CABLE NEWS IN BRIEF.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19852, 13 February 1930, Page 6

CABLE NEWS IN BRIEF.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ASSURED

RIGA, February 11. M. Rykoff, President of the Soviet Council, in a speech, declared that complete religious freedom was assured bv Soviet law. No minister had been persecuted because ho performed religious rites.

OFFICER REPRIMANDED. SYDNEY. February 12. Captain G. L. Massey, who commanded the cruiser Canberra when she stranded recently at Broome, with his navigating officer, has been reprimanded by a court-martial. Repairs to the ship have just been completed at a cost of about £IO,OOO.

EMPLOYEES NOT PAID. OTTAWA, February 11. A message from Toronto states that 500 employees of the brokers whose books and bank accounts have been seized in connexion with the conspiracy investigation have unsuccessfully petitioned the Government to permit payment of their wages from the seizures. The recent arrests are compelling firms to adopt a drastic rule of cash transactions only.

GERMAN STEAMER BURNED. NEW YORK, February 11. The North German Lloyd liner Munchen (13,484 tons) was burned and sank at a pier in the Hudson River to-day. shortly after her arrival from Bremen. The loss on the ship is 6,000,000 dollars and on the cargo 500,000 dollars. Three firemen are missing. They were hurled into the river bv a series of explosions. Seven were injured. One of the crew is believed to have been burned to death.

Spontaneous combustion in sacks of nitrate of potash is blamed for the fire.

WHITE LABOUR MORE EFFICIEN

SYDNEY. February 12,

Mr A. V. Allan, leader of a party of South African farmers who are touring Australia, when speaking at the Hawkesbury Agricultural College, refuted the often-made suggestion that the development of many parts of South Africa was best performed by black labour. He said that plenty ot such was available in South Africa at less wages than those paid to whites, but the latter were much more efficient. The South African farmer's greatest job was to see that his black employees did their work.