AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16405, 11 April 1924, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

THE GREATER EVIL'.' MELBOURNE, March 26.—“ Gambling in evcsy form is increasing in Australia," said General Bramwell Bnotli to-dnv. “I am not sure that it lias mil become a greater evil than drinking." BIG STATION SALE. BRISBANE. March 26. Glenearn station, the property of Mr. Hugh M. Ross, has been disposed of to a southern purchaser. The property consists of 114,250 acres. About 25,000 sheep and other live stock wore included in the transaction. Ihe price was in the vicinity of £60,000. DEATH AFTER TENNIS. ( I)VYE A (N.N.W.). .March 26.—Mr. W. A. Stokes, a prominent resident of this town for many years, died .suddenly just, after taking part in a game of tennis. . He was at one time the manager of the Australian Moint Stock Rank at Cowra, and resigned to commence business as a stock and station agent and financial agent. TO HIGHEST BIDDER. WARSHIPS FOR SALE. 1 MELBOURNE, March 29.—1i.M.A.5. Cerberus, known for some years as the Platypus, is to he sold by the Defence Department to tlio highest- bidder. Also on the sales list arc Ii.M.A.S. Countess of Hopetouii and the submarine .13. Four other submarines are being dismantled. MA.TOR BAILEY: TS HE IN AUSTRALIA? MELRCURNE. March 26.—Major Norman Bailey, who is alleged to have murdered ins wile at llove. England, may have come to Australia. The G.J.D. has been asked to keep a lookout for him. Bailey, alter the murder of his wile, disappeared, and it- was supposed that he had hidden in Europe. lie kept- the police and the newspapers guessing for weeks, and then faded out of notice and out of the memory of all, save the men of Scotland Yard. 150 ROBBERIES. ALLEGED ( ONFESSI (IX. SYDNEY, March 26.—An extraordinary story lias come to light concerning the alleged operations of a man who was arrested at North Sydney recently on charges of breaking and enterin-.:.

Tile man, detectives say, lias confessed to having broken into over 150 bouses round Sydney in the space of seven months. In that time it is alleged that he. has stolen property—principally jewellery—valued at nearly £3OOO. MISSING STEAMER. WRECKAGE FOUND. BRISBANE, March 29.—The Deputy Director of Navigation is in receipt of a telegram from the Sub-Collector of Customs at Darwin to the effect that the lugger lola lit he, which reached Darwin from Borroloola. on March 27. reports that a. large <|uantity of wreckage, including spars, planks, and fitting, is strewn about the beach at- Mount Alexander. The wreckage is believed to be from the steamer Douglas Mawson. Aborigines state that the hull of a. steamer was driven ashore in the vicinity a year ago. ELEC ITON ADVERTISEMENTS. LIBERAL SECRETARY FINED. ADELAIDE, March 21. The secretary of the Liberal Federation (Mr. William B. Page) was, on the information of the secretary of the Labor Party (Mr. F. F. Ward), charged in the police court with having inserted an election advertisement without at* laeliing his signature thereto. After a long legal argument on the meaning of the word “advertisement.” and as to what the Electoral Code of 1908 (really meant, Rage was found guilty, and fined £2O. with costs. A stay of proceedings was granted. AERIAL PATROLS. GUARDING THE COAST. PROPOSED BASES. MELBOURNE, March 29.—1 t is con. sidered likely that a. seaplane patrol base at. Darwin will ho included in the programme for the development of the Air Force. From that point, tlie patrols, could control the 200-mile passage to Timor Island (East, Indies). A subsidiary station at Cape York, to patrol the Torres Strait between Australia and New Guinea, also may be established. Through Torres' Strait-

shipping comes from the Indian Ocean lo the East Const of Australia and to New Zealand outside the Great Barrier Reef. Patrol bases are to he established at other strategical ponds on the Australian coast, and also- in Tasmania. BENZINE EXPLOSION. NATIVES’ NARROW ESCAPE. SYDNEY. March 20. —A sensation was caused at Port Moresby (New Guinea) a couple, of norks ago. when an explosion occurred among 14CC cases of benzine, on the ketch Loins. The ketch was loaded for transfer to (he steamer Ceduii.i. and the explosion took place while the* European supervisors were at lunch. All the native “hoys" on Ihe vessel were more or less burnt, and dived overboard. The Ceduna, communicated with the shore, and the “boys" were hurried to the hospital.

Whilst the ketch was burning fiercely ono native appeared to he drowning, and Mr. V. Maxwell braveiy swam from the shore to the burning vessel and rescued the “boy.” The Lotus Was totally destroyed. She was insured in. the Queensland office for £BGO, and it will cost about £I2OO to replace, her.