AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8240, 19 September 1906, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

CUSTOMS FRAUDS

Reoeived September 18, 10.16 a.m. ADELAIDE, September 18. The report of the Board of Inquiry into extensive Customs frauds, in connection with the Forwood case, exonerated the Customs officials from blame. Tho discovery of another set of frauds has created a sensation. The firm concerned in thera is of high reputation. No fraud is alleged against the firm, but against the agents afrPort Adelaide, where the Customs operations were conducted. The amount involved iB not so great as in the Norwood case. (William Forwood, a licensed Customs agent, was arrested for alleged forgeries and other irregularities. It is understood that over £IO,OOO is involved, and that importing firms have been systematically victimised. Jt is alleged that instead of handing the firm's cheques to the Oustoma department, the agent paid them into his own account, and after passing false eahis own cheques in payment of the lesser duties arrived at by trie manipulation of the invoioes —a method of fraud possible only through inexcusable carelessness on the part of Customs offioers in allowing invoioes to pass unohecked. The disclosure of the irregularities wac brought about owing to its com ing to the ears of on« of tho Customs officers that a certain Customs agent was indulging in bettinsz and gambling on a scale quite beyond his reputed means. The officer, becoming suspicious, interviewed the aooountant of'the firm, and ascertained from him that the cheque passed for duty on a certain consignment was S 2OO, whereas the duty actually received by the department was £100). ! TASMANIAN MAIL SERVICE. Reoeived September 18, 10.15 a.m. MELBOURNE, Sept. 18. The Federal Government has accepted the joint tender of the Union Steamship Co. and the HuddartParker Co. for the Tasmanian mail service. The contract Jia for three years, from October Ist. It provides a three times a week serviae, between Launceston and Melbourne, throughout the year for a subsidy of £II,OOO, and for a service between Melbourne and Burnie (one hundred miles north-west of Launoeston), once a week, lor eight months, and twice a week for four months of the year, for a subsidy of £2,000. £ MINERS' WAGES. Received September 18, 10.18 a.m. SYDNEY, September 18. A meeting of workers in the Proprietary Mine appointed a oommittee to report as to what stepp should be taken in regard to increased pay. The report is to be considered at a mass meeting to be held on September 30th. A FATAL QUARREL. Reoeived September 18, 10.30 a.m. PERTB, September 18. i A quarrel occurred near Mount Jaokson between two Italians. One, named Qregaripi, was horribly out about the head with an axe and died. There are no police within one hundred miles. Residents set out and captured the assailant.. PROPOSED BOXING TEAM. Reoeived September 18, 11.42 p.m. SYDNEY, September 18. A conference of the Amateur Boxing Association approved of the suggestion to send a team to England in April next to compete at the championships. The matter is to be submitted to the representative governing bodies. The intention is that New South Wales and Queensland shall Qnanoe their own members of the team. CHARGES OF CONSPIRACY. WILLIS COMMITIED FOR TRIAL. Received September 18, 11.42 p.m. SYDNEY, Septemherlß. W. N. Willis has been committed for trial on three additional oharges of conspiracy. THE MINING TROUBLE. Reoeived Septemtfsr 19, 12.55 a.m. SYDNEY, September 18. The conference of owners and miners was continued all day without any decision being arrived at. Both parties are disinclined to yield, and the outlook is less promising than it was yesterday. The conference will be resumed to morrow.