AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 April 1924, Page 1

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION, CABLE RATES. SYDNEY, April 7. . Tho annual report of the Australian section of tho Empire Press Union, referring to cable matters, says: “The Pacific Cable Board continues to make huge profits and to charge unnecessarily high rates.”

The report draws attention to the excessively high terminal charges, and adds: “It is stated that tho four land lines in this service cost £55,000, and the public is charged £216,000 —a ratio of profiteering which it would he hard to find in any private enterprise.”

FLEET ARRIVES. SYDNEY, April 9

The fleet arrived in glorious weather and was tumultuously greeted by vast crowds assembled on the cliffs approaching tho Heads and foreshores of the harbour. The latter swarmed with all descriptions of craft all heavily laden with sight seers.

DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED. SYDNEY, April 8. Cabinet has commuted the death sentence on William Murray for the murder of George Simpson, to imprisonment for the term of his natural life. DETAILS OF DISASTER. * MELBOURNE, April 9 The ill-fated Wyrallah was a steamer of 392 tons. She ran between Alelbourne and Gippsla-nd Lakes. The Dilkera is of 2667 tons. She was cn route to Fremantle from Newcastle. The vessels were in the rip when the;, collided. Mon on -the Dilkera shouted to tho. crew of tho AYyrallah to jump, and live of the crew and one passenger obeyed* and were saved. Six others hesitated for a moment, and they wore lost, as the ship went down like a stone.

The names of those drowned are:— M. Bowery, H. Johnston, J. McLaren, .). G. Wrightson, and Montgomery i all of Melbourne), and G. R. Ward (of Coburg). Montgomery was a passenger.

COOK DIES AT SEA. SYDNEY, April 9. The schooner Mapu arrived on Satin day after 30 clays passage from Grafton. The voyage was prolonged by light winds and gales. The day after passing the Three Kings, tho ship’s cook, William Bell, died of consumption and was buried at sea!