AUSTRALIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 June 1922, Page 5

AUSTRALIA

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association )

’VARSITY LEAGUE TEAM. SYDNEY, June 15. A Rugby League team from the University of Sydney sailed to-day by the liner Manuka, or New Zealand. AUSTRALIAN-GERMAN SHIPS. SYDNEY, June 15. It is officially announced that the Colnnionwealth Government has decided that its own line of steamers shall extend their activities to Germany. The first of these steamers from Germany to Australia, the Parrattah, will leave Hamburg on July 4th.

OPEN HATCHES. SYDNEY, June 15.

The general secretary of the Merchant Service Guild made representations to rthe Government, on behalf of the masters of the colliers Marjorie and Galava, who were arrested on criminal charges of putting to sea with the hatches off and found not guilty, that the State should reimburse the masters to the extent of the bill of costs, as the matter of vessels going to sea without hatches in position is entirely one for the discretion of the ship’s master.

ARMY MEAT CONTRACTS. MELBOURNE, June 15. The Minister of Customs has received private advices that the firm of Borthwick and Sons has obtained a British Army contract to supply frozen beef for six months from July 1. The Minister - understands the beef is to be supplied from the company’s Australian works, and will absorb at least 20,000 first class bullocks. The contract is considered highly satisfactory to cattle owners in view of the present depressed condition of the in-

dustry. STATE ORCHESTRA. SYDNEY, June 15.

The State orchestra guarantee fund has been turned into a company wiib a capital of £21,000 in £3 shares. The main object is to provide for the continuation of the orchestra and guarantee the Government or any individual against loss in the I maintenance of the orchestra. Failing the attainment of these objects the fund will assist in providing orchestral concerts in Australia, and New Zealand. The Labour Council unanimously adopted a resolution against disbanding the State Orchestra, stating if was incumbent on the Government to see the combination was not destroyed. A CUSTOMS DISPUTE. MELBOURNE, June 16. The Wolseley Motors Limited, otherwise known as Vickers Ltd., have abandoned the proposal to erect an assembling factory at Melbourne, capable of turning out a thousand cars annually, because it was unable to submit to the Customs Depaitments demand to provide a guarantee of £lO,OOO that the component parts \would be assembled into cars and not sold for repair work, in which case the duty imposed would be equal to the rates fixed for chassis. Ihe difficulty arose in re-, spect to the values of the component parts, the firm contending that the value of the material at the time of importation shopld be 20 j)er cent, less than engine asembling in England. The Customs imposed heavy duties on motor parts in order to protect the industry established during the war, when it was difficult to obtain spare parts from overseas.