NEWS BY CABLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3443, 9 March 1920, Page 40

NEWS BY CABLE.

LINER BREAKS IN TWO. HALIFAX, N.S., March 2. The Leyland liner Bohemian, a steel screw four-masted steamer of 8555 tons, built by A. Stephens and Sons, Glasgow, went ashore at Sambro Point (S.W. head of the entrance to Halifax Harbour). She broke in halves and sank. Seven of tho'se aboard were drowned. The passengers have been taken off. ' STEAMER IN DIFFICULTIES The steamer St. Paul, en ' route to Southampton, sent a . wireless message stating that, owing to trouble with her boilers, she is returning to Halifax. The steamer carried 729 passengers and crew. She arrived later at -Halifax (Nova Scotia), and her passengers were transferred to the steamer Cedrie and Canada. JAPANESE POLITICS. According to official advices from Tokio the Diet has been dissolved as the result of profound differences between the Cabinet and the majority parties regarding the extension of the franchise. The Emperor dissolved the Diet at the request of the Premier, following upon violent scenes in Parliament. AMBASSADOR To> WASHINGTON. It is definitely stated that Sir Auckland Geddes has been elected as Ambassador to Washington, and that the United States has accepted the appointment. Sir R. S. Home is likely to succeed him on the Board of Trade. AMERICA DECLINES N.Z. MUTTON. The Imperial Government proposed to sell Now Zealand mutton to America, but the Americans decimal to operate at the prices asked, because, they said/'the carcases were telescoped. WIRELESS TELEPHONING. Telephone wireless experiments are proceeding at Chelmsford, Essex. The experimenters are attempting to speak to America and Australia. Already telephonic messages have been picked up from Spain. The apparatus costs £lO. HIGH-SPEED WIRELESS. The Marconi Company has inaugurated a direct high-speed service between London and New York, using a private direct wire connecting the capitals with the wireless termini. -{ FLOODS IN SOUTH AFRICA. A protracted drought followed by continuous rains is causing serious floods in the Free State and Cape Colony. Tha Modder River has risen 50ft, and considerable areas are inundated. Some villages are cut off. SHIPPING FREIGHTS. The Orient and P. and O. Lines are now paying a rebate to Australian shippers irrespective of whether they formerly shipped by the commonwealth liners. THE EXCHANGE RATE." It is reported that the British, are preparing to despatch £40,000,000 in gold to the Jnited States to rectify the exchange rate. The pound sterling exchange at Vancouver is now quoted at 3.70 dollars. A PROCESSION DISPERSED. Mounted police charged and dispersed outside Westminster an excited procession of two thousand ex-soldiers and sailors, who marched from Whitehall to interview the Prime Minister regarding the dismissal > of ex-service men from Government factories. Sticks, stones, and bottles were freely thrown. The police, used batons. Fiftyfive processionists and one inspector were injured. i ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. The Royal Geographical Society announces that after full consideration the society is unable to approve of Captain Cope's plans or leadership, or to give the expedition its countenance or support. The decision will not interfere with Captain Cope's plans. GENERAL ITEMS. Admiral Horthy has been elected Regent of Hungary. . Lord Brassey's estate has been, valued for probate at £854,033. The Pope has excommunicated 200 Czechoslovak priests who defied the Vatican's interdiction against marriage. Owing to the unsettled state of the country and the lack of accommodation the authorities deprecate visitors proceeding to Gallipoli before May, 1921. "A message from Helsingfors reports an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Lord Acton, British Minister to Finland. The councils of the Colonial Institute, the Overseas Club, and League of Britons Overseas have approved of a, scheme of amalgamation, and are working out the details.' The National News states that it has been arranged that Prince Albert shall become Governor-general of an important dominion after the Prince of Wafes concludes his Imperial tour in 1921. The Socialists' Congress at Strassburg affirmed the reconstruction of the Internationale, and rejected a proposal to give adhesion to the Moscow Internationale. The names of the. German owners of jewellery and other valuables which*agents were endeavouring to smuggle into Sweden last year have hitherto been kept secret, but have now been published. They include the ex-Crown Prince of . Bavaria, other Bavarian princes and princesses,, and grand dukes and grand duchesses.

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

The Queensland Methodist Conference adopted a resolution, increasing allowances to ministers by 10 per cent. Fire destroyed Maguire's wicker furniture factory at Waterloo, N.S. Wales. The damage amounts to £15,000. It is officially estimated that the population of New South Wales has passed the two million mark. The note issue of the Commonwealth Bank amounts to £57,039,628. The gold reserve totals £23,657,079. , The Australian branch of the Empire Press Union has decided that 14 papers should be represented at the Canadian Conference. A Canadian trader has arrived at New-

castle, inaugurating a new freight service from Canadian ports. The New South Wales State revenue for the past eight months increased _by £3,054,376 as compared with the previous corresponding period. The miners at Maitland coalfield are organising a boycott of the beer houses and certain commodities until prices are reduced.

The New South Wales Government has raised for six months the embargo on the expert of base metals. The Brisbane Trades Hall Council has requested tile Government to submit all proposed industrial legislation- to the council before it-is presented to Parliament. The South Australian Methodist Conference is discussing a motion making total abstinence from alcohol a condition of church membership. A resumption of the shipping caused a drop of £8 per ton in potato prices in Sydney. Big shipments are due from Tasmania. Maize declined Is per bushel. The year's mineral output in New South Wales was valued at £9,882,366, being _ a decrease of £4,536,986 (?) compared with the previous year. Thirteen capital charges, including eight cases of murder, are on the list for the forthcoming sittings of the Criminal Court. A Queensland Order-in-Council prohibits the nomination of further assisted passages to Queensland for those desiring to emigrate from Britain. The conference of the Methodist Churches of Victoria and Tasmania decided to form a sustentation fund to provide ministers with a minimum stipend of £240 ayear. The New South Wales Commodities' Commission has granted the Texas Oil Company's application for an increase in the price of kerosene to 24s 6d per case, and an increase in benzine to 33s per case. Rheuben, Sheedy, Robinson, and Martin, the four men charged with conspiracy arising out of the report of Judge Pring (Wheat Commissioner) have been committed for trial at Sydney. According to cable advice received the Blue Funnel and Aberdeen Lines of steamers have recently increased passenger fares to and from Australia. The P. and 0. Company has also increased its fares. Following the Methodist Conference decision that he must either relinquish his candidature for one of the seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly or retire from the ministry, as clerical influence in Parliament was considered undesirable, Chaplain Wilson has resigned from the ministry. FALLING BIRTH RATE. SYDNEY, March 2. The birth rate in the metropolitan area last year was the lowest on record, being 14 per cent, below tha average for the preceding five years. The death rate was 42.6 per cent, above the average for the prceding five years, chiefly the result of the influenza epidemic Excluding influenza, the rate compared favourably with pre ceding years. CONFISCATION OF GOLD. The Customs have confiscated sovereigns and gold jewellery valued at £9OO found in the .possession of five Indians from Fiji, who were attempting to leave Australia. The gold represnted five years' savings on the plantations. This is the first case of confiscation since the proclamation prohibiting ihe export of gold, which was issued in 1915. A meeting of the Victorian Butter and Cheese Factories Association adopted a resolution in favour of a return to the prewar conditions of marketing butter and cheese. A conference of New South Wales butter factory owners on the sth will consider a further contract with the Imperial Government for 'tha next season's butter and cheese. It is understood that New Zealand producers with free markets are firmly of the opinion that should the British Government desire to buy it should operate on the open market. ANOTHER SHOOTING TRAGEDY. \ Another shooting tragedy resulted in the death of a woman, another woman and a man being wounded. Mrs Cullen, with her sister was riding in a tramcar in George street, Sydney, when her husband jumped on the footboard and fired four shots, wounding both women. He then shot himself. Mrs Oullne died in the hospital, and the others are not expected to recover. EMPIRE PRESS UNIONS. The annual meeting of the Australian section of the Empire Press Union passed a resolution urging the duplication of the Pacific cable and the establishment of a wireless service, either by the Government or by private enterprise. The Empire Press Union report showed that, owing to the congestion on other cables, the Pacific cable during 1919 carried 8,500,000 words. In regard to the enormous increase in the price of news print paper, the report stated that many newspapers had been compelled to increase prices, and the report foreshadowed that other papers would find it impossible to continue at their present prices for long. An invatation was received to enrol the union ii€ .the Australian section of the World's Press Congress to be held at SJydney in October, but it was decided not to enrol as an organisation, though members would be left free to take individual action. Mr G. E. Fairfax was elected chairman. ' Speaking at the Million's Club dinner at Sydney, Mr B. Long, Dominion editor of The Times, said that Australian news published in English papers was lamentably small. The Times has decided that the best way to improve matters is to send a representative here. After referring to the position Australia had won in the eyes of the world during the war, Mr Long declared that while the iron was hot was the time to impress the British community. Here was a community with immense possibilities and one that was forging ahead. Australia held a new position internationally as a signatory to the Peace Conference, and could no longer regard herself as isolated from the rest of the world. Slje must take her part in settling the great questions awaiting the world's decision. RENOUNCING THE WORLD. The Anglican Diocesan Council at Rockhampton has received a letter from Bishop Harford, of Rockhampton, announcing his intention to resign his see. He declared that ho was about to renounce all he possessed, and would live a life of poverty for Jesusls sake. He conceived this to be a call from God and dared not disobey. He was constrained bv the examples of the Son of God, who, though rich,_ became poor. After his resignation he will a worker in the Bush Brotherhood.'