AUSTRALIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 May 1936, Page 8

AUSTRALIA

[by CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] CHAIN STORES. MELBOURNE, April 30. It is announced that the chain store business of Alfred Edment’s Proprietary Limited, consisting of 14 branches in Victoria, and one each at Adelaide and Hobart, has been sold to Wool worths Limited, for about £200.000 in cash. WOMEN’S BASIC WAGE SYDNEY, April 30. Arising out of the controversy over the women’s basic wage, the Government has introduced a bill in the Assembly to make women’s living wage 54 per cent, of the declared wage for men, in which event, the wojnen will receive at least 37/6 weekly. FIRE AT MELBOURNE. MELBOURNE, May 1. Damage estimated at £40,000 was caused by a fire which seriously damaged a three-storey factory of the Kornie Food Company at Carlton. The blaze was one of the most spectacular seen in Melbourne for some years, large quantities of inflammable goods, stored in the top storey, burning fiercely. SEARCH FOR OIL. CANBERRA, April 30. The Prime Minister stated in the House of Representatives to-day, that offers will be publicly invited from companies or persons, desirous of operating the Newnes shale and oil undertaking, on the basis of providing protection for 20 years over imported petrol. The Government will also advanced £250,000 as a loan to assist, drilling operations in connection with the search for oil.

THEFT OF FURS. SYDNEY April 30

A cool theft of £7OO worth of women’s furs, was carried out at the display windows of David Jones, Limited, at the Hotel Australia. The robbery was not noticed by anyone. It is believed that pedestrians may have regarded the thief as a window dresser employed by David Jones Ltd., whose legitimate employees, however, had intended to change its display today when the furs were missing.

MILK SUPPLY SYDNEY, April 30.

At the inquiry into Sydney’s milk supply, a witness, D. J. Davies, declared that the milk supply of the Metropolitan area was largely produced from cows suffering from tuberculosis. Moreover, the milk was days old when it reached Sydney. John Porter, representing the Country Milk Suppliers’ Association, described the statement as grossly untrue. The dairymen in fact were, he said, the most controlled people on earth. PURCHASE OF SHIPS. SYDNEY, April 30. The “Sydney-Sun” says: Although nothing definite is known in Sydney it. is thought that a combination of Sydney, Melbourne, and South Island of New Zealand business interests is negotiating to buy ten of the remaining ships of the Canadian Merchant Marine.

The "Sun” points out that a Sydney man, who is reported to have had with him a strong financial backing, went to London some weeks ago with a secret mission while a Melbourne firm, with ambitions to extend, is regarded as likely to participate in the negotiations for the purchase of the ships. The/‘Sun” adds: The South Island of New Zealand has long been agitating for a direct service with Australia and with the Canadian market.