AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 November 1927, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

(Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.)

PACIFIC CABLE AFFAIRS

CANBERRA, Nov. 20.

Federal circles anticipate a serious dispute will develop between Australia and Canada over the future of the Pacific Cable Board. It is learned to he due to hesitation before the duplication of the cable was decided on, and is due not to any feeling on the part of Canada, that beam wireless is likely to adversely affect the revenue from the cable, hut because the Canadian Government required guarantees about the disposal of large profits from the cable system at the time of the duplication. It is pointed on that it is believed the revenue trom cables would be maintained and Canada had demanded an undertaking that the profits to he earned al e. duplication of the service would not he transferred to the maintenance a - counl. ' would be devoted Ol - pnviiic to the interested paitie. . they l».l the creation of the system. It »* claimed that Canada disregarded communications Worn Australia and Mew Zealand.

IIECI/IXED BY FEDERATION. MELBOCRNF. Nov. 20,

After reading the shipowners’ statement. the Committee of Maiiagemen of the Waterside Worker;’ Federation carried a motion: That the terms for normal resumption of work, as >eq>>esed bv the shipowners, wore .mposuhte. The Committee accepted the threat of the employers to create a of all shipping, and advised it branches to carry out its instructions without fail. Tn the letter to the shipowners, however. the Federation states that it is still willing to confer, with a view o drafting an agreement covering every phase of the industry. THIEVES IN HOUSE. SYDNEY, Nov. 27. Mr Wolff, a Greyeliffe disaster victim. was on a holiday visit with his

wife and son from Europe. They were to have left to return home on the day after the disaster. Wolff carried jewels on His person for better safety. When Mrs Wolff returned home on the day of the accident she found robbers had paid a. visit to the house, But had failed to secure any booty.

benefictent rain. SYDNEY, Nov. 27

Heavy rain caused the postponement of all race meetings and many other sportinc fixtures, but the pastoral areas, particularly in the Western district. have greatly benefited. SYDNEY, Nov. 27. From all parts of the State come jubilant reports of splendid rains and full rivers, in some places there have been floods .damage to crops and losses of newly shorn sheep. Sevennl inches of rain has fallen since it started on Wednesday. Gosford had over seven inches.

DRAIN ON HOSPITAL FUNDS. (Received this day at 9.J0 a.mi. SYDNEY. Nov. 28. The numerous, ever-increasing number of motor accidents are causing a serious drain on the funds of public hospitals which are pressing the Government for the recognition of this special burden upon them. The Minister of Health (Mr Arthur) estimates these accidents cost the hospital £IOO.OOO annually. He proposes to take a part of the main roads grant raised by motor taxes to relieve hospital funds.

MOTOR TRAFFIC PROBLEM. SYDNEY. Nov. 28. The crowded condition of motor traffic has become such a pressing problem that the Chief Secretary is calling a conference to discuss new regulations for the controlling of both vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

QUESTION OF PEDIGREE. MELBOURNE, Nov. 28

Speaking at tiie Scotch luncheon, the Governor. Lord Somers, claimed his pedigree entitled him to represent the British in general. He had respectively a French, Irish and Scotch greatgrandfather and an English mother.

A BILL' PASSED. SYDNEY, Nov. 28. The Governor has assented to the Civic Commission Bill.

VIEW OF FILM PRODUCTION SYDNEY, Nov. 28.

Giving evidence before the 1* dm Commission. Miss Beatrice TiWesley, a member of the Good Film’s League and National Council of Women, said what impressed her in comparing the regular theatre and films where the two dealt with the same subject, was almost invariably marked by an inferiority of the films. This was due to the standards and methods of production at Hollywood, where the controlling interests were in the hands cl men who looked Oil them fully as commodities for sale, men who larked artistic ideals and natural taste and many of them without ordinary decent education. She added that some of those nabobs of the screen have gone into the movie industry, and with exactly the same enthusiasm. the same aim of high profits as actuated them when they dealt in cheap clothing. They are, in fact, wholesale clothiers who have extended their energies from the purveying of reach me down suits to providing “drag me down’’ entertainment. OBITUARY. SYDNEY, Nov. 28. Obituary Edmund Fenton Reload, well-known in the timber industry, and one-time manager of the Kauri Timber Coy., Auckland. OLYMPIC GAMES. SYDNEY, Nov. 28. A meeting of the Australian Olympic Federation decided that Australian national games which will assist in finding representatives for Olympic Games, will he held at Sydney from 7th. to 1 -Itli January next. QUARTERLY RETURNS. SYDNEY. Nov. 28. A quarterly bulletin, issued by the Commonwealth Statistician, shows imports for the year ended June were valued at £l6l .*712.292. There were 29.991 unemployed in Australia during the September quarter. representing an unemployment rate of C. 7 per cent. The September retail price index number for 30 tons for goods and groceries showed an increase over July I9LJ of 50.9 per cent. SENTENCES COMMUTTF.D. RABAUL. Nov. 28. Death sentences on Nakanai murderers are definitely commuted to imprisonment for 15 years. PAPUAN GOLD. NEWCASTLE. Nov. 28.

Wireless advices from liulolo state a public meeting at Snlnmoa passed a resolution advising all miners to hold their gold and not ship it to Australia until the tax imposed on gold entering Australia was removed. It was further resolved to favour shipping the gold to other countries than Australia. ROBBER AT WORK. SYDNEY, Nov. 28. While attention was directed to a fire at a. butcher’s shoo at A\ ohrngon!/, a burglar entered a jeweller’s shop in the same street. Two men attempted to detain him. hut the intruder drew a revolver and fired Dor shots, slightly wounding both men. He then decamped without securing booty. When the fire was controlled at the butcher’s shop, it was found that the cash register was rifled, but it hud contained only a ie> sh Rings. investigation at the jewellers revealed that a fire was started in one of the rooms of the building. There has been a series of fires in the town during the last few weeks and the police are of opinion that a man is working the district, combining arson with robbery. SYDNEY. Nov. 28. "With the recovery of Woolf’s body, all the known passengers of the Greyi cliffe are accounted for. The list of dead now totals 3i. JOCKEY CLUB’S BAD BUCK. NEWCASTLE, Nov. 2S. The Newcastle Jockey Club by payment or a premium of £OO sterling, insured its meeting on Saturday for ,£BOO sterling against ten points of rainfalling by a certain time on Saturday- but when the time limit bad expired the gauge registered only Of points. Immediately afterwards torrential rain fell causing a postponePROSPECT OF STRIKE SPREADING MELBOURNE, Nov. 28. There is every indication that th waterside dispute, unless an agreemen is reached before Wednesday next when the owners’ ulutimatum expires will develop into something approacl ing the 1917 dispute, particularly the shipowners resort to the establisl ment of a free labour bureau. A grci deal depends on the attitude of tl seamen. The latter are bolding montl lv stop-work meetings at all ports c Tuesday, at which they will decu what attitude to adopt. BRISBANE, Nov. 28. The overtime strike is seriously t laying the departure of all slnppir A* fresh dispute lias arisen, waterside refusing to work a cargo of cement the steamer Tairoa, unless paid extra shilling hourly. The agents 1 the steamer are referring the dispi to the Board of Trade.