DUTY ON GOLD.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20630, 20 August 1932, Page 15

DUTY ON GOLD.

NEW ZEALAND CONSIGNMENT. RETENTION IN SYDNEY. (tjxited mess assocutio?:—bt elxctjuc TELEGRAPH—COPVEIOHT.) (Received August 19th, 9.25 p.m.) SYDNEY, August 19. In the Equity Court to-day Mr Justice Harvey delivered judgment on an application for a continuance of the injunction granted on July 29th, restraining the Commissioner of Police hero and the Iluddart-Parkcr Shipping Oompauy, Limited, from transhipping £IOOO worth of gold to New Zealand, which was originally consigned to Garrett and Davidson, metallurgists, of Sydney. His Honour ordered the retention of the gold in New South Wales pending the final hearing of tho suit, the gold to be delivered to the Bank of New South Wales as receiver for tbe Government. Mr Justice Harvey remarked that tho New Zealand Government possessed powers to forfeit this gold and desired by hook or by crook to get possession of it in order to deal with it as it thought fit. The New Zealand Government has no property in this gold. Its only right under the Banking Act is thr right of forfeit. That forfeiture can take place only if the gold seized is in New Zealand. He was convinced that the gold was not necessary for the purpose of the pending prosecution, and the application for its return was not bona fide. Mr Justice Harvey added: "Even if tho gold is wanted for the purpose of evidence, I am not satisfied that I have the power, assuming the gold belongs to New South Wales citizens, to order its removal from this jurisdiction. Further have the plaintiffs O&rrett and Davidson, Limited, shown a title to tho gold in their own light sufficient to justify me in saying that there is an issue to be tried when the suit comes to Court? I have very grave doubt, on the present evidence, that this gold will bo shown ultimately to belong to tho plaintiff company and that it is not the property of George Washington, who bought it in New Zealand and remitted it by the hands of Mince (ship's steward) for the purpose of passing it on to the plaintilf company. Tn all the circumstances it would be wrong to jump to conclusions as to the ownership of the gold, in spite of the telegrams produced in which Washington disclaimed ownership. A detention order must be mado keeping the gold in the jurisdiction of tho Court until the hearing of the originating summons, by which a suit has been instituted.

COMMUNISM IN AUSTRALIA. RUSSIAN ARRESTED. REVOLUTIONARY DOCUMENTS. (Received August 19th, 10.80 p.m.) SYDNEY, August 19. Detectives arrested a Russian named Alexander Zeitlin, 32 years of age, on a charge of having four military drill books in his possession, suspected of being stolen. He was also charged with vagrancy.

Detective Wickham, giving formal evidence in the City Court, said that plans and documents which were found in Zeitlin's possession indicated that somo revolutionary action was about to be precipitated, resulting in the overthrow of tho Government. The documents contained instructions for the formation of revolutionary training along military lines, secret service activities and Communistic aims. Zeitlin was remanded. v

WAGE REDUCTION.

POLICY IN NEW SOUTH WALES. RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY WORKERS. (Received August l&tli, 7.20 p.m.) SYDNEY, August 19. . Considerable unrest was caused in tho ranks of railwavmcn and tramway men to-day by au announcement by Mr B. S. B. Stevens (Premier). The Government in pursuance of its economy plan has decided to apply immediately a 10 per cent, cut ill tho wages of ail railway and tramway employees,- whose awards were recently set aside by the Commonwealth Arbitration Court, but the .Federal basic' wage of 73s (3d a week will be observed as the minimum. Application will also be made to the Court for a 10 per cent, cut in the wages ot members of Federal unions, whose awards were not set aside. The Premier announces that the Government has reluctantly been compelled to take action within existing legislative limits in order to reduce rail and tram losses, which provide the major factor in the State's deficit. At the conclusion of the conference between the Government and financial institutions, mostly pastoral companies which make advances to primary producers. the Premier nrinounr-ed that the companies concerned had agreed to reduce the rate of interest on advances made since October Ist, 1931, bv half per cent. The cuts in the tramway and railwav workers' wages will affect at least 28.000 men. Working expenses will be reduced bv £500.000 a year.

FEDERAL POLITICS

ATTITUDE OF COUNTRY PAftTY. HOSTILITY TO GOVERNMENT ALLEGED. CANBERRA, August 19. Mr J. A. Lyons (prime Minister) stated that Dr. Earle Page (formerly Federal Treasurer, and Leader of the Country Party), was adopting an attitude of almost undisguised hostility to any proposals made by the Government. This was shown by statements issued by the Country Party, combined with Dr. Page's own utterances on questions of exchange and tariff. "If these issued statements are to be taken as expressing the views of Dr. Page, I can only express niy regret that Dr. Page is not continuing the loyal co-operation with the Government whieh he so explicitly prtmirtd after the deetiMjfc" paid Mr l&m-