AUSTRALIAN CABLES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3596, 13 February 1923, Page 26

AUSTRALIAN CABLES.

THE NEW FEDERAL MINISTRY. It is understood that Dr Page has insisted on a vigorous country policy, ineludmg placing the Commonwealth Bank under a board of directors, the establishment of rural credits, the unification of taxation and electoral machinery, reduction of members’ salaries, and the abolition of Australia House, with the substitution of a 'Cabinet Minister in London. Mr Bruce announced that it has been decided to reduce Cabinet from 12 to 11 members. It will bo composed of six Nationalists and five members of the Country Party. The following members of the new Cabinet have been sworn in: Mr Bruce, Prime Minister and Minister of External Affairs. Dr Earle Page, Treasurer. Mr Austin Chapman, Minister of Trade and Customs. Mr P. G. Stewart, Minister of Works and Railways. Mr VV. G. Gibson, Postmaster-general. Mr L. Atkinson, Vice-president of the Executive Council. Mr Groome, Attorney-general. Senator Pearce, Minister of Home and Territorities. Senator Wilson, Honarary Minister. Mr Bowden, Minister of Defence. Another Honorary Minister will be appointed. Mr Austin Chapman (Minister of Trade and Customs) is also Minister of Health. The omission of Mr Pratten has caused considerable surprise. It is understood that, he refused to take office in the same Cabinet as Senator Pearce. THE YARRA TRAGEDY. The police made the discovery of Miss Coughlan’s burial place in a gully as the result of a statement supplied by Frank Bonfiglio, the former husband of Hannan Mitchell, alias Bonfiglio, in December last, when he was in hospital suffering from a gunshot wound allegedly inflicted by Hannah Mitchell during a quarrel. The police also secured evidence that the body \vas taken to the gully by Bonfiglio and the three accused women. They obtained a statement from Mrs Milward admitting that she had assisted in removing the body. Application for bail on behalf of Hannah Mitohell, who was arrested in connection with the Yarra tragedy, was refused, the police stating that accused would injure herself to frustrate the ends of justice. Mr H. Boyd, who informed the police that he saw two men throw something over the Yarra bridge, informed the court at the trial of Hannah Mitchell that he had been called a pimo and an informer, and that his business had fallen off since the occurrence. The hearing of an “intent to murder charge against Nurse Mitohell in connection with the shooting of Frank Bonfiglio on January 13 was aljourned till the charge against her respecting the Yarra discovery is disposed of. PTOMAINE POISONING. Following a meal of sandwiches at a dance at Anderleigh, near Gympie. 54 persons are sufferng from the effects of ptomaine poisoning. One, named William Power, succumbed, and the others after treatment recovered. A DROUGHT THREATENED. The long continued hot and dry weather is causing alarm. With the exception of a few favoured spots, practically no rain has fallen in the country districts since the beginning of the year. Natural feed is exceedingly scarce, and the dairymen in many places are compelled to hand-feed their stock. The position in the western pastoral areas is serious. Excepting for a moderate fall in December last, there has been practically no rain for a year, and water is getting scarce. Unloss rain comes soon the position will be disastrous. Big bush fires in the Merriwa and Gundagai districts are causing extensive damage. A bush fire, with a frontage of 20 miles, is sweeping along the Flinders Ranges. Over 30 men are engaged fighting the flames, which are threatening many farms and orchards. DOMESTIC TRAGEDY. John Lewis, a miner at Gvmpie, after an altercation with his wife, fatally battered her about the head with an axe. He then committed suicide, blowing his head off with a detonator. NEW SOUTH WALES COAL OUTPUT. The coal production in 1922 amounted to 10,793.000 tons, a decrease of 600,000 tons on the 1921 output; which was a record. The Riverina coal mine is expected to be ready in three months. It is stated tfiat the coal will he marketed at one-third of the cost of the coal at present used in the Riverina. EXPLORING PAPUA. Captain Frank Hurley’s party have returned from their visit to Papua, where they accomplished a lot of valuable exploration work, with the assistance cf a couple of aeroplanes. They secured a fine ethnological collection, which thev intended to present to the Australian Museum in Sydney, but they were not allowed bv the Administrator to ship it from Port Moresby, allegedly on the ground that certain irregularities occurred in securing the articles from the natives. FIRE IN SUVA. A fire in Cuming street, in Suva destroyed all the south side and half the north side of the street. The cause of the fire is unknown. The water supply and hose were defective, otherwise much of the property might have been saved. The total damage is estimated at £30.000. The insurances amount to £20.000. There were no casualties, despite the densely-populated area. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. The Australian Portland Cement Company has annonced a reduction in price of cement by 2s per barrel. The Sydney Conservatorium Magazine announces that Mr Verbrugghen is receiving £6OOO per annum for three years as conductor of the Minneapolis Orchestra. If the Federal revenue and expenditure figures continue as healthy during the second half of the financial y T ear as in the first half, it is expected that the surplus will exceed £4,000,000.

An amending Queensland Bill placing both sexes upon equality in respect to divorce proceedings, and also making lunacy an additional ground for divorce, has received Royal Assent. The Lord Mayor of Sydney asked the City Council’s Electric Light Committee to make electricity available at night for lighting the tennis courts. He said that Sydney was pre-eminently suited for evening outdoor games. The New South Wales Cabinet has decided to abolish the penny excess tram fare charged to Sunday travellers, which ever since its inception by the Storey Government has been the subject of strong press and public condemnation. Mr Charleton, leader of the Federal Labour Party, says that after its unmistakable, defeat the only honourable course the Hughes Government could take was to resign, instead of bargaining behind closed doors with another party. No wonder the people were losing confidence in the Parliament.