AUSTRALIAN AFFAIRS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 208, 2 September 1926, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN AFFAIRS.

MR. BRUCE'S MISSION. I COMMONWEALTH AND EMPIRE. AVOIDING PUBLIC JUDGMENT. (By Cable.—Press Association.—-CopjTistit.) (Received 2 p.m.) MELBOURNE, this day. Mr. S. M. Bruce, the Prime Minister, in his final address in support of the; referenda proposals prior to his departure for London, referred to his mission to the Imperial Conference. He said he proposed in the name of the people of Australia to make the first plank of his policy in London the principle that Australia shall remain an integral part of the great world-wide British nation. He enlarged upon the necessity of Empire union, and the development of the Commonwealth. He declared that the public opinion of the world in the years to come will not tolerate what will assuredly seem to the world a dog-in-the-manger policy. The only way to avoid such a judgment was to convince other nations beyond doubt that there was only one people capable of building up a great prosperous national life in this continent, and that is the Australians themselves. We had to prove ourselves worthy to be a component part of the Empire.— (A. and N.Z.) A NOISY PROTEST. PARLIAMENTARY UPROAR. A LABOUR DEMONSTRATION. I Received. 10.30 a.m.) .MELBOURNE, this day. In the State Assembly, shouting insults at the Speaker and amid disgraceful scenes of confusion and uproar, the Labour Opposition party marched out of the Chamber in a body, after a lengthy sitting, to mark its protest against the Speaker's ruling that the closure should be applied to the debate on the Ministry's amendment of the Standing Orders. Left without opposition, the amendment was agreed to, while in the distance, along the corridors, Opposition members could be heard singing "The Red Flag."—(A. and X.Z.) WELL STRYMANS HANG? THE DARLINGHTOST TRAGEDY. STORY OF THE CRIME. SYDNEY, September 1. Maurice Strymans, the sea captain who shot dead Mrs. Brandt in a flat al Uarlinghurst on July 12, has beer sentenced to death. — (A. and N.Z.) On July 12 the Darlinghurst police went to a flat to which they wen directed by Strymans and there, it luxurious surroundings, they found th< body of Ruth Brandt, a married woman apart from her husband, who had beer living with Strymans. She had appar ently just been shot, as a gramophon* in the room was still playing. Stry mans, who haA served in the Air Forc< in the war with great distinction, wai a Belgian, hut a naturalised British sub iect. Until a week before the tragedy he was captain of a car?o steamer trad ing between Fncrland and Australia, bui he relinquished hi? command at Sydney and went to live with Mr?. Brandt. H< told the police that he and Mrs Srand had made a death pact, but that whei he had =hnt her he lost his nerve and rai tn tell them. LOSS OF THE BROLGA. MASTER CENSURED. (Received 10.30 a.m.) MELBOURNE, this day. The Marine Court of Inquiry, whici has been investigating the loss of tb trawler Brolga, found that the strand ing was due to an error of judgment o: the part of the master. Joseph Rentor in not availing himself of facilities fn checking his position by heaving th lead. The Court censured the master. — (A and N.Z.) The trawler Brnlga. which was for merlr owned by San ford"?. Limited, o Auckland, struck on Beware Reef on th south-ea*t coast of Victoria, while on ; voyage from Melbourne to Sydney. Th vessel was later ahamloned. her crew o eleven eventually landing safely at Mcl bourne. THE DEATH PENALTY. PROPOSAI TO ABOLISH. ; MELBOURNE. September 1. A bill for the abolition of capita punishment was read to-.lay fo r the firs time in the Victorian Legislativ Council. — (A. an.] N.Z. > I —