NEWS IN BRIEF.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17526, 1 May 1925, Page 8

NEWS IN BRIEF.

The Prince of “Wales has arrived at Capetown and was enthusiastically welcomed. A London message states that the death sentence passed on Thorpe, the murderer, lias been commuted to one of life imprisonment. During the combined naval and military aerial operations at Malta an aeroplane caught fire and crashed in an unsuccessful attempt to land. The pilot was incinerated and two others were badly burned and sent to hospital. The cruiser Concord which has arrived at Sydney to replace the cruiser Brisbane, is the first British warship to join the Australian navy imder the exchange arrangement. The Brisbane has joined the China Station. I According to an official by the New South "Wales Customs the restoration of preference on sugar entails an advantage of 46s lOd a ton for Australian sugar, raising it from 38s lOd to Sss Sd from July 1. Mr Bruce, Commonwealth Prime Minister, has announced that a reduction has been effected in the rates at present charged bv the Pacific Cable Board for Press cables. The present rate of 7£d per word would be reduced to 6d per word. Wilbert Stanley Clark, master of the steamer Awahou, was charged at the Auckland Magistrate’s Court to-day with allowing the vessel’s Plimsoll mark to be submerged 25in. The breach was corrected immediately his attention was drawn to it by the removal of seventeen tons of deck cargo. Te Court held that the offence was not serious, and dismissed the charge on the payment of costs. In the House of Commons the Hon W. C. Bridgeman pointed out that four large floating t docks had been handed over to Britain by Germany. One had been sold and two were being utilised at Singapore. The fourth was at present surplus, and therefore, in the interests of economy, it would be sold. The question of its use in one of the English dockyards has heen considered, but he was of the opinion that the best thing was to dispose of it now.