CONDENSED CABLE NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10205, 5 April 1911, Page 7

CONDENSED CABLE NEWS.

United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.

The Cape Times .sharply criticised the Union Government for rejecting the amendment restricting tenders for mail contracts to British ships. The Ministers allege that Mr Harcourt was hostile to the amendment, and refused to lay the papers on the table.

During the- week-end a fog was accountable for several collisions, says a London cable. The Dutch steamer Prinz Frederich struck the Norwegian steamer Nervion,. and the latter turned over, but floated till the crew/ were saved. Tho cruiser St. George then blew up tho Nervion with guncotten, as it was considered a menace to navigation. Tho steamer Daylesford collided with a Russian schooner, and both sank, but the crews were saved.

Tho Official Receiver has informed the creditors in the bankrupt estate of Bowron Bros, that the Bowrons had not been bailed out, and a statement of affairs had not been lodged. He a.lded that the liabilities were estimated at a quarter of a million, and the assets were valued at £12,800. (The two Bowrons and their chief accountant are charged with obtaining advances and credit by conspiracy from a large wholesale leather firm in London. They were remanded under exceptionally heavy bail totalling some £20,000.)" " |

The census collectors in New South Wales had some curious experiences in ! various cities in rounding up the slum and park dwellers and other derelicts, each of which represent twenty-five shillings a head to the State Revenue., (Under the original "Braddon" clause of the Federal Constitution, the Federal Government returned to each of the States three-quarters of the Customs Revenue collected within its borders, irrespective of the population. This has now been amended, and instead of a percentage of the dues each State receives a fixed sum of 25s per year for each unit of its population hence the keenness over the census.)

The annual report of the New South Wales Government Savings Bank shows a prosperous year. Depositors balances increased by £1,887,398. The total; gross profits increased by a little over one shilling and .threepence per centum. The Home Saying Bank system was successfully inaugurated, 5631 boxes having been issued. Depositors balances at the end of last year totalled £15,295,697, compared with £13,391,222 at the end of -the previous year. The total advances under the Advances to Settlers' Act was £905,000. During the year, six hundred and twenty-two advances, representing the sum of £123,000 were repaid in full.

In tho Chaffinch case, being heard at Perch, the Magistrate, after hearing counsel, declared that no jury could find that defendants had circulated the report that the mine had been salted. He believed such report to be false. The cases against all three were dismissed. The Magistrate, referring to the transactions of other persons connected with the mine, said that it had been floated on information contained in a telegram based upon hearsay evidence, and had resulted in the extraction of £125,000 from the pockets of the public. He added that it was n monstrous and crying shame that such a thing should be possible.