AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3475, 19 October 1920, Page 37

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

The Executive of the Labour Party has decided to select the next Lord Mayor of Sydney, and restrict the choice to the council caucus only.

i The late rains have resulted in an abundance of feed and the stock districts of New South Wales have greatly improved. Prices of both cattle and sheep have slumped considerably, with a further downward ten ; dency. Colonel Walker, of the War Service Homes Commission, in giving evidence at j the Victorian timber inquiry, said it was I impossible to obtain timber supplies _ at reasonable rates, owing to the operations j of timber combines, which met monthly and ! regulated the prices. i A motor car, with the driver and .six passengers, ran off the punt at Sackville, New South Wales. The passengers were extricated from the sinking car, but the driver, William Strickland, of Drummoyne, was drowned. The car carried a horse and its rider with it, but both swam ashore. Major Sanders, representing the Egyptian Government, says he has concluded a contract with the Australian Wheat Board for the supply of wheat and flour to Egypt; but the board desired that particulars should • not be published at present. j Replying to a question regarding a newsI paper announcement that no Geneva Con+"ference is to be held, Mr Hughes attacked the press, saying that the first basic principle of mankind should be to disbelieve the newspapers. "The people writing these things," he declared, "don't even know where Geneva is." The -King's Prize at Enoggera, Queensland, was won by G. Hill, with 277 points, i Morphy was second, with 274 points, and j Bradley third, with 273. Croxton scored i 263. In the Mick Simmons -Match of 10 shots at 90Oyds, Croxton was unplaced with a score of 47. * QUEENSLAND ELECTIONS. I In the Queensland election the Nationalist candidate was successful at Port Curtis. This result reduces the Government's lead to six. i There is now only one doubtful seat—in. Kennedy—where the Labour candidate is leading. The state of parties at present . is as follows: "i Labour 39 •Country Party 19 . Nationalists 12 Soldiers' Party ... 1 Independent Country Party ... 1 COPE'S ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. Captain Wilkins, second in command of the Cope Antarctic expedition, has sailed on the Maheno en route to Montevideo, where he will join Dr Cope. He stated that the expedition is only a preliminary to the larger one contemplated. He expects to return to Australia from the preliminary expedition in June, 1922. If not back then, i it could be assumed that more important j work than at present anticipated was being done. The expedition expects to continue j its work throughout the winter, as the | farthest point to be penetrated by the prej liminary expedition will never be in total j darkness. ! AUSTRALIAN POLITICS. | In the House of Representatives an amendment to the Budget proposals, moved by Mr M'Williams, the Country Party j Leader, was defeated by 26 votes to 22, Labour and Country voting together. Four ! of the latter party did not vote. Twenty - j two members paired. i The nominations for the Victorian State j elections • on October 21 include seven | Labour, three_ Liberal, and one Farmers' I Union candidate, who have been returned I unopposed. The vote-splitting between the Liberals and the Farmers' candidates ; threatens to enable the Labourites to win several teats. % - In the New South Wales Assembly the Premier- annouced that the Government proposed to fill the parliamentary vacancies by the election of the. next highest defeated candidate from the particular party losing the seat, thus maintaining the strength of the parties determined at the general elections. The death of Mr Singleton. Labour member for Eastern Suburbs, Sydney has rendered a seat vacant in the Assembly. The Westralian Legislative Council read a second time a Bill which has been reintroduced enabling women to qualify to sit in Parliament.