FINANCIAL CRISIS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21139, 24 September 1930, Page 9

FINANCIAL CRISIS

POSITION IN VICTORIA. THE GOVERNMENT "BROKE.” (United Press Association.). (By Electric Telegraph——Copyright.) MELBOURNE, September 23. Giving evidence in the Arbitration Court regarding the position of the Victorian Railways Department, the chairman of the Railways Commissioners (Mr Clapp) said that the Victorian Governmerit, speaking plainly, was “broke,” and know how to meet the pay roll. “ That is not an exaggeration, it is a fact,” he said. “No one will take the name of the Government on a piece of paper.”

VICTORIAN PUBLIC SERVICE

RATIONING OF WORK,

MELBOURNE, September 23. A meeting representing 80 per cent, of the members of the Victorian Public Service Associations .agreed to the scheme of rationing proposed by -the Government or alternatively a percentreduction in salaries.

MESSAGE FROM MR SCULLIN.

FAITH IN COLLEAGUES

LONDON, September 23. (Received Sept. 23, at 8 p.m.) Mr J, H. Scullin (Prime Minister of Australia) sent a message to the Daily Express through its Paris correspondent expressing determination on the pdrt of Australians to have the Budget balanced by the end of the current year. He said: “ I have every confidence in Mi Fenton and his colleagues, knowing as I do that they will save the situation and take the proper steps.” He proceed'd to say that the economic conditions of the world should cause us more seriously to consider cl.ser co-operation in interempire trade, “ I believe,” he said, " that the forthcoming Imperial Conference offers a splendid opportunity for a great forward movement towards the development of trade in the British commonwealth of nations.”

SIR OTTO NIEMEYER’S VISIT.

STATEMENT BY MR BAVIN.

SYDNEY, September 23. (Received Sept. 23, at 10 p.m.) The Premier (Mr T, R. Bavin), replying to Mr Blakeley respecting Sir Otto Niemeyer’s mission, said that Sir Otto came to" Australia as th§ result of a communication to the Imperial Government from the Commonwealth Government seeking advice in regard to Australia's financial obligations in London. Mr Philip Snowden (Chancellor of the Exchequer) in turn sought advice from the Bank of England, and the bank agreed to send Sir Otto to Australia in order to gain first-hand knowledge of the situation, and the Commonwealth readily assented to his coming, Mr Bavin added: “It certainly will not add to the reputation of Australia either for courtesy or honesty for Federal Ministers, in order to "placate sections of their own irresponsible and extremist supporters, to try to evade responsibility for the presence of Sir Otto in Australia.”

Speaking at Condobolin, Mr A. Blakeley (Minister for Home Affairs) denied that Sir Otto Niemeyer came to Australia at the invitation of the Commonwealth Government, The fact was that the Bank of England suggested to the Government that it should send a representative here with a view to taking over the overdraft of the Commonwealth Bank and the Westminster Bank, London. Mr Blakeley added that Labour bad not, and would not, endorse, Sir Otto Nicmeycr’s proposals to reduce the standard of living in Australia to that of England, with its 2,000,000 unemployed.