AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Grey River Argus, 1 February 1946, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

FORTY-HOUR WEEK. SYDNEY, January 31. The commercial printer;-’ application for a 40-hour week will be supported by the Federal Government as a test case. In announcing this, the Minister fox- the Interior, Mr Johnson, said that the plan Io introduce to 40-hour week in the Commonwealth public service had been set aside in favour of supporting the printers. The Federal Opposition Leader Mr Menzies, expressed the opinion that a 40-hour Week should not be determined merely by reference to one industry. Meanwhile, tlx.e Australian Workers’ Union, of which Mx‘ Johnson is president, rejected by 16 votes to 10 motion by the secretary, Mr Dw iglierty, that the union should endorse arbitration and conciliation and strive for its improvement. Mr Johnson said that though the union supported arbitration it reserved the right to strike. INQUIRY INTO SINGAPORE ' DEBACLE. CANBERRA, January 31. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr R. G. Menzies, opposes any inquiry into the circumstances of the Malayan campaign. “T think that if we start by having a scries of post-mortems on all the xampaigns and all the decisions of this war, the only possible result, will be to create misunderstandings, allegation-, and counter-allegations,” he said. “The wax - is finished, but the world still lias a mass of delicate problems. I would much sooner sec that wo m-e getting on with the job of collaborating with each othex' in the solution of these problems, instead of taking a period off to argue about whose soldiers fought better on this occasion, or whose generals were, right on that.”

N.S.W. HOUSING NEEDS. SYDNEY. January 31. New building control regulations administered bv the Ministex* of Labour and Industry, Mr Hamilton Knight, provide that from Monday people urgently needing homes will be given priority in obtaining building materials. The present practice to supply bricks in the order of permits is to remain, but priority will be given to those whose need is proved urgent. Thei'e will be no brick fences, garages ox- garden paths. A proclamation is to be issued bringing roofing tiles, fibrous plastex- sheeting, and other building materials under Ministerial control. WHERE IS THE BEER GOING? SYDNEY, January 31. Hops to be imported from America will be sufficient for about 10,000,009 gallons of beer. It is estimated that Australian beer production for this year is 104,000,000 gallons greater than highest pre-war yearly consumption. There is still only enough to provide two-hours drinking daily, and, though suggestions are various, no one seems to know where the surplus goes to. PROVOSTS BARRED BY R.S.L, BRANCHES. SYDNEY, January 31. Some Returned Soldiers’ League suti-branches have refused membership to some men who served in the Australian Arm.v as provosts and detention camp guards. In the A.1.F., particularly, bittei’ resentment has been shown towards some provosts and guards known in the Army as “screws”. Tiie Secretary says that the League’s constitution does not debar men who have voluntarily served outside Australia, but sub-branches could, bv a Iwo-third's majority, reject anv amffication for membership. The men barr<-d were from corps or base units and non-divisional. ’PLANE TRAGEDY. SYDNEY, January 31. Following the discovery of wreckage of a plane, parts of the skulls of two R.A.A.F. men were found in heavily wooded country on the Earrington Ranges. It. is believed that the wreckage and the bones ax’e ail that is. left of a Mosquito and ‘its crew which has been missing since last April. Experts who saw- Ihe wreckage claim' that the ’plane exploded while in flight, as the pieces covered a widv area, DUTCH REFUGEES. SYDNEY, January 31. A hot meal for 150 Dutch evacuees from Indonesian prison camps was rushed by motor-lorries to Sydney wharf when the liner, Tjbadak, arrived from the Dutch East Indies. The evacuees, mostly women and children, had lived on tinned Armyrations since leaving Batavia three weeks ago. Some of them were suffering from beriberi and could hardly walk. Children fingered apples, peaches and oranges, but could not. believe they were fit lo eat. Some of the youngex- ones w’ere born in prison camps. During the voyage there w’as no bread, potatoes, fresh fruit or vegetables. One woman said that 41) European women in a camp' at Ambarawah had their noses and ears cut off by extremists.

SUPPLIES FOR JAVA. SYDNEY, January 31. The waterside unions have decided to man one of the five Dutch shins waiting in Australian ports to take relief supplies to Java. The manning is to lake place under the terms of an agreement between the Federal At-torney-General. Dr. Evatt, and the Dutch Minister to Australia, Mr van Aarsen, that stores carried by the ship should be under British control. After the first, shipload is distrbuted a report will be submitted t' the unions and to the executive O' the Australian Council of Trades Unions. This will determine when the other Dutch ships will be manned.