AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Grey River Argus, 11 July 1945, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

RIP VAN WINKLES. (Rec. 8.40). SYDNEY, July 10. A party; of drovers, who have been travelling from Northern Queensland to the Northern Territory, have just learned that the war in Europe is over. They did not know that Italy was out of the war. The last they had heard about the war in Italy was that everything was going well for the Allies. DEARER COAL PREDICTED (Rec. 9.50) . ADELAIDE, July 10 With one exception, it is believed that no New South Wales coal mine is making a profit. The Coal Commissioner, Mr. Migheil, is reported to have said this. The South Australian Premier, Mr. Playford, stated that Mr. Migheil had informed that as soon as the National Security Regulations have been lifted, and the Government subsidy is discontinued the price of New South Wales coal would rise considerably. Mr. Migheil also said that most of the coal mines had extensive underground workings, and that any attempt to mechanise them would be very costly. Mr. Playford said that South Australia, in common with other States had approximately fourteen days supply of coal. SYDNEY, July 10 Nine New South Wales mines were idle to-day, causing a production loss of more than nine thousand tons. FEDERAL BUDGET BETTER THAN EXPECTED. (Rec. 8.20). CANBERRA, July 10. Australia's war exnenditure for the year-1944/45 was 460 million pounds, which is forty-five millions less than had been expected. Income tax last year yielded fifteen and a-half million pounds more than the Budget estimate. Of Australian expenditure last year 194 millions came from revenue and 266 millions from loans. Explaining the decrease in the war expenditure, the Treasurer, Mr Chifley. said that; owing to delays by the British Government in rendering accounts, the expenditure overseas was short of the estimates by seventeen millions. The expenditure on the Reverse Lend-Lease was about twenty millions less than the original estimate of 110 millions. The total revenue received was 343 millions, compared wfith the Budget estimate of 325 millions. COMPLAINTS AT DETENTION CAMPS SYDNEY. July 10 For the second time within a few weeks, men from Tamworth detention camp marched into town last night and told the police and newspapermen their grievances, and then marched back to camp. Sixty-one confinees overpowered their guards and broke out of two military camps ■at Tamworth. Fifty-two broke out of west Tanworth and nine out of north Tamworth. Late last night, the nine from north Tamworth had not been recaptured. Men from west Tamworth camp complained of the poor and inadequate food, and said that their dependants’ allowances had been stopped by Army authorities. How, they asked, could those dependants live? Seventeen of the 22 escapees from Grovelly camp near Brisbane are still at large.