GENERAL CABLES.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 October 1927, Page 3

GENERAL CABLES.

kßv Telegraph—Per Press Association

GEO PIIYKfCAL EXPEDITION. LONDON. Oct. 27,

The geophysical expedition will leave England in .March, under the leadership of Broughton Edge, accompanied by two experts, and two honours graduates including a Melbournite. Neil Lewis.

AC 11U C‘ULT UR A 0 CO NFMR E N CE. LONDON. Oct. 27. Sir Janies I’arr sent a letter to the Agricultural Conference on behalf of Hon J. G. Coates, inviting it to include New Zealand when the conference meets in Australia. MeDoiignll. R iebardsan (Australia). Rigg (New Zealand) and others reported on Umpire industries associated with fruit, whether canned, dried or otherwise. At. present comparatively undeveloped technical Empire fruit growers were more unfavourably situated than competitors in 1 nited States where they still relied mainly For technical knowledge and almost entirely were dependent thereon for machinery processes of preservation. They advocated research and advisory work within the Empire. They proposed an Imperial horticultural committee of Britain and sub-committee overseas, but the Conference deleted this in view of the previous decision to establish a chain of bureaus of correspondence in the centres. Richardson (Chairman of the Plant Breeding 'Committee) recommended the existing Cambridge Aberystwith institutions become clearing _ houses for Empire information relating to cereals, and herbage.

Cameron of Victoria (Chairman oi the Dairying Committee) reported in favour of the utilisation of hinds making the board in joint action with Britain and Dominion ill dairying research. Ho suggested an interchango of British and Dominion dairying experts.

COBHaM’S project. LONDON, Oct. 27

Sir A. C'obham, prior to his departure to circumnavigate Africa, in an all-metal Rolls-Royce flying boat, will attempt to break the speed record for a seaplane carrying 44091b5. The present record is 109.2 miles per hour. Sir A. C'obham will carry a crew of four. His is the world’s largest all-metal flying boat, and it can carry a maximum of twenty persons.

CAPE FLAG COMPROMISE. CAPETOWN, Oct. 27

Discussing the flag agreement; tbo “C'ape Times” pays a. tribute to the influence of speeches delivered recently in South Africa by Mr Leopold Amery (Secretary for tbe Dominions) and declares: “What Mr Amery said came as a breath of clean, cool air into a heated roomful of quarrelling people. Mr Amcry’s wise and courageous speeches were an important, if not a decisive factor.”

CATALAN PLOT. LONDON. Oct. 27. The “Daily News” Pari correspondent says; “Joint Eraneo-Spanish frontier precautions are believed to have frustrated a plot to secure the independence of Catalonia. Tt is alleged that the plot was hatched in Franco and that vast stores of arms and munitions were smuggled into Catalonia province, which Their Spanish Majesties are at. present visiting. Thousands of patriots were reported as ready to join a large scale rising, which was timed to follow a movement by Spanish malcontents from France, including the seizure of the King and Queen, whose personal guard has been strengthened. PARIS, Oct. 27.

A plot, to kidnap King Alfonso, hatched in France, was discovered and frustrated through the prompt action of the French Government. Tho Catalonian separatists had planned to concentrate in the region of tho plot, where King Alfonso was opening new waterworks. 'I bey planned to seize the King, and bis -suite anil to proclaim a, Catalonian Republic. Tiie conspirators, however, found the frontier passes were guarded, and a number of them, wore arrested.

NEW BRITISH AIR FI-EET. LONDON. Oct. 27. Hawker Rolls-Royce daylight bombing pianos, valued at over half a million sterling apiece, arc now being completed. It is intended to equip them for home defence squadrons, and for this purpose from seventy to eighty of those machines will be required.

NOBEL MEDICINE AWARDS. STOCKHOLM. Oct. 27. Nobel Prizes for medicine have been awarded to Professor Fibiger, of Copenhagen, and Professor Conjuregg. of Vienna.

ARGENTINE MEAT AVAR ENDS LONDON, Oct.. 27. The “Financial Times” is informed hat an agreement has been reached to ■ml the Argentine meat war. It is loped that the meat companies will be in a profit-earning basis by December.

THE AVRECK DISASTER

ALLEG ED IN COM PET EN (T

(Received this day at 9.30 a.m.) RIO DK .JANIF.RO, Oct. 29. The steamship Formosa docked with the Mttlfalda survivors, who declared the vessel’s machinery was bail and life saving equipment inefficient. They alleged the crow stormed the lifelionts deserted tile passengers and that thirdclass passengers over-rail the ship and sacked the bar and cabins. One survivor and his wife stateil they swam for half an hour amid half-eaten b alios and wreckage. They alleged there were no instructions in the cabins regarding the use of lifebelts, no boats were assigned to passengers, that one boat drill and one fire drill was held which were a complete fiasco, the passengers not being assembled and no boats swung out. They also declared that after the disaster boats successfully launched never returned, being abandoned when the occupants were rescued. MISSING TOTAL OYER 310. RIO DE JANTERO. Oct. 27. Tlie Italian Embassy here announced to-night that it had received a report that 925 had been saved from the Principessa Malfalda, which sank. There wer 1256 people aboard the ship, leaving more than three hundred unaccounted for.