AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18310, 29 July 1921, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

PRICE OF BREAD

PROTEST BY MASTER BAKERS.

Freu Association—By, Telegraph—Copyright

PERTH, July 28,

The Price-fixing Commission having refused to raise the price of bread all round, the master bakers have given their employees a week’s notice of their intention to close down, stilting that they cannot feed the public at a Joss.

SOLDIERS’ SETTLEMENT INQUIRY. SYDNEY, July 28. Mr Justice Street, in concluding, his final report on soldier settlements, finds that he cannot accept Ashford as a candid and truthful witness. He had not succeeded in rebutting the suggestions of immoral conduct. Additional facts lead fairly to the conclusion that he and Bryant (a subordinate officer) were associated in a course of immoral conduct. It ovas not improbable in these circumstances that Bryant acquired au improper ascendancy over him, and used him improperly. [A cable message of April 28 stated that Cabinet had agreed to Mr Ashford’s request to reopen the soldiers’ settlements inquiry for the one point of Mr Ashford’s fnoral conduct, which was commented upon by the judge.] •

WHEAT POOL QUESTION.

VICTORIAN MINISTRY DEFEATED. MELBOURNE, July 28. In the Assembly the Ministry was defeated by 33 votes to 28, the Country and Labour Parties voting together. The Ministry had offered a voluntary wheat pool in Hey of the Country Party’s request tor a compulsory pool. STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. MELBOURNE, July 28. (Received July 28, at 10.15 p.m.) After interviewing the Governor, Mr H. S. \V. Lawson (Premier) stated that he had not decided whether to ask for a dissolution of the State Parliament or merely to resign and leave it to the Governor to commission one of the leaders of the other parties to form a Ministry. Cabinet is considering the position.

LABOUR’S OBJECTIONS.

REVOLUTIONARY METHODS CON DEMNED.

MELBOURNE, July 28

Mr Blakeley, president of the Australian Workers’ Union, replying to the speeches at Hobart, said that the preamble, which was adopted hy the All-Australian Labour Congress, did not go beyond the present Labour pledge objective. Mr Ogden, commenting on this reply, states that the preamble provides both for revolution and confiscation. The Labour Party never stood for either, and ho hoped that it never would. Tho Council of Action should not abrogate powers which should be possessed onlv by a sovereign Parliament. It would be a farewell to freedom if they became dictators in Australia.

[Three Labour members of Parliament, in addressing a large open-air gathering at Hobart, strongly condemned the recent decision of the All-Australian Labour Conference, which favoured a policy of direct action to overthrow the capitalistic system. ■'fThey declared that the proposed amalgamation of all the unions into one big union, with the control of all industry, was dangerous.} EXPORT OF FRUIT. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S EXPERIMENTS. SYDNEY, July 28. (Received July 28, at 10.15 p.hn.l The federal Government is experimenting with a view to landing fruit in London, equal in every respect to that obtainable in Sydney. It is proposed to pack green fruit in specially prepared chambers in the Commonwealth Line of steamers, where it will be kept at an even temperature calculated to bring the fruit to maturity by the time of its arrival at its destination. WHEAT POOL IN SYDNEY. i ' SYDNEY, July 28. (Received July 28, at 10.15 p.m.) Cabinet adopted a resolution strongly upholding the principle of the Australian wheat pool, stating that hi the meantime a State pool would be established. *COPRA ISLAND TRADE. LOST TO SYDNEY. SYDNEY, July 28. (Received July 28, at 7.50 p.m.) At the annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce it was stated that the Island copra trade has been lost to Sydney, and other trade was badly disorganised owing to the restriebivo port regulations. The need for the revision of the regulations was strongly urged. The chairman, in his speech, referred to the gravity of the situation arising out of the inflated public borrowing. He said that State control of industry was not contracting as speedily as the best wishers of the prosperity -of the country could desire. He urged the need for better mail and cable communication, and condemned the delay of the authorities in not pushing forward or allowing private companies to establish wireless communication.. .. Sir Joseph Cook (Acting-Prime Minister), referring to the financial position, said he hoped he might not have to impose further taxation, but there were certain things which had to be done.