HUGE DEFICITS

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 140, 13 May 1930, Page 7

HUGE DEFICITS

AUSTRALIAN FINANCE. STATE TREASURER’S FORECAST. EFFECT OF TARIFF EMBARGO. (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received May 13, 9.15 a.m. SYDNEY, May 13. During the course of a speech he delivered at Eastwood last evening, the State Treasurer, Hon. B. Stevens, forecasted that there would be a deficit in all public funds of £4,000,000 at tho end of tho present financial year. Mr Stevens also expected a Commonwealth aggregate deficit of £9,000,000. WATERSIDERS’ POSITION. . The Federal Government’s tariff embargo is having a boomerang effect. The waterside workers are the latest to complain. Thousands of watersiders are unable to obtain work because the majority of the overseas vessels are arriving nearly empty and are being diverted to other countries. The secretary of the Waterside Federation has written to the Prime Minister, Mr J. H. Scullin, pointing out the cicrumstances. He states that there are families starving; and people are being evicted from their homes. The secretary asks for some relief. Official statistics show that Australia is losing people by migration. During the three months to the end of March the excess of permanent departures over permanent arirvals was 2217. This is believed to be due to the general depression. The influx of southern Europeans, however, has been definitely checked.

FORTY-EIGHT HOUR WEEK. BRISBANE, May 12. The Industrial Court has granted the application of tho Crown for the lengthening of the hours of all Government employees from 44 to 48 a week. THE PUBLIC SERVANTS. , CANBERRA, May 12. The Federal Cabinet lias caused consternation in tho ranks of public servants by insisting that all shall join unions. Those holding aloof will be the first to suffer in any scheme of retrenchment.