AUSTRALIAN AFFAIRS

Evening Star, Issue 18052, 21 August 1922, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN AFFAIRS

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Press Association, STATE AS SHIP OWNER. MELBOURNE, August 21. (Received August 21, at 10.20 a.m.) Mr Eyrie, in vindicating Mr Hughes’s action in acquiring the Commonwealth line of steamers, said the Government, on the whole, was millions of pounds on the •right side of tho lodger as the result of owning its own vessels. Mr Scott Fell, a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, said tho Bay vessels, though costing £1.250,000, were not worth £350,000. MR HUGHES VISITS CONSTITUENCY. MELBOURNE, August 20. _ Speaking at Bendigo, Mr Hughes said tho Government would not' lower the wages of sugar workers in order to reduce the price of sugar. Tho Prime Minister referred to tho obstruction which tiro Government was experiencing, and said that if it was unable to carry out its programme it would go to the country. VICTORIAN POLITICS. MELBOURNE, August 20. The Victorian Legislative Assembly byelection for Gippsland South was won by West (Nationalist), who defeated the Farmers' and Independent Nationalists’ candidates. 12,000 UNEMPLOYED IN' NEW SOUTH WALES. SYDNEY, August 21. The number of unemployed in July totalled 4,509 in the metropolis and 7,500 in the country, a decrease of 500 since June.