AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1165, 28 June 1911, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

« LORD DUDLEY ON DEFENCE. Sydney, .Tune 21. Tho Governor-General, in a speech on defence at Brisbane, showed incidentally that he docs not shave tiie Nqw Zealand Government's objections to separate colonial navies. Tno speech was delivered at a reception to Lord Dudley by.members of the United Service Institute. Colonel I'oxton presided, and there was a vory largo attendance. Lord Dudley, responding to tho, toast of his health, 6poKo- at- some length on defence. ■ He said ho had hcen in a number of camps with tho military forces of the Commonwealth. aud; judging from what he had scon of theiti, they we.ro composed of flora* of tho iiuest material in the world. It was neccssary that more attention should 1«3 given to the training of officers. Ho considered that the period of continuous training under tho Defence Act was too short, and sooner or later would have to bo extended. Tho Commonwealth had inaugurated a naval policy, which ho considered was the only dignified position that Australians could adopt, but the difficulty they would have to face in' the future would bo tho manning of their ships, since, Australians did not possess the inn.ito sea-going ■ propensities of the Britishers. . GETTING SETTLERS. The Victorian Acting-Premier desires the Federal Government' to take up a scheme for getting settlers for Australia. The Premiers of tho other States will also bo communicated withi The main lines of tho Victorian proposals aro: The Commonwealth to charter a ship having accommodation for 400 or 500 persons, tho accommodation'to be of all one class, equal to second-class on tho regular passenger boats. -Each Stats to bo allotted a certain number of berths, and to assume half the financial liability. The fares of the land-seekers-to all the States to be the same. In -cases in which they wish to visit all States, an additional charge to be made. Each Stato to give free or reduced railway fares to the-lands offered for settlement. The time of departure from England to bo fixed four months in advance of the date of sailing. Tho return trip fare to'bo-one-half the regular retrirn second-class fare on the passenger lines. Each excursionist who buys land to have the return portion of his fare repaid to him by the State. The Commonwealth also to charter a vessel to carry not fetter than 400 passengers from America to Australia. A representative of the Commonwealth to be..located at some centre, preferably San Francisco, -to advertise the excursion and to determine the suitability of those applying for berths. Each State to be Allotted a certain number of berths, as in. the European excursion. The date of departure' of the excursion . from America -to bo either September or February. The vessel to take excursionists from both Vancouver and San Francisco. The scheme contemplates that the. Commonwealth ishall have exclusive control of ■ advertising the excursion, and shall pay all the expenses. Each State is expected to disseminate literature. The Commonwealth is asked to pay half the loss incurred, in, chartoring the ships.

A MATTER -OF PRINCIPLE. c Though :todo union secretaries are usu- ] 1 ally very keen opponents of anythi:u > which, they regard as infringements of ■ the rights, ot' workers provided by in- < dustrial awards,. in some cases, at least ( they appreciate any concessions allowed by employers from the rigid terms of an ( award. An instance of this is reported • by the "Telegraph." Tho secretary of 'he United Trades Society (Mr. - E. Cutler) proceeded by summons against j Messrs. Beard,' Watson arid Co., alleging !hat the firm had riot liaid a sufficiently ! ■ high -rate of piece-work to an employee to enable.hira to earn tho minimum wage ! set down-in- the award. 'The case was heard' by the •'lndustrial Registrar, . but '■! the evidence brought forward bv the union 3 c failed to substantiate' tho' charge. Con- 1 ssqusntly tho defendants won the ■ case, 1 and then,. Mr. Cutler says, tho reason ' why they fought the case became known. ' It was, on principle only, and the success- f fill litigants, aslced ,for. no costs against. 1 the unioiii- .but wrote: a. chequo. for fbe> nmount sued for together.-with an amount 1 to . compensate. for the witness's loss of 1 time. Tho cheque was handed to the E union se<;retar,j\,in,.,the;. .presence .of, ; tlve ' Registrar'. Mr. .Cutler .is.'of ojiinton that 1 if all employers acted on principle liko 1 this industrial peace would be materially ) advanced.' 1 ■ - " ■■■ ' ... GREAT WATERWORKS. ' \ An embankment which, the Water Com- i mission claims, will bo one of tho highest ' earthen reservoir embankments in the world,, having an elevation .of 100 feet, forms part of the schema being carried I out for tho'.... Bacchus/ Marsh-Werribee. ( water"supijly, "Victoria.. Tho Pyke's Creek I hasin will'.have acapacity of 14,000 "acre ( feet," and tlio main channel will bo tho i Werribes River. Some of the. distribu- ' tory channels .for'-tho Bacchus Marsh ' trict,. where : GOO acres are already irri- "I gated, are being pushrd on with, and it. is ' espectcd that an additional area, of 3000 ] acres will bo supplied next season. The ' commission intends to 'have tho distribu, ! tory irrigation channels at Werribee readv i for the. following, season, and a "stock ' and domestic supply is also to bo pro- i vidod for .portion of this district. In the ' northern part of the State the commission • has made tho Waranga-Loddon main channel as far as Dingeo, and contracts ' havo; been let for its extension to Serpentine Creek. The "contractors are on' i ' the ground, and .operations are proceeding as quickly e.s tho weather will per- | . mit. The commission anticipates thai the channel will bo made to Serpentine in -time for next.summer's requirements. It is princinallv for irrigation purposes, and in a ; l"sser,degree for■ domestic and stock use. From the Waranga Basin the water '' course extends 41. miles to its crossing of ■ the Camnasoe near and tho section from the Campa'po t« Dingee is aVmt 83 miles in lencl.li. The section from Pingee to tho Sernentine wilt he 18 miles, , making a total -leugth of 92 miles. WARNING AG.A INST' MEAT TRUSTS.' ' Tho Federal Minister for Customs has received a copy of a letter from the secretary of the' Amalgamated Meat Gutters and Butcher Workmen, of North America, addressed to the Australian Federated Butchers' Employees' Union. Tho letter, which is a reply to' one enclosing a communication from the Commonwealth Government. and asking for information as to the Meat Trust, says:—"The Meat Trust of America, which i? tho com--1 bination of the meat industry in the hands of seven tirras, has worked detrimentally to the interests of not only the producers and the workers, but to the jeneral' public at large. . . . They nave quietly worked out all the old-time butchers that were formerly employed, ind replaced them with the most iguorint class of foreigners'they could obtain. 11l the larger'packing houses, Greeks, Bo-hemians,-and Voles are now doing the work.that .was formerly done by.the oldtime native' butcher. The improved machinery. .which has been introduced has done away \yith the skilled workman, and substituted _in his place the specialist', and established the mechanical pacemaker. The revolving rattle beds compel - the man to do his part of the work while tho bullock is passing, aud the same holds true with Win sheep and hog. gang, and. the gang that formerly killed 101)0 cattle per day .is now compelled to.'kill IROO, the work being more specialised and divided up, and • all at lower wages. The i "isfc has been reaching out for the last, lew jvars into other countries, and I noted by an article in our meat trade journals a short time ago that' tl.ey had secured control of large landed interests in your country, and wore intending in the near future to develop them, with a view of establishing themselves there. T hcarli';- agrre with you that you should be :uvnke ami active at the present time, to be in a position to protect the interests of the toilers of the industry against, the oppression that, is bound to come, if the American .Meat Trust secure a footing in your country."

Messrs. Dnlgety and Co., Ltd.. Palnierslon North, wish to draw attention lo an unreserved dairy sale which thov am holdin? on Tuesday, July 1, at Fitzherbert Yv'est, on account of Mr. W. J. Harri-. The 70 cows to be offered are in excellent order, and aro nearly ail second and third calvers due to come in-August and September, and can be recommended as. a very choice, lot. Included in t.he offering there' will, also be a number of springing and j'earlirig heifers, horses, cans,, and ■a l-bdcket'"Austral" m'ilkin'g'plant ''and' flornsby Oil engine,