GENERAL CABLE NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 461, 20 March 1909, Page 5

GENERAL CABLE NEWS.

(W TELEGRAM—rRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.)

FEDERAL CUSTOMS POWERS. (Rcc. March 20, 1 a.m.) ... ( '.Sydnay, March 19. Advices have been received that the Privy Council has refused tho application of tho New South Wales Government for leave to appeal against the decision of the High Court of Australia which decided that tho Commonwealth had power to tax Stato imports. The application arose out of the famous scizuro of wire netting by Mr. (now Sir) Joseph Carruthers (when Premier of New South Walos), in defianco of tho Federal Customs officials. •[The main nuc&tion beforo the High Court .was whether the States aro liable .under I tho Federal Customs Act to pay duty on goods they themselves import. Tho High Court unanimously found that the Federal Customs Act applied to goods imported .by tho Governments of tho States, and. that the removal of the wire-netting was illegal. The Privy' Council now refuses leave to appeal from this decision.] THE LATE LORD BURTON'S STRANGE DIRECTIONS. London, March' 18. The value of the estate of the late Lord Burton '(formqrly Mr. M. A. Bass, of the brewing firm) has been provisionally returned at a million. Tlio deceased peer gave directions that his spine and tho spinal marrow of tho neck should bo sovercd before the body was placed in the coffin, and that his heart should bo placed in a separate vessel in the qoffin. CRICKET; ENGLISH SELECTORS. . , London, March 18. Tho Cricket Board of Control has appointed Lord Hawke, Mr. C. B. Fry, and Mr. Leve-son-Gower to select tho teams for the test matches England v. Australia. . SEAMEN'S WORKING CONDITIONS. Melbourne, March *19. Undor tho now agreement between the' steamship owners and the Federated Sea-, men's Union, wages will remain as under the old agreement, but concessions will bo made with regard to holidays and overtime. • BURGLARS' HAUL. „ . Sydney, March 19. Burglars removed a safe from, the Empire Hotel at Inveroll, a township 341 miles north of Sydney, and secured £600 in money and valuables. They then threw the safe into the rivar. ' - DROWNED IN A TANK OF WINE. . . Adelaide, March 19. A man fell into a tank of wine at Seppott's winery, and was drowned. ' SEAMEN'S INSTITUTE IN SYDNEY. n . „ _ Sydney, March 19. Sir Harry R-awson, the Governor, laid tho foundations of additions to tho Seamen's Institute. Tho subscriptions include one of £50 by the Union Steam Ship Company. AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT TRAWLER. ti IT J i x , , Sydney ' Mnrch 19. Ihe I'cderal trawler has returned frott her first practical trip along tho coast. Sho caught several tons of splendid fish, and tho various grounds visited were all found well stocked with fish. Tho Director of Fisheries is highly satisfied both as regards the trawler s work and tho yield. SHIP OVERDUE. „ . , , Sydnoy, March 19. Uneasiness is felt as to tho safety of tho steel ship Australian, 2103 tons, which is 113 days out from Mazatlan (on tho west coast of" Mexico) to Sydnoy. It is thought that tho fact of her being light may have caused prolongation of tho voyage. A PRESENTATION. M , „ Sydney, March 19. Jiio women of New South Wales havo presented the daughter of tho Governor (Sir Harry Rawson) with a diamond bracelet valued at £500.