AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23598, 7 September 1938, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

TAXATION STATISTICS RECORD AMOUNT COLLECTED SYDNEY, Sept. 6. Preliminary statistics shows that during the year ended June 30 the Commonwealth and States collected in taxes the record amount of £118,783,617. The taxation averaged £l7 6s Id per head of population, compared with the previous record of £ls 18s 4d. THE MINING DISPUTE COMMISSION’S JURISDICTION SYDNEY, Sept. 6. Mr Justice Cantor over-ruled an objection by the Miners’ Federation that the Industrial Commission had no jurisdiction to consider the dispute between that organisation and the colliery owners which had been referred to the commission by the State Ministry. He reserved his decision on the question whether, in accepting the award made last year, the federation had reserved the right to seek variation of hours, pensions, paid holidays, and weekly pay, which were not specifically mentioned in the award. The Broken Hill Proprietary, the biggest producer and consumer of coal in Australia, has intimated its willingness to meet the miners’ representatives in conference. STRIKE BEGINNING ON FRIDAY SYDNEY, Sept. 6. (Received Sept. 7, at 1,15 a.m.) A general coal strike throughout the Commonwealth will begin on Friday unless mediation intervenes in the meantime. The number of mine workers and dependents likely to be affected will be 100,000, of whom 80 per cent, are in New South Wales. Miners’ officials stated to-night that there was no alternative to a strike, as the mine owners’ and State Governments’ replies to their ultimatum were most unsatisfactory. The Federal Government merely formally acknowledged the letter.