AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Otago Witness, Issue 3853, 17 January 1928, Page 35

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

SHARE CERTIFICATES. SYDNEY, January 10. The chairman of the Stock Exchange has issued a warning that several cases of fraudulent alterations of share certi ficates in tin and rubber companies are reported from the East. The alterations have been made by persons who obtained possession of certificates for a small number of shares, using chemicals to erase the number of the shares mentioned and substituting a larger number. It is believed that over £50.000 has been lost in the Federal Malay States bypersons purchasing bogus certificates. NEW SOUTH WALES HARVEST. SYDNEY, January 10. lhe latest official returns show that the wheat harvesting is largely completed. It was gathered mostly under favourable conditions, and the yield, on the whole, is better than was anticipated. ’

DARING ROBBERY IN MELBOURNE. MELBOURNE. January 10. A daring theft, in full view of nun deeds of people, was committed at Pal frey’s jewellery store in the city shortly before noon. Two men smashed a plateglass window and stole two racks containing 54 diamond rings, valued -it £2OOO, and decamped. Although .-hased by a number of men who witnessed the robbery, the thieves escaped.

BRITISH EMPIRE EXHIBITION. SYDNEY, January 12. Th? State Government has decided to offer Centennial Park as a site to the Federal Government on which to hold the proposed British Empire Exhibition, subject to restoration of the park to its original state at the conclusion of the exhibition.

FRAUDULENT TAXATION RETURNS.

MELBOURNE. January 12. As an outcome of the raid on the Smail Aims Company, William Bartlett (secre tary of Abrahams Bros.), Fanny Cohen, Miriam Ilyams, Esther Lyons, Louis Hyams, Phillip Ilyams, and Harry Ilyams were fined amounts totalling £lOOO. with total costs of £2lO.

1 lie charges, to which all pleaded guilty, were making false income tax returns. The defendants, with the exception of Bartlett, are relatives <_>l Aurahams, and tire Crown alleged chat for some years past they acted as dummies, enabling Abrahams' Bros, to pay m come tax 12 to 16 per cent, less than the proper tax.

On warrants issued on an information sworn by Mr R. J. Birch, senior invest! gating officer of the Taxation Department, 18 constables and 20 taxation officials conducted raids on the Small Arms Company, Elizabeth street, the city residences of the company’s solicitors, and those o* other persons believed to be associated with the company. Safe-opening exper s. with oxy-acetylene apparatus accom panied the party, and in two instances their services were required to open saf?s and strong rooms. Eight motor car loads of documents were seized in the raids, and these were examined by a special staff of taxation officers. The declaration of Mr Birch was to the effect that ae had been investigating the company’s taxation returns, and he believed hat many of them were fraudulent, and that an attempt was being made to defraud the Commonwealth.

INCREASED DUTY ON SHEEP. SYDNEY, January 13. The Tariff Board has concluded its hearing of the request from the Federal Council of Breeders of British Sheep for an increased duty on sheep of certain varieties. Giving evidence in support of the ap plication, Mr David M’Naught said there was a good sport trade between New Zealand and Australia of what were known as flock rams, but unfortunately it was not a genuine trade. He said that when a New Zealand district had completed its season, and had rams left over, it could not sell those rams it another New Zealand district because no other district would have them at any price. The result was that the dealers could buy them at their own price, and ship them to Australia. Those rams would never til’, their mission as rams. To begin with, they were scrubs ano would not beget fat lamb. This was not the only trouble, because their progeny were srood for nothing. They were inferior, and had not the power to" fatten themselves. They were therefore not sent to market, but left here. The result was that they were bred from agat.i. and so deterioration went on.

Replying to questions, witness said that New Zealand looked upon Australia as its dumping ground. Furthermore, there was a movement on foot over there to prevent stud sheep of the better class coming to Australia.

BUSH FIRES IN VICTORIA. MELBOURNE, January 13. Bush fires raged throughout the State the whole day, causing enormous damage, but with the exception of Gippsland, where they are still burning a cool change assisted the fire fighters to control the outbreaks. So far one fatality has been reported, a volunteer fire fighter named Barton collapsed. Outbreaks in Mallee was followed bv a hurricane, which uprooted trees and ‘demolished houses, adding to the already heavy damage. A boy named Helev was riding with his father in a motor‘truck when the hurricane blew the truck off the road, fatality impaling the boy on a fence.

HIGH COMMISSIONER’S STATUS. MELBOURNE, January 14. Mr Bruce says that the Federal Ministry 7 has no intention of applying the term ambassador to the High Commissioner in London. The impression that this might be done seemed to have arisen through something he stated two or three years ago when he remarked .hat the High Commissioner was performing* the work of an ambassador, and that his duties and responsibilities would in future years become more and more like those of an ambass: dor.