AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22823, 6 March 1936, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

FATAL ROAD ACCIDENTS AN ALARMING INCREASE SYDNEY, March 5. The Minister of Transport (Mr M. F. Bruxner) is much concerned at the increase in New South Wales of fatal road accidents, 82 of which occurred in the last two months. He has convened a conference of various authorities to survey the position. The increase iu road fatalities is 51 per cent, above the same period in 1934. NORWEGIAN TANKER DAMAGED BRISBANE, March 5. The Norwegian tanker Vardaas is believed to be leaking and damaged from the bridge forward, but refused the services of the powerful tug Coringa. The Norwegian tanker Vardaas (8176 tons) damaged her keel on a reef at Point Danger, 70 miles south of Brisbane. The vessel, which had a cargo of crude oil, was en route from Singapore to Sydney. INTELLIGENCE TESTS SYDNEY, March 5. Tests of a survey of which is being conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research, will be carried out in the fourth week of March on children attending typical schools in New Zealand and Australia. The chief purpose of the survey is to provide teachers and research workers with reliable standards of mental measurement not previously available. THE FRUIT INDUSTRY SYDNEY, March 5. The Acting Minister of Commerce (Mr H. V. C. Thorby) announced that the Commonwealth was granting £20,000 to enable further investigation into the packing, transport, and marketing of Australian apples and pears, also to investigate and improve orchard practices. The work will be carried out by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, in co-operation with the departments of agriculture in all States. BENEFITS OF TARIFF POLICY MELBOURNE, March 5. (Received March 5, at 10.30 p.m.) The Minister of Customs (Mr T. W. White) states that proof that the Federal Government's tariff policy, and incidentally the Ottawa agreement, which is embodied in it, has been beneficial to Australia is contained in the official statistics, which show that factory employment increased from 337,000 in 1932 to 451,000 in 1935. As the result of Empire reciprocity since Ottawa every part of the Empire had made some gains and Australia not the least. Australia's total exports to Britain had risen from 50.07 per cent, in 1931 to 56.26 per cent last year. So beneficial had tariff overhaul been to manufacturers, conse quent on Ottawa, that production had increased from £111,000.000 in 1931-32 to £140,000,000 in 1934-35. * EVENING SITTINGS OF COURTS SYDNEY, March 5. (Received March 5, at 11 p.m.) The State Government is considering the possibility of establishing evening sittings of the Police Court and the small debts courts in order to relieve the congestion and save costs to members of the public involved in minor legal proceeding's. The Minister for Justice (Mr L. O. Martin) states that he will call for a report on the suggestion. Evening courts have been in operation in the United States for many years and have also been adopted in Britain. STEEL WORKS STRIKE SYDNEY, March 5. (Received March 5, at 11 p.m.) A mass meeting at Wolongong of men involved in the steel works strike decided to continue the struggle until their terms were conceded. The men were practically unanimous in their decision to reaffirm the resolution of a previous meeting not to return to work until overtime was abolished and the dismissed man reinstated. A BOY FOUND HANGING SYDNEY, March 5. (Received March 6, at 0.30 a.m.) A boy aged 14, shortly after leaving his home in Homebush for school to-day, was found hanging in a shed, a length of flexible wire having been tied over a beam and a loop at the end placed round the boy's neck. The police were told that the boy had been grieved over the recent death of a friend, and had been worried by school work. He had played truant for several days because of difficulties experienced with his school work. QUEENSLAND COUNTRY PARTY BRISBANE, March 5. (Received March 0, at 0.15 a.m.) A conference at Toowoomba decided to form a Queensland Country Party, to be affiliated with the Australian Country Party.