AUSTRALIAN CABLES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3614, 19 June 1923, Page 26

AUSTRALIAN CABLES.

SHOCKING TRAGEDY. A school of sharks, rendered vicious by hunger, attacked a party of four fishermen in a skiff off Ballambi. They nosed in the bottom of the boat, which began to sink, and then turned over. The four men were thrown into the water, and three—George Clarke, E. Powell, and Joseph Rigby—were devoured by the monsters. The fourth man, John Butler, after a terrifying experience, hanging for an hour to the upturned boat, was rescued by a passing collier. FREEZING WORKS FATALITY SYDNEY, June 12. A blow-off pipe, underground at the Careoav ’•’’■-rezing Works, split on its underneath side for a distance of lOin. A stream of steam and water at a pressure of 1501 b to the square inch spurted forth, making an excavation 6ft in length, sft wide, and 2ft- deep. Stanley Cowan, in endeavouring to locate the valve handle to shut off the cock, fell into this excavation, which contained hot mud. He was scalded to the neck, and was taken to the hospital, where lie died last, night. friaries Arnold, engineer, also fell into the hole and was severely scalded. the meat market. SYDNEY, June 13. The Sydney Morning Herald, in commenting on the reports that cattle were being bought in New Zealand by speculators for the Australian meat market, says: !‘I he reports have not created much interest in the trade here. The general belief is that very little New Zealand meat, f arty, will be retailed in Australia at the present cost of landing it. and the fact that large quantities of chilled Queensland 'beef are available for Sydney and Melbourne will also prevent any large trade in meat develon.ig with New Zealand. This meat is available at a cheap rate, because of the depression in the export trade. The Herald further points out that nearly 500,000 cattle are available in Queensland for export, but- the meat works expect to treat only-200,000, so that large numbers of cattle should teach the southern markets during the next few months. SHORT-LIVED FREEDOM. . SYDNEY, June 13. Muriel _ Goldsmith and Ettie Berm, prisoners in Long Bay Penitentiary, made a bold attempt to escape, one of them covering her prison dress with a dress belonging to the matron, and the other taking her chance in her prison garb. They jumped from the top of an 18ft wall in broad daylight. Bonn broke her leg in falling, and Goldsmith spoiled her chances of getting away by remaining to help her injured conTnule. On making a clash later for the surrounding bush, she was seen and recaptured. CRIME AGAINST LITTLE GIRLS. MELBOURNE, June 15. A deputation from all the churches waited on Ministers and asked that steps be taken to prevent crimes against little girls. The Attorney-general said that every step would be taken to prevent wrongdoers escaping punishment. There was a tendency among so-called experts to assume that wrongdoers were not responsible for their actions. 0 He favoured a medical investigation of accused if the evidence in the lower courts warranted it. MISCELLANEOUS. Fire destroyed Wynyard’s free store in Sydney, the damage being estimated at £15,000. Leonard Henry Lovett, 18 years, was committed for trial on the charge of murdering Percival Carratt,. aged five years, at Arueliffe, by choking- him. Prisoners in Bathurst- Gaol, bring dissatisfied with Ihe tobacco issue, became refractory, and returned to their cells only when tbo warders threatened them w;'h rifles and revolvers. The Federal Government has accepted the offer of the Melbourne Harbour Trust, of £150,000 for Ihe purchase of the Williams-to-vn dockyard. A portion of it will be utilised in extending the Alfred Graving dock. Floods are reported in the southern half of New South Vi ales. The Murrumbidgee River has reached flood level at Vvagga, and the Murray River is 15in above flood level at A Iburv. Following the request of the wheatgrowers of New South Wales and South Australia, the Commonwealth lias agreed to finance a voluntary wheat pool next wheat harvest. Mr Theodore. Premier of Queensland, has wired Mr Bruce, Prime Minister, on behalf of the sugar growers, seeking modification of the Commonwealth's proposals in the direction, of ensuring a. certain price—£27 a ton —for two years, with a tribunal to determine the price in the third year. Owing to tlie shortage of seasoual lines and other causes, the overseas shipping companies are experiencing extreme difficulty in securing adequate cargoes from Australia. This is largely due to the recent drought.

The slackness in the meat export trade lias also been a facior. Mr Chaffey has promised a deputation of horse-breeders in New South Wales that he would introduce a Bill in the Assembly to restrict the rise of unsound or mongrel sires. The deputation stated that reject stallions, sent from Victoria and other States, were a menace to the industry. The State Government, exercising its light under a mortgage, is taking over the Mount Mulligan mine from the Chill&gou Company. It, is expected considerably to increase the output and supply the Chillagoe works with smelter. The Mount Mulligan mine was the scene of a disaster in September, 1921.