IN AUSTRALIA.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 212, 8 September 1927, Page 7

IN AUSTRALIA.

LABOUR TROUBLES.

Sydney Bridge Strikers Resume

Work.

IRON WORKS STILL IDLE.

(By Cable—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Recelred 11..10 a.m.) SYDNEY, this day. The dispute involving the employees of the Sydney harbour bridge is settled and the men have resumed work. The strike at Hoskln's iron and steeL works at Lithgow is still unsettled. The firm's cast iron and pipe works are closed as supplies are exhausted and 120 men have been paid off. The Minister of Labour and Industry has suggested that the parties concerned should allow the Industrial Commissioner. Mr. A. B. Piddington, to adjudicate on the matters in dispute and abide by his decision. DROUGHT-STRICKEN. Sir Graham Waddell Visits Queensland. LOSS OF 7,000,000 SHEEP. (Recelred 11.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, this day. Sir Graham Waddell, president of the Graziers' Association of New South Wales, after a tour through the droughtstricken areas in Queensland, said be had come to the conclusion that Australia, save for improved transport facilities, was in no better position to-day to fight drought than it was fifty years ago. le was depressing, he said, to see hundreds of miles of such fine sheep country temporarily abandoned. Where flocks were kept together, hand feeding had to be resorted to but the cost was exceedingly heavy. It was impossible to estimate the drought losses, but the accepted estimate of 7,000,000 sheep was certainly not excessive. IX)SS ON RAILWAYS. Victorian Commissioners' Report. FORMER MINISTRY BLAMED. (Recelred 10190 a.m.) MELBOURNE, this day. The annual report of the Railway Commissioners, which has been tabled in the House of Assembly, shows that operations for the year ended June 30 last resulted in a deficit of £47,540. The commissioners attribute the deficit to the refusal of the Allan-Peacock Ministry to approve the recommends tion of the commissioners to increase fares and freights. This deficit does not include an allowance for making good accrued or accruing losses on the value of property, the extension of suburban lines, and the reduction of freights on certain classified goods, which would have made a total deficit for the year of £696,000.