AUSTRALIA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XL, Issue 9247, 5 March 1920, Page 5

AUSTRALIA.

(Per Press Association, Copyright.)

SYDNEY, March 3. The annual meeting ol the Australian section of the -Umpire Press Union passed a resolution urging the duplication of the Pacific cable, and the establishment of a wireless service, either by the Government or private enterprise.

Thirteen capital charges, including eight cases of murder, are on the list .for the forthcoming sittings of the 'Criminal Court.

MELBOURNE, March 5

In the House of Representatives, Mr Hughes announced that Mi- Wait was going to England to deal with the debt of £388,750,000, for which the War Office was pressing an early repayment. -Air Watt will also represent the Commonwealth in the Imperial Cabinet in connection wtih the German .indemnity and the mandate for the Pacific Islands.

(Received March 5, 1.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 5. Mr Storey, ' Leader of the Labour Party, strongly repudiates the statement recently made by Mr Minahan; a Labour candidate at the elections, that the Australian Labour Party was

cognisant of a movement to defeat conscription, .md proclaim a- Republic in Australia. Mr Storey declared that the Labour Party, either as a Parliamentary party, or an outside organisation, had no part in such an idea, or scheme, nor did'they ever hear of it. He added that Minahan's little joke was too absurd.

The Empire Press Union's report showed that owing to congestion on other eabes, the .Pacific, during 1919, carried 8A /million words. In regard to the enohnou.. increase in the price of paper, it was stated many newspapers had been compelled to increase their prices, and it foreshadowed that others would find it impossible to continue the present prices for long. An invitation was received to enrol the union in the Australian section of the World's Press Congress at Sydney in October. It was decided not to enrol as an organisation, but the members would be left free to take individual action. Mr G. E. Fairfax was elected: chairman.

MELBOURNE, March 5

>In the House of Representatives, Mr Hughes made a spirited reply to the vote of censure, and Mr Tudor's attack on Government administration. He said that, the Government was challenged by a party which came from the people, dishevelled and dis-ci-edited, whose policy had been deliberately and unreservedly repudiated- by the people, and therefore had no right to challenge .he Government. He demanded an opportunity to give effect to the Government's fully endlorsed policy.