AUSTRALIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 December 1944, Page 6

AUSTRALIA

COAL INDUSTRY

SYDNEY. December. 12.

The New South Wales Labour Council to-day issued a statement, on the coal position, following a conference called by the Council at. whicn key transport and heavy industries, the miners’, and the Australian Council, of Trades Unions were represented. „ The President of the Labour Council, Mr. G. Anderson, said that the Trades Union Movement was greatly concerned at the drift in the coal industry. Unless it was arrested, the present drift could only lead to a breakdown in the relations between the Government and the miners and in the industry generally. To prevent tliis the Labour Council officials were doing everything possible, but flie Government also had its part to play. The unions hoped for results iroin a conference called for next week by the Australian Council of Trade Unions. To-day in New South Wales two mines .were idle. This was a protest against a garnishee of wages for nonpayment of fines imposed for absenteeism from work. Th-.* garnishee issue and the Government’s refusal to permit miners; to take sixteen clays Christmas holidays' are the most urgent causes of the present strain-ad relations between the Government and the miners. However. widespread troubles in th<i mining industry are not anticipated until the New Year, and it is hoped that next week’s conference may avert them. WAR EXPEND!TUR E. CANBERRA, Dec. 12. The Commonwealth’s war expenditure for the first five months of the current financial year has been over £196,000.000. ft shows a decrease of £35.000,000, compared with the corresponding period ol 1943-44. Ihe expenditure for November was ovei £41.000.000 against nearly £44,000.000 in October. The Budget estimate lor ihe full current year is £505.000.000. On present indications the lull amount is not likely to be spent. ; “Australia must be prepared, m future, to spend many millions oi pounds each year upon the defence of the country.” said the ActmgPrimo Minister, Mr. Forde, at the animal graduation ceremony to-day at Duntroon Royal Military College. “We have, to honour our commitments as a”paciflc power of considerable importance. "Everybody should be called on to share in the common burden oi’ preparation for the defence ol his homeland. Forty-three- . cdgces have graduated to-day, including ten New Zealanders.” . , Mr Forde said 799 cadets have now graduated from this College, including 1*32 New Zealand cadets. The number of graduated from Duntroon College prior to the outbreak oi war was 4951—421 Australians and 74 New Zealanders.

DROUGHT AND BUSH FIRES

SYDNEY, December 12. Rain if, falling in many droughtstricken districts o! New South Wales, and the bush 'ires are now well under control in. most areas. Although the ruins may not continue long enough to break the. disastrous drought, 'they are likely to bring some" benotit tn the parched lands. Following the widespread bush fires on Sunday and Monday the New South Wales’ Minister of National Emergency Services (Mr Baddeleyj uro’ exercised the fire prevention power- conferred upon him under the National Security Regulations..Ho ’ ■as issued an order severely restrict■r? the lighting cd fire-: in all pans M rh? State- The burning of rubbisn, Zin'in backyards, is forbidden. Fires rav not be lighted in the open an except for certain specified purposes and under specified safety condition :•- The maximum penalty ioi’jd..iubayiii.g lira order is a fine of f'-l 00, or rm months’ imprireniv.ont., or both. The Premier (Mr MeK&ll) to-day revealed the' cwasoqueni cm ihc drought more- than half ct Biale i-.- now aifrefod bv soil erosion. Oi mw-e than 170.000 square miles of tire eastern, central, and western divisions of New South Wales, over which errwion lias spread, some areas me affected c.niy’slightly, but olhers are economically beyond reclamation. Announcing that investigation went to combat, erosion wa-i now being undertaken by jive .-oil conrevvaiion research, stations in New Sown Wales, Mr' MeKell said: “It is ap-m-eni that it over-clearing and overgrazing. ibr cuJtivation .of steep slopes, and disastrous bush liras are allowed to continue they must hasten the dangerous trend towards erosion. This generation has no rgiht io destroy the land for those who are to follow. The remedy cannot bo loft u> the judgment and action ot individuals —the only solution lies in ca rel ully-planned Clover rime at action.”