AUSTRALIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 January 1941, Page 8

AUSTRALIA

TUNNEL TRAGEDY. [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] SYDNEY, January 16. Three men were killed and eleven * were injured when the collapse of a new railway tunnel near MuswellBrook, New South Wales, buried them suddenly under tons of earth and debris. By the light of electric lamps and flares, rescue squads worked desperately to release the men. It was five hours before the last injured man was extricated, but the bodies of the three dead men were not found till ten hours after the accident. BAN ON RADIO STATIONS. SYDNEY, January 16. Although the Attorney-General (Mr. Hughes) announced in Canberra that the four radio stations closed down last week would be allowed to reopen under certain conditions, the Federal Cabinet at a meeting in Sydney, at which Mr. Hughes was not present, decided that pending inquiries the radio stations would not be allowed to reopen. The Cabinet also decided that Jehovah’s Witnesses should be declared an unlawful organisation. WAGES TAXATION. SYDNEY, January 16. The Federal Minister of Labour, Mr. Holt, has ordered an inquiry into the possibility of allowing the workers in the munition industries special disability allowances as a deduction from the Federal income tax. Such a move would meet many of the metal trade unions’ objection to paying the taxation on overtime. Mr. Holt announced that the concessions, if they operate, will apply to the men who live away from home, or who are subjected to special living hardships that entitle them to some recompense from the Government.

BREN GUNS (Recd. 'January 17, 9.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, January 17. Senator Mcßride announced that the first Bren guns, entirely manufactured in Australia, passed the final 'firing tests. Production is proceeding [smoothly at the Government factory, lat Lithgow, and private factories in four States. i CHILD ENDOWMENT. (Received January 17, 12.45 p.m.) SYDNEY, January 17. Mr. Menzies announced the establishment of a Federal child endowment scheme, to provide for the paying of an allowance of 5/- weekly for each child after the first, in the families to be covered. Many details of the scheme still have to oe worked out, but it will not be confined to basic wage-earners, and will therefore cover a much wider field than the scheme operating in New South Wales. The Commonwealth scheme will not involve contributions from income-earners who benefit under it. The Commonwealth scheme, which will probably supersede the New South Wales scheme, may begin to operate at the beginning of the next financial year, in July.