OVERSEA DEBT.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20197, 27 March 1931, Page 15

OVERSEA DEBT.

MR LANG'S POLICY. government will not meet "interest. (WWBp PBE39 ASBOCIATIQJf —BT BLECTEIO —COPYBICJHT.) (Received March 26th, 11,45 p.m.) '. SYDNEY, March 26. Vernier, Mr J. T. Lang 1 , State# to-day that tb<? Government not meeting the paywent of: Interest clue on overseas jQftBS M&Wfc 31st. "If "wo meet this interest there Will lie much less money to provide employment," he said. "All ?9ltaf works -will have to close and food relief stop. We do not intend to flo this." PAYMENT IN LONDON. LONDON, March 23. A conference at Australia {louse be* tween Mr J. R. Collins (Secretary to the High Commissioner), Sir George Fuller (retiring Agent-General for New South Wales), and a representative of the Westminster Bant, regarding the £5,000,000 due to the bank on March 31§t, resulted in the matter being banded over to Mr Collins as sole negotiator. The strictest reticence is being observed. but there is a strong feeling that there is a good prospect of the bank agreeing to an arrangement t° see the three States over the difficulty. UPPER HOUSE DISPUTE. OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE. (Eeeeived March 26th, 1145 p.m,) SYDNEY, March 20. Correspondence between the Governor, Sir Philip Game, and Mr J. T. Lang on the subjeot of appointments to the Legislative Council was tabled in the Legislative Assembly by the Premier, in letters dated November 7th and November 13th. The Governor agrees to make appointments to the Council, but it would appear that there was disagree* merit aa to the number, and the result was that no appointments were made. The correspondence discloses that again on March 23rd the premier approached the Governor for additional appointments, but on this occasion Sir Philip's • reply was a straight-out refusal, the Governor claiming that the. Council was entitled to refer the Arbitration Bill to ft Seleot Committee. REDUCTION OP INTEREST.

SYDNEY, March W

The legislative Council, on Sir Joseph Cftrruthera'a motion, by thirty* five votes to twenty-two, postponed tor sis months the second reading ot the Interest Reduction Bill. , gir Joseph urged that the went Should refer the Bill to the people, and simultaneously wk W ©looters if they wanted the upper Hoip§ to continue, , Opponents of the BUI egndewned t« in itrpng terms, t*B the first step w Mr J, T. bang's repudiation policy.