GENERAL CABLES

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 151, 20 March 1924, Page 7

GENERAL CABLES

By Telegraph—Press Association. Copyright. Owing to trivial disputes ten collieries in tho northern New South Wales field .are idle and 1850 miners remain unemployed. Serious bush fires during the past week in the south-western districts of Western Australia have destroyed many homesteads and devastated miles of country. Enormous damage has been done. Emile Deprot, who confessed at Alons to five murders, admits that be wag responsible for the deaths of a man and woman found drowned ir. the Sambre. The deaths hitherto had been a mystery. Giving evidence at the inquest on the victims of the Alount Perry (Queensland) railway disaster, which occurred on February 17, one <f the passengers stated that the train maintained an 'excessive speed and did not reduce speed on the curves. or grades. Passengers who were standing on the carriage platforms were continually thrown aKuut.

Dr. W. Busing, first German Consul to be appointed to the Commonwealth since lhe war, has arrived at Sydney from Canton, where for two years he has acted as Consul. He said he realised that tho task before him Was not an easy one, but he was not without hone of being able to reopen cordial relations between Australia and Germany. His d’sire was teseive both countries.

Mr. Justice Horridgo entered a verdict for £25,000 against Sir Henry Bird and the executors of the Earl of Shrewsbury upon a guarantee given to the London Joint City and Afidland Bank for the Aniline Dye Company’s overdraft. The defendants pleaded that they believed that they Had only given the directors specimen signatures for bank purposes. A stay of judgment was granted.

John Thompson, who attempted to defraud the public with a “fake” oil at Lake Fva, West Australia, has been found guilty of conspiracy, until tho greatest possible recommendation to mercy. The Judge, in sentencing him to. six months’ haril labour, eaid that he thought Thompson had been the tool of a very much greater criminal, a man named Robert Rothkdl, who was still at largo.

The police admitted at the inquest on Vera Hoad, aged 12, who found outraged and strangled near Chichester on February 27, that they had no evidence to clear up the mystery. Iler sister deposed that the deceased had no male friends, except schoolboys. Medical evidence showed that the. child had been grossly violated. The Coroner’s verdict was wilful murder by a person unknown.

The Commonwealth liner Fordsdale, tho largest ship so far built in Australia-, which was to have commenced her rnniden voyage on Tuesday, lias been laid up indefinitely by the Commonwealth Shipping Board. The board’s action is tho result of tho Seamen’s Union claiming the right to select the crew by tho balot lysiem. The owners refused to grant this, and Ir med an ultimatum to tho men stating that only the vrew engaged and selected by tho owners would be acceptable, and failing suitable men offering; the vessel would be Inil up indefinitely. As only the ballot men offered, this was accordingly doue.