AUSTRALIAN AFFAIRS

Evening Star, Issue 17327, 15 April 1920, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN AFFAIRS

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. THE SIDE-SHOW TRAGEDY. SYDNEY, April 15. George Dias was committed for trial on a charge of the murder of his wife. [Dias was a principal in a sensational tragedy which occurred at tho Agricultural Show. As the result of a quarrel Bias, the proprietor of a .side-show, shot his wife dead, and then, rushing through the crowd which gathered, he fired again, lightly wounding a woman named Nilson.] DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF A SHIP. SYDNEY, April 15. Advices from Pori Moresby state that tho Papuan authorities awarded £10,559 against the British Now Guinea Development Company in connection with the loss of the ship Memo England at Port Moresby in March, 1919, through the company’s negligence in dealing with an explosive substance. PRICE OF CONDENSED MILK. SYDNEY, April 14. Tho Commodities Commission have granted an increase of 4s 6d per case in the price of condensed milk. This means that each tin will cost Is l^d. THE- NORTON ESTATE. SYDNEY, April 14. The trustees of Mr John Norton’s estate are claiming £17,420 from the Union .Bank for cheques drawn by Mr Harold M’C-lin-tock when be was secretary to the trustees. The plaintiffs allege that Mr M'Clintock obtained the amount without the authority of tire trustees, who hold the bank responsible. BIPLANE ON THE MARKET. SYDNEY, April 15. At the blood stock sales Biplane was passed in at 575gns. INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC CLAIMS, SYDNEY, April 15. Claims for compensation against the Government arising out of the influenza epidemic amount to £450,000. SURPLUS CANTEEN FUNDS. ' MELBOURNE, April 15. Senator Pearce (Minister of Defence) introduced a Bill -creating a trust to deal with surplus canteen funds, which are to bo transferred to a Board of Trustees, who will deal with applications for assistance from tho fund for the relatives of deceased soldiers. SHIPPING AND SHIPBUILDING. MELBOURNE, April 15. In the House of Representatives Mr Hughes stated the conditions under which the Government control of shipping had been lifted. There were no ships taken off the const without permission, and no increase of fares and freights without first submitting the proposals to the Government. Replying to a deputation of trade unionists, who urged the Government to arrange for further shipbuilding contracts, Mr Poyntou stated that the Ministry had decided to build 11 ships of 11.800 tons each, and to maintain a fortnightly servico to tho United Kingdom, The* Ministry’s policy was to continue building, but they must have a continued guarantee from tho unions. MINISTERIAL SALARIES. MELBOURNE, April 15. Mr Hughes, replying to questions in the House of Representatives, said he would ask tho House to express an opinion on trig salaries of Ministers and heads of departments, which were crossly inadequate. SHIPOWNERS CLAIM COMPENSATION. MELBOURNE, April 15. The Federal Government are considering claims for compensation by the steamship companies for laying up their coastal fleets during the recent marine engineers’ strike. The companies contend that had they been permitted they could have provided crews for the vessels. , PAPUAN ADMINISTRATION. SYDNEY, April 15. Captain Fitch, managing director of the Steamship Trading Company, who recently arrived from Papua, _ states that recent agitation there, resulting from a meeting asking for the recall of the Administrator Judge Murray, was due largely to the Adi mimstrator’s native policy allegedly favoring the missions to the disadvantage of the commercial community. It was* also attributable in some measure to the incidence of taxation on native labor, and ine failure to carry cut the recommendations of the Royal Commission of 1907. NOT ENOUGH LEISURE. , _ SYDNEY, April 15. ( A manifesto issued by the Trade Union Congress in support of* the 44-hour week movement -states that though the etehthour day wag secured in 1856 the workers have since Marked time, and have failed to secure even on hour of additional leisure, despite the fact that they are directly responsible for the commercial development which had reduced the cost of production of commodities and services. SCARCITY OF HOUSES. SYDNEY, April 15. ine Basic Wage Commission are compiling evidence of tho scarcity of houses in the metropolitan area. Houses are practically unprocurable, though big bonuses are offered. There has been a big advance in rent nud in the prices of land and houses. Instances have been given where prices for both land and lienees have been doubled since 1914, NEW APPONTMENTS. , r , , SYDNEY, April 15. Mr Edward Kavanagh, a former president of the Labor Council, has been appointed vice-president o I the Executive Council, and Leader of the Government in the Upper House. Sir George Fuller has been e’ected Leader of the Nationalist Party. He has decided to approach the Progressives with a view to gaming their co-operation.