LATE CABLES

Evening Star, Issue 18281, 22 May 1923, Page 6

LATE CABLES

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. AUSTRALIAN FINANCE. •STATE AND COMMONWEALTH. MELBOURNE, May 22. The State Premiers’ Conference has opened. The question of income tax was discussed. Though a final decision was not reached, it is understood that it, was agreed, providing the Federal Government agrees to withdraw entirely from tho sphere of income tax, that the States have practically decided to forgo the per capita payments by the Commonwealth to the States. [At present the States receive 25s per head per annum from tho Customs and Excise duties, which are collected by the Commonwealth. Last year this per capita payment aggregated £6,943,955. In 1921-22 the incomes which the Commonwealth Prime Minister has offered to leave to the States for taxation purposes yielded £7,977,407 in income tax.] AMY TURNER WRECK. SURVIVORS REACH SYDNEY. SYDNEY, May 22. (Received May 22, at 12.30 p.m.) The survivors of the Amy Turner have arrived. Elaborating the details previously cabled, an extract from the log says: “ Tho last seen of the wreck was several forms clinging to the wreckage and crying piteously. We endeavored to hold the boat so'that they could swim to it, but we were blown away, and all we can hope is that 'their end came quickly.” The survivors state that they suffered very severely from want of food and water during their twenty-three days’ drift in an open boat. They were ill and weak when they landed on Mawish Island, and they slept all day on the beach. The natives treated them kindly and provided them with plenty of food, including a sucking pig. OVERDUE SCHOONER. SAN FRANCISCO, May 21. (Received May 22, at 12.2(1'p.m.) Tho gravest fears are entertained regarding the schooner Elinor H. She has not been sighted during the ninety days she is out from Newcastle, Australia, bound for Honolulu. SINGAPORE OR SYDNEY. MR HUGHES’S VIEWS. SYDNEY, May 22. (Received May 22, at 12.40 p.m.) Air W. M. Hughes, in a special article in the ‘ Daily Telegraph ’ dealing with the [ question of the respective merits of Singapore and Sydney for a naval base, declares that wo must have a scheme of Empire defence in order to defend Australia, as wo cannot defend ourselves, and there is no one upon whom we can rely except Britain. Ho continues : “ Singapore was chosen after most cai’eful consideration by navaji experts, including Lord Jellieoo and Earl* Beatty, supported bv the Naval Advisers to the Commonwealth. These men say the best place to defend Australia and New Zealand and the.rest of the Pacific'is Singapore. It seems to me that that settles’tne question. What it will cost is for Australia and tho other dominions to say at the next Imperial Conference or elsewhere.”

THEFT AT SEA. MAIL BAGS GONE. "SYDNEY, May 22. (Received May 22, at 11.30 a.m.) The English mails by the Esperance Bay, for Australia and New Zealand, were interfered with after the steamer left Port Said. Six bags were stolen and a seventh was ripped open. A number of registered articles were taken. THE COAL STRIKE. INTIMIDATION AT GRETA. 1 NEWCASTLE, May 22. (Received May 22, at 11.30 a.m.) A contractor and twenty employees endeavored to remove a consignment of coal lying “at grass” (on the surface) at the Greta mine. Four hundred miners came round, jeering and hooting. As the work still proceeded, the miners hurled stones in lieu of epithets, compelling work to cease. Later another start was made by the contractor, who requisitioned the local police, but the miners again threw stones, forcing a stoppage for the day. The contractor and his employees camped in a colliery building for the night, and hope to proceed with tho work to-day. IF GRETCHEN MISBEHAVES. TO LOSE HER LOCKS. , BERLIN, May 21. (Received May 22, at 1.50 p.m.) A Scissors Club bas been organised in the Ruhr to check German girls’ flirtations with French and Belgian soldiers. The club officials announce their intention of cutting off the hair of any German girl carrying on with Frenchmen, Belgians, Indians, Chinese, Japanese, or negroes. Tho liair thus forfeited will be made into nets and sold in aid of the Ruhr Relief Fund. —A. and N.Z. Cable.