AUSTRALIA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XL, Issue 9197, 7 January 1920, Page 5

AUSTRALIA.

(Per Press Association—Copyright)

BRISBANE, January 6. Sir Ross. Smith's party is visiting the city. The aviators had an entlfu■saaftic reception.; It Is hoped that the machine will be repaired in". .«• fortnight- and fly to Brisbane and thence to Sydney and f Melbourne.

SYDNEY, January 6

r Shipowners complain at the alleged inactivity of-'thoi. Shipping Controller in connection with the engineers" trouble.- The 1 vessels of. inter-State companies are under the control of tlie "Shipping.Controller, and owners are powerless to make any move • towards a settlementj unless instructed. "With a view* to getting t-he Niagara away, the Union Steam Ship Company, which is not controlledl by tho Controller, has offered Lo concede the engineers' demands, subject xto conditions made ih>tihe final settlement between the Controller and tho union. • The offer was' declined, but negotiations are proceeding. >.

(Kecoivedf January 7, 1i!.1.j p.m.) SYDNEY, January 7. . Bounteous rains over wide grazing areas have* enhanced the prospects of feed, and stopped tho rush on the stock market, which market, during the drought peiiod, lushed up prices of.beef on the hoof, which sold to tenpence, a lb, a record, ftetail butchers from to-day ad\ance prices 2o per cent. Mauy are cutting out beef as too dear to handle. So iar the worst western drought areas have benefited little bv the ram.

The preliminary figures 'indicate a considerably decreased nnneiiil output in 1919, compared with 1918,. This was mainly due to the diought, and industrial troubles.

ADELAIDE. January o. The Senate count for South Australia has been completed, and resulted in the return ol'■flfroe'Nationalists.

(Received January \7, 11.45 a.m.) SYDNEY, 'January 7. As the result of" the marine engineers' strike, all interstate shipping traffic is at a standstill.. There are Jivo thousand^unemployed, and eighty thousand tons of shipping idle. The Sydndy wharfies asked the Federal Government for sustenance allowance while the strike continues.

MELBOURNE, January 7. The marine stewards and pantrymen decided to support the decision of the Sydney branch.

BRISBANE, January 7. o 1 In the Assembly/ the Budget was j presented, and it is anticipated a delicit of £1,003,727 will be wiped qut by increased taxation, including increased income tax and railway fares and freights.

Hon. W. Lciinon, Speaker of the Assembly, has been appointed Lieu-tenant-Ciovernor.

PERTH, January 7. -.A serious racial riot is reported from Broome, between the' Mayay and Amboyua pearlers. One death occurred.