AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 28 May 1924, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. SYDNEY RATES REDUCED. (Received this day at 10.25 a.m.) SYDNEY. May 2S. The City Council lias reduced the rates on tile unimproved value of city property by l',d. the rate being fixed at Hid in the pound. ADMINISTRATOR OF NORFOLK. SYDNEY. May 28. Mr Bruce announced that Colonel E. T. Lane has been appointed the Administrator of Norfolk Island in succession ot Mr Parnell, resigned. DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED. SYDNEY. May 28. The State Cabinet has commuted the •sentence of death passed on Walter James Maker, for a capital assault upon a woman to ten years. STEFAXSSI>N AND ARCTIC ELYING.

SERVICE ACROSS THE ARCTIC

fßeceived this day at 1n.25 a.in.) SYDNEY. May 28.

1 Stefa nsson. the explorer, speaking of , Arctic aviation said it was mostly an ' anti(|iiated belief that prevented the ' development of (lying there. People thought it was too cold, but there was 1 no place at sea level in the Arctic • that was Mow freezing point at ttiid- - summer and even in the winter it was • no colder than the city of Winnipeg. 11l some places the limit readied one • linntlred in tin* shade. Srofniisson predicted that within ten years there v.ould be an airship service across the Arctic from London to Tokin. on a north and south route, lie said by following a line north to Edinburgh along the Scottish coast, straight from there to tin* south-west corner of Norway. thence along the west coast to the northern tip. then across Nova Zambia south to the Lena river and diagonally across eastern Siberia to Japan, the aviator would cover a distance of forty-live hundred miles in IV days. Then* were no mountains to fly over and the longest jump was four hundred miles. Supplies could Ik* easily delivered at stations bv the freighting methods now in use. Stelansson holds a high opinion ol the possibilities of the Arctic as a reindeer meat producing area. lie said the United States had a station in Greenland and the export stage had just been reached. Nearly all the meat, was going to a lew large American towns where it is sold at a high

REGOMMENDATTONS KOI! TITLES BILL. ADELAIDE. May 28. The Attorney-General has announced ibta the Government, lias decided to introduce a Bill repairing that., henceforth. no persons shall b<> recommended for a title unless an address be 'assed by both hnii-cs endorsing tin* recommendation.