AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 10168, 25 July 1924, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

EARTHQUAKE RECORDED. (Per Press Association—Copyright.) (Received This Day,. 10.25 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. An earthquake shock of considerable intensity, though not so severe as that recorded from the vicinity of Macquarrie Island at the end of June, was recorded at the Riverview and Sydney observatories at 2.50 yesterday afternoon. I’ll© position is calculated to be approximately 270 miles north-west of the Auckland Islands, about 1250 miles distant from Sydney.

WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED. The' Government has announced its intention of relieving the unemployment position by sending single men into the country to clear and prepare roads on land intended for closer settlement. Married men will be found work within reasonable distance of the city.

PUBLIC SERVICE. (Received This Day, 10.25 a.m.) MELBOURNE, This Day. Mr Prendergast’s Ministry lias fallen into line with Labour Ministers in other States in respect to the registration of State public servants in the Arbitration Court. of discontinuance of the appeal against the registration of the Australian Public Servants’ Association lias been given on behalf of the Ministry.

COMPULSORY VOTING. The House of Representatives passed a Bill providing for compulsory voting at the Federal election.

LOSS ON TRAMS.

(Received This Day, 10.25 a.m.) PERTH, This Day. Tlie Government tramways showed a loss of £707 during June, the first loss for a number of years. It is attributed to competition by” the recently inaugurated private motor-’hus services. The Government intends to put a limitation on competition by ’buses, which it proposes to run itself on certain roads.

THE PRICE OF BREAD. (Received This Day, 11.10 a.m.) MELBOURNE, This Day. Mr Prendergast informed a deputation asking that an inquiry be made into the recent increase in the price of bread, that one policy of the Ministry was to establish flour nulls. _ A board of inquiry would be set up immediately to deal with the P™* of bread. Tlie Ministry was not going to let the price of bread go up without publicity being given to whale\or just - fication existed.

found in the bush. F " ,1V ing the discovery of a skull at Chelsea, a. black tracker discovered the decomposed body of a woman hidden in titree some distance away. Ibe body had apparently been there ioi some months. SOUTH AUSTRALIAN POLITICS. (Received This Day, 11.15 a.m.) ( ADELAIDE, This Bay. At the opening of the South Australian Parliament the . Governor s sneech forecasted an increase m income tax exemption, and a reduction m the membership of 1 the Assemply from 46 to 35, to be elected under a system of preferential voting. Steps are to be taken to create a State insurance fund. The Government was considering tne question of providing legal assistance for poor persons. All possible steps would be taken to raise the standaid of education and prevent overcrowding.

WESTRALIAN PARLIAMENT. (Received This Day, H-15 a.m.) v PERTH, This Day. Parliament opened yesterday. The Governor’s speech indicated that a nolicv of immigration and land ment, combined with the development of natural resources, was of paramount importance. The group settlement- system which now totalled 124 units, with a population of 8776, would be continued.

GOOD RAINS FALLING. (Received This Day, 11.45 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. Good rains continue in the greaterpart of the State, including the wheat areas, where it will prove of giea£ value.

WARSHIP BRISBANE SAFE. The warship Brisbane was towed off by the warship Marguerite. At tlie time of the mishap she was foliou nig the course laid down in the Admiralty

c-harts many years ago for sailing vessels. Locally these charts are considered obsolete and unsafe. The accident has led to a demand for a resurvey.

FREE “GIFT” OF BABY GIRL. A young woman carrying a baby accosted a small girl in a street at Pundington and askou if her mother would like a baby girl. The girl replied: ‘ Oh, yes.” The woman handed over the child asking for it to be treated kindly, and walked away. The police have advised that they have removed the baby to the infant welfare home.

NE TEMERE DECREE BILL. (Received This Day, 1.25 p.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. The Assembly had an all-night sitting on the Ne Temere Bill. The Government, applying the closure, carried the second reading by 47 votes to and through the committee stages. The debate was at times warm and bristling with charges and counter-charges of sectarianism and ulterior motives.

THE FEDERAL BUDGET. MELBOURNE, This Day. The Federal Budget is to be delivered next Thursday. It is anticipated it will disclose considerable relief from income-tax burdens. Political prop ets’ anticipations place the easement at two millions..