AUSTRALIAN NEWS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10634, 6 July 1920, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

PRISONERS’ DARING SCHEME TO ESCAPE. Br Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright MELBOURNE, July 5. A daring scheme to release prisoners from Fentridge Prison' was detected. Long-service convicts put on suits under the prison garb. Their suspicious movements caused a search, which repealed two automatic pistols, dynamite, jemmies, and coils of copper wire. It is estimated that 120 prisoners oould have escaped had the scheme succeeded. NEW SOUTH WALES DROUGHT LOAN. 'SIDNEY, July 5. The final returns -of the State two million loan for drought relief in New South Wales show that £2,523,000 has been subscribed. * , MEAT SHORTAGE. "SYDNEY, July 5. The Government of New s South Wales proposes to borrow sufficient Imperial Government mutton from cold storage to relievo the local shortage. NO-CONFIDENCE IN SHEARERS’ EXECUTIVE. SYDNEY, July 5. ; The shearers’ section of the-Austra-lian Workers’ Union, dissatisfied with the conduct of affairs in connection with the existing dispute in the shearing industry, carried a resolution of no confidence in the union executive. It also resolved to accept nothing loss than the Queensland rates ahd conditions for shearing in New South Wales. COST OF SOLDIER SETTLEMENT. SYDNEY, July 5. Senator MiHen, Federal Minister for Repatriation, in reply to Mr P. F. Loughlin, Minister for Lands in New South Wales, states that Mr Loughlin expects that for the settlement of returned soldiers in New South Wales the Commonwealth shall pay £2500 per settler, whereas Victoria had asked for £1776, South Australia for £l4lO, West Australia for £llOO, and Queensland £7OO. New South Wales undertook to settle" 8405 men for eight and three-quarter millions, but had failed to settle half that number; yet it desired an extra three and a half millions. HOTEL LICENSES IN VICTORIA REDUCED. MELBOURNE, July 5. Since the Licensing Reduction Board has been in operation, the hotel licenses in Victoria have’ been reduced from 3448 to 2111. The compensation paid to tho owners and occupants of the delicensed houses, up, to the end of June last year, totalled £672,591. Since then a considerable number of houses have been closed, for which compensation is still payable,.