AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19039, 8 December 1923, Page 10

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

CIVIL SERVANTS’ SALARIES. A GENERAL INCREASE. Frees Association—By Telegraph—Copyright MELBOURNE, December 7. . In the Assembly, the Premier (Air Law- j son) anrounced increased salaries to pub- j Ho servants in the general division. The j basic wage was fixed at £206, while those '■ in the professional and clerical divisions ; were fixed at £lB6. The increases total ; ■ £55,616 per annum. j I BEER BOTTLES AS WEAPONS. | ; MELBOURNE, December 7. I Following comment on the growing use'| of beer bottles as weapons in street j squabbles, the Flemington branch of the ■ Australian Natives’ Association discussed the matter, and concluded that the fist, and not the beer bottle, was still the national weapon of defence in Australia. A motion urging the Government to compel the use of short-necked beer bottles, thus making them useless as weapons of defence, was defeated. SALE OF COMMONWEALTH SHU’S. SYDNEY, December 7. The Commonwealth Shipping Board has disposed of sixteen steamers. These con- , stitute one-half of the number of vessels for sale under Mr Larkin’s reorganisation scheme. NURSE’S REGISTRATION BILL. j SYDNEY, December t. j Tn the Assembly the Nurses’ Registra- ■ lion Bill was introduced. It provides for J 1 the establishment of a board to suspend j nurses from practice when deemed naces- j sary. Nurses*are to be classified (general, j mental, and midwifery). At the expira- ; lion of one year it will be an offence for j persons not qualified to assume the titles mentioned. ZIRCONS NOT DIAMONDS. BRISBANE, December 7. The Government Geologist, after examining them, states that the stones found at "Woman (near Rockhampton) were not diamonds, biH zircons, which are plentiful in Queensland. They are good specimens, but are not of much commercial Sake. RINDERPEST OUTBREAK. SYDNEY, December L j The conference between the various | I State authorities has been fixed in Syd- | ney for next Thursday to decide on joint 1 action to prevent the spread of rinderpest. ADVANCEMENT OP EDUCATION. MELBOURNE, December 7. (Received Dec. 7, at 10.15 p.irt.) The Minister, of Education has an- . nounced that the Government is introducing a loan Bill for £600,000 for educa- . tioual purposes.