AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3542, 31 January 1922, Page 36

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

It is officially notified that the war precautions moratorium period in Australia has expired. A conference of representatives of the cooperative butter factories rejected the proposal to form a Victorian butter pool. The new Commonwealth liner Euroa, of 6060 tons, has been launched at the \\Tl- - yards, Victoria. It is understood that the Queensland Gov evrnment is negotiating another loan of £2,500,000 in America, redeemable in five years. Last year the New South Wales imports were valued at £53,111,000, and the exports at £50,902,000. A second telephone line between Mel bourne and Sydney has been opened. It, will relieve the congestion on the initial line. There is a great rush of candidates for the late Mr Tudor’s vacant Federal seat, 23 nominations having been received. Among- the applicants for the position of acting conductor of the New South Wales State Orchestra are a number of prominent European musicians. The Melbourne Water Board’s 6i per cent, loan of £500,060 for new works, with a currency of six years, was rushed. It was over-subscribed. The Federal Government has announced the abolition of alien registration, as all the States are not co-operating in the work. The Sydney City Council rescinded a resolution adopted in 1916 providing for preference to unionists in its employment, and affirmed that preference would be given to returned soldiers. Mr M. Charlton has been elected Leader cf the Labour Party in the Federal House of Representatives in succession to Mr Tudor. The appointment does not induce that of Leader* of the Federal Labour Party. During December the price of foodstuffs and groceries in Australia decreased bv 3 per cent, as compared with November, the range being from 3.7 in New South Wales to 1.3 in Queensland. The Italian warship Libya, which was completed in 1913 and is of 3690 tons displacement, has arrived in Sydney. She is making a world’s cruise, which will occupy two years. _ , The Women’s Conference sitting at Hobart resolved in favour of a course of domestic science at the universities, the appointment of women members on all public bodies, and the immediate provision that women should sit on juries. A picnic narty of 19 persons were in a motor launch on Lake Tyers, Victoria, when the engine backfired. The women became alarmed and crowded to the stern of the vessel, which capsized. Three men (Darrel Ray, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Taxation, Alex. Finlay, and John Barke) were drowned. TASMANIA DISSATISFIED. Speaking at the Tasmanian Governor’s farewell. Mr Murdoch, a member of the Tasmanian Legislative Council, declared that, unless radical alterations are made in Tasmania’s financial arrangements with the Commonwealth, probably a deputation will be found knocking at the doors of the Imperial authorities in London seeking relief from the Federal pact. He complained of the burden of Federal taxation which Tasmania is compelled to bear, though she receives hardly anything in return, while Federal legislation is ruining the island’s industries. THE NORTHERN TERRITORY. In reply to the agitation in favour of using coloured labour in the Northern Ter ritory, a movement has been started to form a North Australia White Settlement Association, the object being to keep the territory all white. The project will ultimately involve a big immigration and colonisation scheme, but the initial activities aim at ascertaining and removing the causes of the failure of previous attempts at land settlement, to secure better transport communication, 10 facilitate the establishment of suitable industries, and to provide conditions to make it possible for white women and children to live comfortably in .he Territory.

FIRES IN SYDNEY. Two early morning fires in Messrs Grace Bros.’ furniture factory in Parramatta road, and Lasseter’s large store in York street, Sydney, started almost simultaneously. In Lassetter’s buildings the highest three of

the five floors, which were heavily stocked with machinery, were gutted. The damage on account of fire and water will be very heavy. In Messrs Grace Bros.’ building the two top floors were gutted and the stocks rf furniture were destroyed or damaged. The total losses will run into big figures.