AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 September 1928, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Australian Press Assn.—United Servico ARAIY VOTE INADEQUATE. SYDNEY, September 1. Declaring in his annual report that the army vote was quite inadequate, Sir Harry Cliativel, Chief of the General Staff of tho Australian Military Forces, points nut that tho policy ol reducing expenditure to bare essentials jeopardises tho efficiency and preparedness for an emergency. The present financial limitations permit Of the elimination of training only and despite tho increase of the Commonwealth population, tho allocution for the army is approximately only £1,000,000, compared with £7,277,000 in 1912-13.

SYDNEY MURDER. SYDNEY, Sept. 1. A sordid tragedy was discovered today in a tumble-down wash house in Underwood Street, Paddington, a suburb of Sydney, when the dead body of Hilda Miller, aged twenty-nine years, an attractive barmaid, was found with her throat slashed. Lying nearby was Express Chapman, aged 33, a carpenter, whoso throat was also slashed. Cliappan, however, is not dead, lnit he is unable to give a coherent account of what happened. The police have been informed that Chapman is a married man.

LIQUOR FOR CANBERRA. this dav at, 9.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, Sept. 3. The present majority against Prohibition is 489.667, out of a total enrolment of 1,426,000. A separate poll was taken in the Federal Capital territory, which hitherto had been a dry area, and a throe to one majority voted for tile sale of liquor at Canberra.

DISQUALIFIED FOR LIFE. ADELAIDE, Sept, 3. Jockey G. R. Gray, was disqualified for life for using n battery on a horse at the Laxton Races on Saturday. Gray was a former Melbourne jockey. TRAGEDY MYSTERY. SYDNEY, Sept. 3. The 'Paddington tragedy is most mysterious. Miller is twenty-four not twenty-nine, and was Airs Hancock hut was divorced and was to have been remarried on the day of her death. The police interviewed the prospective bridegroom, who was employed at the same hotel a.s the deceased. He was unable to assist the police. He was wearing his wedding clothes when the police called, and appeared greatly distressed when informed of the girl’s death. Chapman, although severely wounded with a six inch cut in his throat, missing the main artery by a quarter of ail inch, told the police that Miller called at the hack door of his residence late at night and invited him outside in his pyjamas. He secured a mattress and both lay down in the washhouse. Miller offered him a chocolate. Ho became drowsy, fell asleep and remembered no more. The police found a damaged razor near the mattress. Chapman’s father states lie saw a strange man near tile house tho whole evening liefore the tragedy.

COUPLE FOUND DEAD. MELBOURNE, Sept. 3. The dead bodies of Ray Sefton, aged thirty-seven and his wife, Amy Sefton, aged thirty-seven, were found bv their nine year old son in tho bedroom of their home at Murrunihuna, twelve miles from Melbourne. There is no sign of violence. The couple lived most happily. Their .stomachs have been sent to an anal vst.