AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 March 1927, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

——- - - Australian it N.Z. Cable Association.]

X.S.W. POLITICS. SYDNEY. March 21

The Assembly accepted some of the Council’s amendments to the Family Endowment Bill, and made minor amendments to others, and referred it to the Council, which made further important amendments bv Air Ashton, dealing wftli the relative positions of the participants under the Stale Bill, and the Federal Endowment Bill was then returned to the Assembly, which is still discussing the compromise and the passage of the measure before the House rises.

FINAL .MELBOURNE SITTING AIELBOURXE. March 2-L

The Federal Parliament held its last sitting in. Afelboiune to-dav. (Tearing up arrears of legislation preparatory to flitting to Canberra for the opening of tbe new .Parliament Houses by the Duke ol York at Canlierra. Melbourne Parliament House will now revert to the State Parliament, which reoceupies them in June. NEWSPAPER. TAX QUESTION. SYDNEY, March 21. Questioned regarding -the defunct ttewsjjiper fax in Hie X.S.W. Assembly the Premier. Mr Lang said he was not aware the tax was illegal. It had been declared unconstitutional, because it was an excise duty. The problem was what was excise duty and what was not. That question would have to bo faced in a much wider field yet. Referring to the extra moneys received by newspapers while the tax w-is operative, he declared it belonged neither to the newspapers or news agents but to the public, and if it is Lo be distributed among public charities, then the proper distribution agent should he the Government.

FEDERAL CABINET’ CHANGES AIELBOURE, .March 2-L

In the Federal House of Reproseiila, lives, the Prime Minister, Air S. Bruce announced a re-arrangement of the Federal Ministry. Senator Glasgow is taking over the Defence .Ministry, and Mr Alavr, the Homo and Territories portfolios. Sir R. House is being relieved of the Defence Ministry. hut retains those of Health and Ropara-

AIR TRAGEDY. BRISBANE. March 21

An aeroplane belonging to the Queensland and Northern Territory Air Service, when Hying north from ChaiTeville with mails and passengers, crashed near Tainho. It. was about to land, when it suddenly nose-dived from a height of five hundred feet.

~e pilot, ITight-LieutenaiiL A. Davidson, son ol the editor of tluAddaide “ News,” who was making Ids first trip on the route, and a passenger, A. W. Roll, of Wiuton. were killed. TTie only other person aboard was a passenger named tld, who was terribly injured, and he died at the hospital.

EX DO WAIF N'T BILL PASSED. SYDNEY, .March 25. Wrer protracted negotiations the Family Endowment Bill passed all saigas in both Houses. Air Lang said the Government would accent the limit as outlined in the Council. The Industrial Commissioner would now he asked to fix the basic wage on a basis of a man and wife without children, with an allowance of five shillings tor i ■uli child, subject to Mr Ashtons amendment, cabled last night. A bill providing for a tax ot three per cent on the total wages bill of all private employers and for payment ot a similar charge by,the statutory authorities such as the Government Departments, passed all stages in both Houses anil a question now being discussed is whether the basic wage of £4 Us fixed by the Industrial Commissioner on the basis of a man and wife and one child will be reducedJUDGE BEEBY. AI.ELBOUR XE. .March 25. Judoo Boebv docrined to continue the hearing of the plaint ot the watP>Md»rs in the Commonwealth Arbitration Court, because the _ applicants organisation could not give a proper assuH.ince that job control and the ;»l reduction of local rules would be discontinued.