OVERNIGHT CABLES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18629, 5 December 1928, Page 6

OVERNIGHT CABLES.

(United Pre*» A*sn. —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) Billiards. LONDON', December 4. As anticipated. Smith badly outpointed Fred Landrum in the first day of the match at Newcastlte-on-Tyne, With the aid of 2SB and six other threefigure breaks, he scored 1463 to Landrum's 28S in the afternoon, while at the evening .session lie had a brilliant break of 71S. Landrum never reached his top form, averaging only 3 3 per innings in tlie afternoon and 47 in the evening.—Australian Press Association. Safeguarding: Duties. LONDON, December 4. The meeting of wool trades employees at Bradford on Tuesday is awaited with the keenest interest. The Bradford correspondent of the “ Dail\' Herald ” declares that the safeguarding developments are connected with the recent move against w-ages. The employers proposed a reduction and then withdrew the proposal. Meanwhile the subject of safeguarding was raised. The decision of Saturday’s conference may be taken as willingness to test the employers’ repeated demand for safeguarding rather than committing the unions to believe its efficiency. —Australian Press Association. N.S.W. Savings Bank. SYDNEY, December 4. The Premier, Mr Bavin, to-day announced the retirement of Mr O’Malle)' Wood, president of the Government Savings Bank, and of Mr J. Davies, third commissioner of the bank. He added that Mr H. D. Hall had been appointed president, while the two vacant commissionerships would be filled by the appointment of Mr R. May, chief inspector of the bank, and Mr A. Turner, secretary.— Press Association. Freight War Ended. LONDON, December 4. “ The Times ” learns that the British-Continental-South African Line has withdrawn its steamers from the South African trade, in conformity with an arrangement with the South African conference lines, by which the latter take over all cargo commitments. This will end the freight war which has been waged for eighteen months, largely from Continental ports, with heavy losses.—Australian Press Association. Chilean Earthquake. SANTIAGO, December 4. Refugees from Talca say that the damage done in that city by the earthquake amounted to £3.000.000. A hospital was burnt following the ’quake, and 200 were injured. Fifty-four are dead and a hundred injured in other places. The damage is widespread and practically all the population in Talca and in the surrounding villages is living in tents in open squares. The total of known dead in the entire ’quake zone stands at 230. —United Service. Federal Elections. SYDNEY, December 4. The first New South Wales Senate candidate was declared elected to-day. This is Mr J. B. Dooley (Labour). Broken Hill, whose preferences are likely to return the other Labour candidates, Messrs Dunn and Rae. —Australian Press Association. Sir James Mills. FREMANTLE, December 4. The Cormorin arrived from England. Sir James Mills, chairman of the Union Steam Ship Company, is abroad. He will visit New Zealand, combining busi- . ness with pleasure.—Australian Press Association. “ Mystery ” Aeroplane Crashes. WASHINGTON, December 3. The United States “mystery” aeroplane was demolished when it fell 3000 feet over a naval air station to-day. The right wing dropped off during difficult The pilot, James Collins, landed from a parachute. lie suffered from shock.

The ’plane was one on which the Curtiss Company had worked for a year, and was reported to have cost 100.000 dollars. It was considered to have been one of the year's outstanding aviation developments.—Australian Press Association. Distress Among Miners. LONDON, December 3. “ There has not been industrial distress matching the plight of the coalfields since the cotton famine last century,” says a leading article in “ The Times.” “ Whole communities have been stricken. Homes are rendered bare of clothing, and boots worn out, bedding is scarce, and neighbours have been reduced to sharing their meagre cooking appliances. Their poverty at the approach of winter has become chronic. “ A population of 750,000 find that employment has simply leit them | They must find other won: far afield ; The calamity has fallen swirly and severely, yet the remedy must be slow.” The article suggests an addition to the general relief funds by which various towns might adopt villages, as was done after the war in connection with ruined French and Belgian villages.— Times Cables.

Soviet War Budget. The Moscow correspondent of the “ Daily News ” states that at the opening meeting of the central executive of the All Russian Congress of Soviets in the Kremlin’s great gilt throne room, the Finance Commissar, M. Bruchanof, announced that the war budget was being increased by roughly £19,500,000. The total revenue for the financial year to September, 1929, was estimated at £750,000,000, an increase of £90,000,000. The “ Daily News ” recalls that it was just a year ago that M. Litvinoff proposed universal disarmament at Geneva. —United Service. Food Shortage in Russia. LONDON, December 3. The Riga correspondent of “ The Times” reports that the Soviet Trade Commissariat has drawn up stringent regulations for the prevention of queues awaiting bread, flour, milk, butter, textiles and kerosene. Meat is over-plentiful, owing to the peasants sending so many cattle to slaughter because they are unable to feed them. Newspapers state that soap, sugar and other everyday commodities are very scarce, and grain supplies are declining. The November collections were only 60 per cent of the estimates.— Times Cables. American Naval Ambitions. NEW YORK, December 3. Rear-Admiral L. R. de Steiguer. Commandant of the Third Naval District, in an address here, said:— “ We must . our own ocean transports if we are to continue to prosper, and must have a wellknit naval system like England’s, which we can well copy. To support it our people to-day must make up their minds whether or not to take a secondary position in the world. Our fleet and our wealth give us our position in world affairs to-day, and our wealth without our fleet would b*-. a mere invitation for aggression. Vc are weak in cruisers. This is a burnng question, opposed by groups whicn are under-

mining our national character. The fleet is necessarv to preserve our economic position, because we ere a great creditor nation, and people do not love their creditors.”—Australian Press Association. Steel Sleepers. RUGBY, December 3. An initial order for 70,000 steel sleepers, equalling 5000 tons of steel, has been placed with a British firm by the Southern Railway, which is the first British company to adopt steel sleepers in preference to timber. The supjfly ordered will enable about 35 miles of selected track to be equipped over a period of two years The rising price of imported timber sleepers, of which 4,000,000 are used annually on British railways, is the chief reason for the change, but the Southern Railway is also guided by a desire to help British industries and to experiment with the new' sleepers. Steel sleepers are already in use in some places abroad, where it is estimated that their life will be about thirty years, against twenty years of timber sleepers. In view of these circumstances it is believed that steel may in the end prove more economical. —British Official Wireless. Volunteers Attacked. SYDNEY, December 4. A number of volunteer seamen on the vessel Mildura were drinking in a hotel near the wharves to-night when they were set upon by a mob of men, alleged to be associated with the Seamen’s Union. Three volunteers received brutal treatment. Fists, boots and bottles were used. Two were rendered insensible. Their faces were cut, eyes blackened and clothes bespattered with blood. They were treated at the hospital. The police arrived too late to arrest the ruffians. A great crowd witnessed the affair, which was the first of its kind in Sydney arising out of the waterfront trouble. Australian Press Association. ,