AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22742, 30 November 1935, Page 14

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

DIAMOND MERCHANT’S SUIT CLAIM AGAINST GOVERNMENT (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) SYDNEY, November 29. Joseph Heinrich Heinmann, a retired diamond merchant, at present living in Wellington, is suing the Comonwealth of Australia for £50,000, which, he alleges, was promised him for information he gave about diamond smuggling into Australia. Mr Justice Evatt, in the High Court, dismissed Heinmann’s application to have the case heard in . the High Court, referring it to the New South Wales Supreme Court. IMPORTS OF PORK SYDNEY, November 29. North Coast producers are asking for an official investigation into the allegation that 10,000 legs of pork were admitted 'to New South Wales from New Zealand duty free, owing to the fear expressed by importers that there was likely to be a shortage of Christmas hams. GRANT FOR CHRISTMAS CHEER CANBERRA, November 28. To provide Christmas cheer for returned . soldiers and sailors in need, Cabinet has decided to contribute £2OOO to the Returned Soldiers and Sailors’ League. STEAMER WITHOUT A CREW

SYDNEY, November 29.

The Burns, Philp steamer Mangola, due to sail to-day for Java, is unable to secure a crew. This is the first ship call for a crew under the new maritime award. It may mean the first shot in the threatened maritime strike, and may influence the Union Company regarding the crew of the Niagara, which is due on Monday. Although Union Company officials refused to comment, it is considered in shipping circles that a volunteer crew will be re-engaged. EXTENSION OF DISPUTE LIKELY SYDNEY, November 29. (Received Nov. 29, at 11.15 p.m.] Important developments indicated an early extension of the shipping dispute. A further effort to-day to obtain a crew for the Mangola failed, and thereafter the crew of the_ inter-State steamer Manoora, which is listed to sail to-morrow for Fremantle, gave 24 hours’ notice. Ten members of the crew of the Wanganella, which is due to sail for Auckland to-morrow, and one each on the freighters Duntroon and Maeedon gave notice. The Wanganella has 250 passengers. It is regarded as unlikely that any action will be taken to hold up ships in Melbourne until after the seamen’s meeting there next Tuesday. OUTLOOK NOT BRIGHT SYDNEY, November 29. (Received Nov. 30, at 1.45 a.m.) The Commonwealth Navigation Department adopted the unusual course tonight of permitting the oversea liner Strathnaver, which sailed for England, to take the Manoora’s interstate passengers, which is understood to have angered the seamen. Complete dislocation of shipping is expected over the week-end. TARIFF ADJUSTMENTS SYDNEY, November ‘29. (Received Nov. 29, at 5.5 p.m.) Sixty-nine increases, of which 28 are under the British preferential scale, and 269 decreases, of which 141 are in the British preferential rates, are involved in the Federal tariff adjustments, which were effective from to-day. An important feature is the reintroduction of an intermediate tariff, which was abolished after the Ottawa Agreement. This will not operate immediately, but is included to provide a basis for the negotiation of trade treaties with foreign countries. Among the reductions in the tariff are many affecting mining and metallurgical machinery, which is_ expected to assist the development of mines. Other reductions, applying to certain types of lampware, glassware, wrapping paper and strawboard, are the results of the Tariff Board’s statement that the profit on capital invested in local industries has been high and the prices to consumers should be reduced. The increases mainly concern' machinery adjustments.