AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17959, 8 December 1921, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

SHIPBUILDING TO CEASE.

LOCAL COSTS TOO HIGH. A. and NZ. ADELAIDE, Dec. 7.

Mr. W. M. Hughes, replying to a deputation of shipbuilders, was reluctantly compelled to say that local shipbuilding could not be continued. It cost the Commonwealth £25 a ton to build a ship worth £15 a ton when completed. This meant a loss of £75,000 on each ship. No solution was possible while Australian workers received £2 t 0 the Americans £1. BRIGHT HARVEST OUTLOOK. A. and N.Z. SYDNEY, Deo. 7. Reports from the harvesting districts indicate that besides a general good yield, beyond expectation in many instances, and excellent samples, there is comparatively little disease to depreciate the quality Thero is no shortage of labour, and with the continuance of the present fins dry weather the crop should bo bagged in record time. CHEAPER BREAD IN SYDNEY. SYDNEY. Dec. 7.

The master bakers have decided to' reduce the price of bread by a penny threefarthings from Saturday.

M.P.'S IEFUSE LOWER PAY. Dec. 7.

In the Legislative Assembly, the Government Bill to reduce members' salaries from £300 to £270 was defeated by 16 votes to 21. k ~.i

FEDERAL' MEMBERS' SALARIES 4 MELBOURNE, Dec. 7. Mr. Hughes promised Dr. Earle Tage (Leader of the Country Party) an opportunity on Friday of moving a reduction of members' salaries from £1000 to £800. RECORD FAST FLIGHT. SYDNEY, Dec, ,7. - A record flight has been made between Melbourne and Sydney by Captains Cherry and Hepburn in a De Haviland machine. They left Melbourne at 10.45 a.m. and arrived in Sydney at 2.40 p.m. BANANA DUTY RETAINED. . MELBOURNE, Deo. 7. Among the Senate's amendments to the tariff which the House of Representatives refused to accept was a rsduction in the duty on bananas from Id to £d per lb. BADAK MINES PROSECUTION. BRISBANE, Dec. 7. T. W. Orton, of Melbourne, who has been arrested in connection with tho f Badak Tin Mines case, possessed bank notes to the value of £11,000. He remarked:" This Li all I have." He was remanded on bail of £1000. HOOKWORM IN NEW GUINEA MELBOURNE, Dec 7. The Federal Government has decided to extend the hookworm campaign, now being successfully conducted in Australia, do the mandated territory of New Guinea, where it is proposed to treat 200,000 native sufferers. MOTHERHOOD ENDOWMENT. SYDNEY. Dec. 7. The Legislative Council carried the second reading of the Motherhood En dewment Bill by 53 to 16. ELECTRIC BATH FATALITY. HOBART. Dec 7. Reg. Midwood, ex-Australian amateur boxer, was electrocuted to-day. He stepped on a leaden floor after an electric bath *at his gymnasium. *—'.