NEWS IN BRIEF.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17353, 19 May 1924, Page 8

NEWS IN BRIEF.

The Melbourne tramwaymen lest £26,000 in wages during the strike. The Comptroller-General of Prisons, New South Wales, says that the position a*t the Bathurst gaol is now norAn Auckland message says that half of a split £1 Bank of New Zealand note was successfully passed in a confectionery shop. A writ has been issued against the “ Sydney Morning Herald ” on behalf of Shirley Douglas Falcke, art dealer, claiming £SOOO damages for alleged libel. A message from Timaru says:—The body of John M’Kenzie, known as John Watson, a rabbiter, who had been missing from Mount Nessing since April 14, was fouiia near the top uf a range on Saturday., A Melbourne cable says that the timber mill of the Victorian Hardwood Milling Company, at Powelltown, was gutted by fire. The damage is estimated at £IOO,OOO. The buildings, which occupied half an acre, were covered by insurance.

A message from Auckland says that Kate Dowding, aged sixty-five, a widow, was knocked down by a motor-car in Queen Street, on Saturday night, and sustained a broken leg, a broken hip and other injuries. She died in hospital.

A London messages says that Mr Hassan has been informed that the whole of the frozen meat contract for six months for the British Army ha.s been awarded o th«* dominion: It is understood that Australia gets the major portion. In the early hours of Sunday morning someone entered the main Hokitika fire station, turned off the blowoff cock on the steam engine, allowing the water in the boiler to run away, and then set alight the first box, with the result that the boiler tubes were burnt out. As the outcome of the finding of the Court of Inquiry into the foundering of the steamer Wyrallah as the result of her collision with the Dilkera, says a Melbourne cable, the masters of both vessels will appear before the tribunal i on Tuesday to answer various charges ! of neglect of duty. i A London cable says that the Bran 1 ford employers refused the Wool and j Textile Industrial Council's application j for a 10 per cent increase in wages. | but offered a year’s renewal of the i existing agreement. 'lhe council | recommends the refusal of tie I offer and decided to approach, j the Government for the appointment of I a Court of Inquiry. I A Sydney message states that at a j joint meeting of the Printing IndusI try Employees’ Union and., the Amalga- . mated Printing Trades Employees’ Union, a policy of passive resistance ! was decided on to the reintroduction j uf the forty-eight hour week which is I made possible by a variation of awards l hv the Court. 'Hie question of appealing against the Court’s action was 1 considered.