AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18753, 5 January 1923, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

THE POLITICAL SITUATION. GOVERNMENTS FUTURE UNCERTAIN. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright MELBOURNE, January 4. Mr Hughes continues to keep silence regarding the political situation, and probably nothing definite will be done before the final declaration of the polls is made, which should be within a week. Should Mr Hughes decide to attempt to carry on in the face of the fact that his own party has not a working majority, and the Country Party shows little inclination to work under him, he will find himself in a very difficult oosition. His initial difficulty will be the replacement of the five defeated Ministers. The oosition is altogether very mixed, and all sorts of rumours are current. The situation is big with possibilities. THE SENATE COUNT. SYDNEY, January 4. The Senate count in the various States has .'reached an interesting oosition, but it will be some days before the allotment of preferences can be completed. JOB CONTROL. SEAMEN”S NEW PROPOSAL. SHIPOWNERS AGAINST IT. SYDNEY, January 4. The Seamen’s Union is introducing a new system of supplying labour for the shipping companies. It proposes to place the whole of the members of the union on a roster, and when a ship requires a crew the number wanted will be chosen by the union from those at the head of the roster. It is- anticipated that the shipowners and officers of vessels will oppose the scheme and demand the right to choose the men. they desire. It is stated that many members of the union object to" the proposal, and that a new union mav be formed if an attempt is made to enforce the scheme. The proposal is regarded as the reintroduction of job control under a new npme. If it is persisted in it will certaimy raFet with strong resistance. BUILDING BOOM IN SYDNEY. SYDNEY, January 4. Sydney new buildings’ statistics disclose a great spurt in the building trade in the last six months of the year, when 1159 more buildings wore erected than in the corresponding previous half-year. The cost of erection last year was 70 per cent, above the pre-war cost. A PROSPEROUS STATE. SYDNEY, January 4. (Received Jan. 4. at 7.25 p.m.) Details of the State revenue for the half-year show that, besides the largo increase in receipts already cabled, the expenditure decreased by £759,000.' The total improvement, compared with the previous corresponding half-year, ■ was £1,322,000. MELBOURNE FEUDS. THE POLICE BAFFLED. MELBOURNE. January 4. (Received Jan. A. at 7.25 p.m.) It transpires that the feuds were the outcome of disputes over nrnperty. The police are baffled, as the victims persistently refuse to supply evidence, apparently fearing reprisals. [A recent cable stated; Feuds between rival gangs of young men in North ftlolbomno threaten a recurrence of the vendetta which throe years ago kept Fitzroy in a state of consternation. The men are armed with automatic pistoh. During the past few days skirmishes between gangs resulted in four men being wounded, two seriously. The victims refuse to give any information to the police, who are being specially reinforced to suppress the outbreaks.] WARSHIPS ENTERTAINED. SIDNEY, January 4. (Received Jan.'4, at 9.5 p.m.) The French Squadron arrived and was officially welcomed.