AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19736, 12 March 1926, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

TOTAL WAR EXPENDITURE. RETURN FURNISHED BY TREASURER. (Bresa Auoolation —By Telegraph—Copyright.) MELBOURNE, March 11. In the House of Representatives, in replying to a question, the Treasurer (Dr Earle Page) said that the amount received by Australia in reparations to date was £377,390. Australia’s total share of reparations was £63,162,000. The total war expenditure by Australia to : December 31 1925, was £588,627,000. The chief items were: Interest (including interest on war gratuity bonds), £134,750,000; war pensions to soldiers and dependents, £64,442,000 ; war gratuities to soldiers and dependents, £27,435,000; vocational training in hospitals, £17,756,(XX); soldiers’ land settlement, £54,717,000; war service homes, £17,005,000. DUNTROON MILITARY COLLEGE. MELBOURNE, March 11 The annual report of the Royal Military College at Duntroon for the year 1924-25, which has been tabled in the House of Representatives, shows that the annual intake of cadets is now 21, and for these positions there were 40 applicants. The strength of staff and cadets is now 50, which is the greatest since 1921. The expenditure for the financial year totalled £46,584. HANDLING OF ZINC CARGOES. HOBART, March 11. Following a dispute between the waterside workers and the Electrolytic Zinc Company over the rates for handling zinc cargoes, the Union Company’s steamer Kanna has been declared “black” by the watersiders because she discharged coal and loaded zinc by non-union labour. (Received March 11, at 11 u.m.) The Kauna sailed despite the ban of the watersiders with a full cargo of zinc which was loaded by the Electrolytic Company’s permanent employees. HEAVY FIRE LOSSES. SYDNEY, March 11. The damage at MTlwraith’s premises by fire is now set down at £150,000. It is estimated that the fire waste throughout Australia since the beginning of the year- is over £3,000,000.