AMERICAN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 April 1924, Page 2

AMERICAN ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. GIRL BANDITS. NEW YORK, April 15. An unusually largo number of girl bandits have recently been active here, successfully evading the police, and proving a serious hazard to life and property. These feminine desperadoes, only, in a few cases, act as lures for male companion bandits, but chiefly work alone, holding up storekeepers at the point of the revolver, and rifling cash registers. One haired, bobbed young woman has been sending the pelice abusive notes, challenging them to capture her. She recently held up a cashier in a shop at midday, when it was full of customers, and after escaping with several hundred dollars, snapped a padlock which she had brought with her upon the door, delaying the pursuit. The police-estimate that at least eight, all of them young girls, are operating within the metropolitan district at the present time. They have perpetrated at least 50 robberies. Ihe police to-day captured one, who, however, has been acting as a lure for male companions, who robbed their prey within doorways. CANADIAN GRAFT. OTTAWA, April 15. Canada has its “Tea Rot” scandal, which reached a climax when the Hon. Peter Smith, Treasurer of the Province of Ontario during the five years’ exist once of the Farmers’ Government, was arrested, following on his refusal to testify before a Committee of the Legislature which is investigating allegations of graft. Smith is charged with defrauding the Ontario Government of £50,000 by accepting secret commissions on the sale of several million dollars worth of Government bonds, which he directed. It is alleged that the handling of thousand dollar bank notes caused the matter to he traced, just as notes of similar denominations were discovered during the Washington Inquiry. Smith evidently got exactly half the proceeds of the elieque issued by the manager of a leading Canadian Bondselling House. Where the other half went remains a mystery.

U.S.A. NAVY. NEW YORK, April 15. The U.S.A. House. Naval Committee lias approved a Bill to authorise the construction of eight 1 10,000 ton fast cruisers, as permitted under the Washington Treaty, at a. cost of 11,100,000 dollars each, cxeusive of armament and armour, and also six gunboats at 700,000 dollars each for use in Chinese waters. The Committee has also approved of a proposal to convert the battleships Florida, Arkansas, Utah and Wyoming from coal to oil burners, and to provide them with additional protection, submarines and aircraft costing 18,360,000 dollars. MEXICAN EXECUTIONS. MEXICO CITY, April 15. Three rebel generals, seven colonels and one major were tried by drumhead courtmartial and executed r.t Cuidad, Vitoria, according to General Moreno, Commander of the Victoria Gar rison.