AUSTRALIAN NEWS BY MAIL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 8, 4 October 1919, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN NEWS BY MAIL

HOW A BREAD FAMINE IN SYDNEY WAS AVERTED

MELBOURNE-NEW ZEALAND TRADE

The Bakers' Strike. ' A serious bread crisis was averted during the Sydney' bakers' .strike by tho promptitude with which the master-bak-ers pooled their resources for the common .good. The Master Bakers' Association; resolved itself into one. huge- distributing agent, willt the bakeries in all .suburban districts as its sub-branches. All the branches were-required to notify tho head office of the amount of bread tltev were baking daily. The various outputs, were, then compared, and the Mipply -equalised by taking from those bakeries with large supplies and giving to.-tho smaller shops. As a result each suburb had a proportionate supply of the total loaves available, according to its normal demand. In transferring bread from largo Includes and sho))s to smaller establishments, conveyances'of all sorts and descriptions were used. The usual baker's carts are not employed, nor were tho carters-required lo drive. A lot of the bread was distributed to smaller shops in motor-cars and taxi-cabs, as well as cabs and other hoi':o-drawn'vehicles. In. the city tho restaurants were required to collect their own bread, and they only received their just proportion, according to the supply oh hand.

Melbourne-New Zealand Trade. Attention is being given in shipping circles to tho need if additional shipping facilities-for the transportation of the large quantity of cargo that is awaiting -shipment from Melbourne lo New Zealand (states the "Age.") -Tho Union Steam Ship Co/has cabled to headquarters in New Zealand asking* what 'jiospects there are of an improvement in the service with Melbourne. The coal and labour position n New Zea-land-is said to be interfering with shipping movements there. According to advice from Now' Zealand, labour difnculties are delaying Huddarf.-Parker, Ltd.'s VVestralia, which will probably bo tho next steamer to load at Alelbourno for New Zealand after the departure ot the steamer AVa-iruna with a quantity of cargo'.for-Auckland. Following is a table based on official figures, comparing Victorian and New South Wales shipping clearances:— . 'vessels for New Zealand. $15. •' . No. of' " . Tonvessels. . nage. From Victoria '. 103. ' 335,487 From New South W.iles Wi '. 780,030 1915-16.' From Victoria SO '.215,809 From New South Wa.les U7S. 551,408 From,' January 1 last until the sailing of-tho last - vessel from Melbourne to New Zealand—before the outbreak of the strike—2s. vessels cjearcd Melbourne for New' Zealand, but only! twelve were local cargo steamers, some of which were pro.ceediJi'g to Ncivcasile to load coal'for New Zealand. . Tho sailings included five oversea vessels and. eight sailing vessels of varying- tonnage. Recently- certain oversea, ships, fa'kitig'advanlago of the shortage of Australasian tonnage between Melbourne and New Zealand, have been carrying both passengers ind cargo between .the Dominion and tho Commonwealth. Tho 'chairman of the Harbour Trust, expresses, tho opinion that the existingsitiiation is due to Iho'fact that tho -berthing facilities: of- thisVpoit have proved to he altogether inadequate to the demands arising from the'revival in trade witli New Zealand* ■ '

Naval Staffs Reduced. •Steps have been taken by. the Navai Board to bring about economy in tho Department of tho Navy. According to a statement made by the Minister for tho 'Navy,' since "the ' armistice,, three . patrol .vessels have been paid''off;, tho. 1 naval guard" section"has" been denuibilisr cd, except a email number at Sydney, 'Melbourne,' and I'remantle, and these sections' will be ; demobilised shortly after tho last of tho transports conveying members of the A.I.F. has arrived in Australia; oltiqers called up toiill war appointments hav.e been discharged from the iNaval Intelligence Branch, and also the transport branch. The 'N'ayal Board is,.now reviewing the balance of the appointments made in' connection with tho war, with the object of terminating, as early as possible, the services of the persons" at present temporarily employed. The finance and civil member is inn,uiring closely into the permanent organisation of the Navy Office and all naval establishments, with the object' of bringing about any . necessary reorganisation which will ensure economy without inducing efficiency.

Safe Robberies in Sydney. For the second time within 12 months the safe at the Arnelift'o Post Ollice, Sydney, was blown open during the early hours'of yesterday morning. The burglars got away with about .£l6O in cash, but-they missed other money, as well as' War."livings Certificates and Cheque's 'is the total of about =£200. it was in December last year that the previous burglary at the ollice occurred. The safe was (hen blown open and the thieves got away with .£2OO in cash ami' War Savings' Certificates to Hie value of .-0130. These certificates were never negotiated. Hardly u month of the present year lias parsed but the presence in \Sydiiey of a gang of safe-breakers has been evidenced (says the Sydney "Sun"). So far this yeiir the booly from blown safesnmounis to no more than .t"i00. but not since S;»itemher of last - ytiir, however, have satiebreakers made what can be called a "big hit." That was when the premises of Price and .Jardine, Mil., in Kent Street, were visited. Exports did that job, 100, and finished it oil' after wrecking two big safes hy gelling away with jewels and gems worth well.over .£1(11111. The year 'before last was about the heaviest recorded here as far as safcbreaking is concerned. During the 1:' month's (dose on X'WI worth of money and jewellery was stolon. Last year's total falls short of that figure by only a few hundred pounds, and it is hardlv likely Hint the lolal for 1910 will approach either of I he.ones mentioned, unless I lie gang docs tome deep thinking before January. ' ■ The Northern Territory. There are vast stretches of country in the Northern Territory that might be made available, for settlement, but according to I lie Minister for Jfonie ami. Territories (Mr. Cilynn), there are three main difficulties in the way. They arc lack of capital, the cxjirense of boring for water, and the great cost of slock. The areas that niighl be thrown open included IHUIOO square miles in the liuper .liiver country, 10,11011 .-:y|uiife miles between the overland telegraph line and Victoria liiver Downs and Wave Hill stations, and 15,0110 square miles of tho Barklv tablelands. •.He sti.led that boring for water had on the whole proved successful, but the cost was verv considerable, ranging from .£7OO to JtillKlO, according In Hie distance- which Ibe machinery had to be carried. In the tablelands water had been obtained at a depth of from iillto 800 feel. It did not rise to the surface, but I lie pumping gave generally from 40,000 to 70.000 gallons a day. Prior In the Territory being taken over by the Commonwealth boring operations had been'carried out bv the South African Government. In 1007" and IflOS'a serif* of bores, hud been sunk along tho western coast in the vicinity of Cape Ford and Handsome liny for Hie purpose of prospecting for coal. At Cape .Ford, fresh, warm artesian water was si ruck nl a deplh of Ifi'ifl fret, but no coal was found, and in 11)11 a supply of nrlesian water was struck al Handsome Hav at a deplh of .'lO9 feel. In l!ll:l I he Commonwealth I'lovernninnl: put down several bores al Borroloolu In l<«( for coal. Sub-artesian and. In some extent, arlesian walcr was struck, but no coal. Aecordiii'.' lo ollicial reports, ;i grcnl'nrli'sinn basin rims from (lie southern pari of llio Territory lo Hie ensr. Uiln tinnorth purl Of iVew S'oiilli Wale- and Ihrnugh Ibe w.r-loru pari, of l,)llcensl""'l, north to the CI nil' cf Orprrilarin. The Minister considers that Ibi- may b; I he. reason why. in parts of III" Northern Territory, sub-artesian rather than a.rtes-

inn boring has been a success. Willi regard to the great cost of slocking tin. Territory with caltl-, the Minister said that even before the war Die cost oj transport by sea from the south worked out at over .fS a head. Trouble on a Transport. Mvslerv surrounds iho reported happenings 'on the ve-sel liahia Castillo, which brought munition workers and their dependants to Australia. Cable messages have mcuhoiM'd that in consequence of complaints made by the passengers, bel'orr the vessel sailed from Lug-, land an inquiry was held, and Hint subsequently tins sl'tfc, after leaving Hoiillt Africa, put lmcK again to" Durban because of disorders o.i board, ami eventually sailed for Australia with an armed guard in charge. Mr. h'inlay.-on, federal member for Brisbane, who has been moving lor an invesvigaliou of the matter, received two eomnVinications from Hie ship, signed bv the .chairman of the ■Passenger*' Committee. Six hundred adults petitioned l'(r an urgent inquiry at- Durban, and "a- magisterial inquiry was sanctioned by the Union Governriicnr, provided the decision was binding upon the passengers; but-the.'Australian representatives in Durban refused."' Serious allegations are made regarding the food supplied which', it is said, "lwggars description"; also regarding the behaviour of certain of the crew and the guard on board; and finally, it is asked that authority should be wired to pay "balances of allowance." os passengers are impecunious owing to the protracted voyage and the compulsory puiehase ol necessary I'oodslull's. The Acting-Minis-ter of Defence iSenator Jiusscll) is now moving in the matter. .< . ' Sir John Monash's Future. ■ Lieutenant-General Sir John llonash. in an interview with the.Sydney "Sun's ■ special-representative in London, staled thai; ho had'not received a drlinile olfor of the. Victorian liailway Coinuiissionorship from anv source (as was reported). "An unofficial .. .Melbourne friend." be said, '-'interested'in public all'airs, communicated with me sonic months ago, suggesting the possibility of.the- appointment, but did not -mention the salary. I have since been -so immersed in demobilisation duties Hint. -I have given little consideration to- my future career. While. 1 am no seeker after a Guvcrnment- office, T am willing: to consider any proposal of employment in winch T can render mv counlrv good service, m for example in the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Commonwealth .forces. .1 would of course prefer an appointment involving large questions of organisation and national efficiency."