPITALITY. SYDNEY, April 7. At Admiral ield’s suggestion social functions proposed in connection with the squadron’s visit to Sydney have been considerably curtailed from Fremantle onward. There lias been such competition in royally welcoming the. personnel of the squadron from the Admiral downward that the Admiral was unwillingly compelled m self protection to put "a curb eki Sydney s threatened exuberance, official an otherwise. ’ v

V.Of’E SPLITTING DEFEATS GQyERjiiMENT. ■ ApEJjAIDE, April 7. Air Harwell attributes' the Government’? defeat to the entry of jthe Ppuntry 'Party can didate? ifltp t)j.c Liberal constituencies, thus splitting tli3 votes, ‘enabling the Labourjtjes ip squeeze in p)i minority votes. ' - Mr Jenkins, Commissioner of Public Works, was defeated. SOUTH AUSTRALIA ELECTIONS. ADELAIDE, April 0. Tho State elections were held on Saturday for forty-six scats in the South Australian Assembly. There were forty-nine Liberal candidates, forty Labour men, nineteen Country Party candidates, and three Independents, while for twelve Legislative Council seats there were twenty-three candidates. Wi en' vote counting dosed at midnight only Adelaide returns were complete. * Three Labourites were returned for the City. Mrs Goal was the only woman candidate. She received 1615 votes against 6,854 scored by >l.r Gunn, the Labour leader. Though it is impossible to give a definite verdict, yet it looks, on the incomplete figures, as if Mr Harwell's Liberal Party will get a set-hack. A FARM TRAGEDY. • - SYDNF’Y, April 7. The trial is proceeding of Thomas Ray Misclicll, a youth of sixteen, on : charge of murdering Richard Pethy bridge, by whom accused was employed on a farm near Corowa. Tho medical evidence showed Pethyhridge died from arsenical poisoning. Accused made a statement in the witness hothat on' the day of the tragedy, deceased knocked him down, and after tying his hands and feet assaulted him, when released he i uslic'd for a weapon, hut on seeing the poison, he thought it lietter to finish a man like Pethyhridge. so he took a teaspoonful of arsenic, which lie put in Pethybridge’s cup of tea. Pethyhridge diank it, and soon alter was seized with convulsions and died,

SENTENCED TO DEATH. SYDNEY, April 8. Mischell has been found guilty of murder and was sentenced to death with a recommendation to mercy on account of his youth. ANGUS MUR it AY PETITION. MELBOURNE, April 7. Angus Murray has petitioned the executive council against the death sentence: His petition follows a good deal of public agitation favouring a reprieve. - PRESS UNION COMPLAINT. SYDNEY, April 8. The Empire Press Union meeting expressed dissatisfaction at the delays in connection with wireless communication between Britain and the Dominions. They 'discussed the question of an Empire Press Conference which is proposed to be held in Australia towards the end of next year. It was resolved to seek further information from the London Council which will be submitted to a special meeting to be held at Melbourne in May next. HEAVY RAIN IN AUSTRALIA. SYDNEY, April 7. As a result of the heavy rains over the week-end floods are anticipated in many parts of the country. ROYAL COMMISSION ON DISEASES MELBOURNE, April 8. The Federal Government proposes to appoint a Royal Commission to enquire into public health, particularly regarding cancer and other diseases which are more or loss baffling the medical profession. OBITUARY. SYDNEY. April 7. Obituary.—Doctor Vieen/.o Mnrano, formerly Italian Consul-General.