AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15520, 30 January 1914, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

BUILDERS' LABOURERS,

MASTERS AND AN. AWARD. f By Telegraph—Press Association-—Copyright. ! i-r-'.' Sydney, January 29. ;/ The injunction recently, granted •by - the Chief Justice restraining the operation of! the . Federal award in connection - with builders' labourers, which raised the wages to lis a day, is causing , unrest. This has [ been intensified by . the action on the pit of some master, builders / in. declining to continue paying the pew rates. •• J- ■■/ • The secretary of the Builders' Labour-.ers'-Union? will jiot-countenanc© any : reRuction "in-wages or alteration of the/conditions .laid down in the' Federal award. 4"- special meeting. of the \ executive has empowered him", to call a ."stop ; work" meeting •on Saturday, if necessary, to hear the report of the men's representatives in an interview - with the employers. THE GROWTH OF SYDNEY. . ' (Received January 29, 9.30 p.m.) ' : SwDsfSY, January 29. An official estimate of the" population of Sydney and suburbs .at the end of last, year places, the fig-are at 725,400. The . increase for the year was 30,600, or 4 2-sths per • cent. The birth-rate was 28.95, and the death-rate 11.18, ' and the marriage rate 12.52 per 1000, all slight decreases. «■■■'■ ■ - , i poweslised SLEEPERS. ; ' . (Received January • 29, 30 p.m.) '• . Si®2qipr, January 29. The Federal Timber Commission ■is ' inj quiring into the value of jpowellising the railway sleepers. The majority of i the witnesses to-day, including" a number :of experts, favoured this process for preserving timber. / 'v : " CRICKETERS OH TOUR. Sydney, January 29.'V Excepting .Tramper and Crawford,- all the members of Mr. A. Sims's team were passengers by the Victoria yesterday for Auckland. Trumper will leave on 'Saturday, and Crawford after the Victoria-South Australia match. -• v ■ / I ••. •• • •,". '• "i EIRE IN DRAPERS' SHOP, » Sydney, January 29. ; A fire last night destroyed the premises owned by Messrs. Oakin and Company drapers, at Woollahra, the estimated damage being £7000. ~ v [ GENERAL ELECTION SOON." j Melbourne, January 29. " The Federall Premier (Mr. • Cook) in an address to the Liberal Workers' Association last night, indicated the probabilty of a double dissolution and an appeal to the people between now and June. ' " - MELBOURNE ENGINEERS. (Received January 29, 6 p.m.) Melbourne, January 29. • Owing to the decision of "; the Engineers' and Boilermakers' Unions, no work was done for the Harbour Trust to-day. Twelve employees of foremen and contractors engaged on trust repairs also declined to continue work. . .