OVERNIGHT CABLES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17306, 22 March 1924, Page 5

OVERNIGHT CABLES.

WASHINGTON, March 20 Tex Rickard, appearing before the Investigation Committee dealing with the affairs of the Attorney-General, Mr H. M. Daugherty, questioned concerning the illegal distribution of CarpentierDempsey fight films in inter-State commerce, testified that knowingly he had arranged for the distribution upon a secret assurance that prosecutions would not be pressed. Rickard’s mode of procedure was to exhibit the films, submit to a light fine and then continue exhibitions with impunity, apparently through the connivance of officials of the Department of Justice. Rickard stated that he was first fined • 000 dollars in New York. He added: “ Then I went out to get my money back." The committee, however, showed that he had more than recouped the initial loss, producing Rickard's own expense accounts, which indicated that the fines within each State averaged 500 dollars against receipts totalling 25.000 dollars. Rickard declared, however, that these methods involved other heavy expenses, which made his own net profit only 1000 dollars. NEW YORK. March 20. A telegram from Reading, Pennsylvania. says:— “ Governor Pinchot s State troupe rs, widening their sphere of operations, raided eight saloons and confiscated large amounts of bootleg liquor here. Then the major in command served a drastic notice, giving the municipal police twenty-four hours wherein to apprehend liquor violators, or submit their resignations. " The announcement plainly intimated that so-called ‘high voltage ’ beer was being constantly manufactured by a local brewery in which State officials were interested. ’ PARIS. March 20. The Chamber of Deputies passed the Army Bill. TOKIO. March 20. The latest report is that there is little hope of rescuing the entombed A diver's report indicates that they are still alive. SYDNEY, March 21. Mrs Emily Vitali, wife of Commander itali, Italian Consul, is suing Frank Lubrano. shipping agent of Sydeny, to recover £2OOO for alleged assault and also for allegedly publishing false statements regarding hci. The action is a sequel to Ll.e divorce suit brought by Lubrano in which Commander Vitali was co-respondent and which resulted in petitioner being granted a decree. The alleged assault consisted of Lubrano slapping Mrs Vitali on the face at an Italian dinner. MELBOURNE. March 21 Hugo crowds continue to visit the warships and the police hare a difficult task in handling them on the wharf. Numbers of cases have been treated at the hospitals as the result of crushes, and clothing and hats have suffered badly in the scrambles. Big batches of men from the wa>shfps had a royal time visiting the larger inland towns. NEW YORK, March 21. Representing a capital of 315,000,000 dollars and producing 2.000,000 horsepower in the heart of the coal and steel industrial regions, eleven companies serving Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland have formed a co-operative coalfields superpower group. It is predicted that the group within a year will link up with the group system of Niagara Falls and New England. Southern and New England and the Southern and Chicago systems. This marks a long stride towards an electric system that will embrace the nation, advocated by the Secretary of Commerce, Mr H. Hoover, who proposes to retain the independence of the various members and plans to furnish more power and cheaper. The territory linked by to-day’s compact. covers 7,250,000 individual con sumers.