COMMONWEALTH CABLES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 27, 6 May 1916, Page 2

COMMONWEALTH CABLES.

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. [UNHID PaKM AMOOlATinfi.] Sydney, May 5. Fire destroyed six business premises in Alstonville, the damage amounting to £12,000. At the Labor Conference, Mr Meaglier predicted that under the new franchise tlie Labor candidates would contest every city and ward. Referring to the British Medical Association’s attitude towards the treatment of school children.Mr Griffiths said that last year thfe parents of fifty-seven thousand children were notified of-de-fects, and forty thousand were never treated. The Conference endorsed the Minister’s attitude.

I Addresing the annual meeting of the Royal Society, Doctor Greig-Smith, the retiring president, urged the mobilisation and co-operation of the science ■ industry in order to cope with the new conditions produced by the war. Unfortunately most industries were net concerned with the scientific side. The few exceptions included the Colonial Sugar Co., which recognised science and had risen to pre-eminence, which i was attained through scientific methods being emplayed in their work and finance.

) The following cabled on Monday is ’now available: A German who made I his thir dattempt to escape from the 1 Hoidsworthy Camp and was fatally j shot, boasted that he would escape or die. At the inquiry evidence was elicited that deceased was a desperate ! character and had previously escaped twice. The sentry saw a dark object, between the compound and the fences, and he fired and wounded the prisonci, | who was taken to hospital and afterI wards succumbed. j Further interesting developments transpired at the Portmann inquiry. One witness who was suspected of he- ; iiiir a member of the Black Hand gang and was assaulted by a mol), [gave evidence that he had previously j served six months for receiving thirty stolen revolvers in Brisbane, and which ho sold-in Sydney shortly after the war broke out. He admitted he had received money from other prisoners for rhe construction of a tunnel.—Julius ! Blair stated that, he had given small sums to various prisoners. He knew of a secret society composed of exhurglars who killed a person for 2s Gel. He could p’oint them out, hut it " as dangerous to do so.—Other witnesses declared that plenty of rich men m camp were blackmailed and beaten, hut j were ashamed to 'admit it. A Lutheran Minister was, included.—The Ooroiner’s attempts to discover the actual ! participants in Portmann’s death were Unavailing. Witnesses appeared afraid, land only gave evidence under pressure. [ One was imprisoned for refusing to ' answer questions. The Commodities Commission has authorised an advance in the price oi kerosene and petroleum from eighteen I pence to two shillings respectively.