NEWS IN BRIEF

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 August 1939, Page 7

NEWS IN BRIEF

DECENTRALISATION FLA NS. (PRESS ASSN.—COPYRIGHT.! RUGBY, August 20. Plans for the gradual decentralisation of Government offices are under consideration. These plans are not essentially connected with precautionary measures for a national emergency, although it is recognised that a wider distribution of administrative activity would have a great advantage from that viewpoint as well as relieving congestion. STARS’ WEDDING FILMED DALMONTE (California), August 20 The screen stars, Brian Aherne and Joan Fontaine, were married at St. John’s Chapel, here to-day. A colour film of the wedding ceremony was made for Mr. Aherne’s parents, who are in England. BRITAIN’S COAL EXPORTS RUGBY, August 20. The past few months have seen a striking improvement in British coal exports. During the quarter ended June 30, a total of 10,256,000 tons were sent abroad from the United Kingdom, compared with 8,225,000 tons in the first three months of the year and 8,943,000 tons in the corresponding quarter of 1938. This volume was the largest for the corresponding period in any year since 1932. There have been heavier shipments this year to Holland, Italy Denmark, and Germany. FATAL THUNDERSTORM RUGBY, August 21. Six were killed and 12 injured when a shed in a park at Ilford was struck by lightning, during an exceptionallysevere thunderstorm over the London suburbs. A later message stated that seven persons were killed and 18 injured by the lightning. A boy, investigating screams from the shed, found 30 people heaped on the floor, unconscious. A woman was clasping two children. Floods and power failures delayed the rail and trolley-bus services. MURDER AND SUICIDE ZURICH, August 21. The police have revealed that Bruno Walter’s son-in-law shot his wife dead on August 18, and then committed suicide. EGYPT AND SOVIET LONDON, August 21. The Cairo correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain says that Cabinet has decided to recognise the Soviet Government. This is regarded as a prelude to Egyptian-Russian trade talks.