GENERAL CABLES

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 57, 1 December 1923, Page 7

GENERAL CABLES

Br Telegraph—Press Association.

Copyright.

The Government of the Straits Settlements is voting 750,000 dollars more to pay for the land for the naval base.

The Irish deportees’ compensation tribunal in London lias awarded £20,342 in respect of 43 cliams in which a settlement was reached. Twenty-two cases remain to be decided. —Reuter.

Sardinia is bemoaning the loss of the famous shrine of “Our Lady the Debonaire” at Cagliari, which has been viloatedi and robbed of diamonds, pearls, and other treasures to the value of £50,000. Mr. Oxenham, Secretary of the Commonwealth General Post Office, has resigned. He is succeeded by Mr. H. P. Brown, of the British Post Office, wiio has been lent to the Commonwealth for the past year.

Digging in a field at Parma, in Italy, a peasant struck a metal box. In the belief that it was an infernal tnacr.i'ie, he summoned the military, who dug it out of the ground and found that it contained over three million geld lire.

Following the outbreak of rinderpest in West Australia, the New South Wales Government has issued a proclamation prohibiting the importation into that State of any horses, fodder, or fittings from West Australia for the next twelve months.

The owners of the No' tliern collieries in New South Wales Lave informed Mr. Oakes (Colonial Secretary) that they refuse to arbitrate on the question of the new machinery until all the existing awards are honoured by the miners.

The French Premier, in the Assembly, declared himself in favour of pronortional representation. The Chajnb?r voted as follows: —In f_avour,_ 281; against, 280. It thus, by a majority of one, condemned the present majority system.

The Governor of the Straits Settlements has appointed an Opium Commission. The terms of the inquiry include the monopoly of retail trade, the maximum sale, pro rata, of the. inhabitants. and the licensing and registration of smokers. —Reuter.

The Acting-Premier cf the Ccir.inonwealth, Dr. Page, r.rnounced after a meeting of the Federal Cabinet that Senator Pearce is going to West Australia to represent the Government in connection with any jo-nt measure necessary by the Federal and State authorities to combat the rir.de: pest outbreak.

At Luxor Mr. Howard Carter discovered eleven miniature oars, for the use of Tutankhamen when he crossed the dark stream in the next wcrld. 'The oars were laid inside the outer shrine of the king’s tomb. The London “Morning Post’s” Luxor correspondent says that Mr. Carter removed from the tomb the first life-sized statue of Tutankhamen, which guarded the scaled door to the mortuary chamber. The second statue will be removed today.

Prophecies by noted scientists, as well as by self-proclaimed seers, of further great earthquakes in Japan, are causing considerable disquiet among' the populace. The Mitgata Meteorological Observatory, under the sponsorship of Dr. Omoura (a recognised authority on the origin of earthquakes) has announced that the next great disturbances can be expected within twenty- years around the Shinano River, in North-western Japan, where a vast earthquake occurred in tho past century. The observatory is not able to locate the exact date of future visitations.

Speaking at Portsmouth. Mr. S M, Bruce. Prime Minister of Australia, said that Australia intended to do a great trade with Britain on terms of ■mutual benefit. In the part, Australia had been badly handicapped in marketing and handling her products. Steps had been taken in this respect to improve the organisation. Their policy was to be one of keen business. Australia had a serious ai> bition to grow cotton to the extent cf becoming an important factor in the wm’d’s cotton supply. He hoped tlmt before long it would produce one ’t.iilion biles per annum.