AUSTRALIAN CABLES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3594, 30 January 1923, Page 26

AUSTRALIAN CABLES.

FEDERAL POLITICS. ~, , MELBOURNE, January 24. Alter the conference of Nationalist and ounfry Parties, tile former submitted a memorandum to Dr Earle Page making rn n'V ,I:iJ fr a S for the formation of a ekx fon ni Mln '"‘C- These include the rnechmr t'l £ nme Minister at a Joinj eating of both parties, Mr Hughes in ot, n ed a ‘V etire - *' our Portfolios are wm consulcr t tl COUntry P art -V- The latter ference resumed toTv * b< ' f ° re the COn ‘ The ry, MELBOURNE, Janaury 25. nr 1 " 7 lartyl arty rejected the l.minarv t Proposals, stating that a pre- ,“ y to any. negotiations must be the uncondUionai retirement of Mr Hughes sideration r °/j S G, S IV bmiUed the conr,:“as p a.“ Counkv plr 7i ° be submitted to the to bet ° rS ‘ are Presented coasMer C °t U h" try r Part -y is a,so Prepared to Ministry orni atio n of a composite l„ f , f y ’, t| le question of leadership to Ire on ih° r future consideration, conditionally to D the^Hme P M-t T i^u reli ? quish his claim Ministry a Ministership in any composite form « 1U A * fi u al course, he offers to toim a Ministry himself from the antiLabour members of the House. reached e y P h^ te tl that agreement will be •*« A BANKER’S EMBEZZLEMENT. l ■ , SYDNEY, January 24. Hitching, wno was committed for trial nertv of ~ l embezzling £5400. the propetty of the Government Savings Bank v° ld a del - ective th ft be lost helvdv Sre bo rse . racing. He then bet " d " h «? hitching served in the war and was wounded in the head. S SUGAR CONFERENCE. . , BRISBANE, January 24. consi,w nf fh en r e * ° f the .- sugar inte rests to consider the future policy of the industryhas commenced. The Prime Minister (Mr fk iu 01 ? 1 sub . mitte d proposals providing toi the formation of a pool for a term of five years to control all the sugar produced '" .' e Stat .?> the prohibition of the importation of black-grown sugar for that period except to make up any shortage. fixiL d of"ft the currency of the pool the nxmg of the retail price at not exceeding per lb in the metropolitan areas An amendment fixing the price at 4|d per lb and a motion urging the renewal of the agreement between the Commonwealth and btate Governments for a period of five years, were carried. RUSH TO PEG OUT SILVER CLAIMS. rp, .. HOBART, January 23. Ihe discovery of lodes of silver and lead ore has been made three miles north of Zeehan. ihe Chief Inspector of Mines says the ore is rich in silver, and is the best he lias seen on the Zeehan field. There is considerable excitement over the find, and a rush to peg out claims has set in. THE POULTRY INDUSTRY. , , ~ SYDNEY, January 24. At the Federal Conference of Utility Poultry Breeders it was stated that the value of the poultry industry in New South Wales had increased from £619.000 in 1914 to £3,196,000 in 1921. The value of the eggs exported last year was £86,C00. „ January 25. Ihe Poultry Conference was asked to define a new-laid egg, but it found that it had tackled a difficult problem. After a lengthy discussion it defined a liew-laid egg as one which was not more than seven days old, and which was produced under modern sanitary conditions. The conference also resolved that where Asiatic eggs or egg products were used in foodstuffs the sellers must, exhibit a notice to that effect in their premises. NAVAL REDUCTIONS. MELBOURNE, January 25. The Director of Naval Intelligence has announced that 24 units of the Australian Fleet are to be paid off. They include the battleship Australia, the cruiser Sydney, nine destroyers, three sloops, and numbers of non-effective units, including eight submarines. ANTI-LABOUR CONFERENCE. BRISBANE, January 27. A conference of the anti-Labour forces in the Assembly was held at Rockhampton. It was decided to join forces with the object of bringing about a sane and responsible Government. The conference, which consisted of the Nationalist and Country Party members of the Assembly, decided that the name of the new party shall be the Queensland United Party. MISCELLANEOUS. The New South' Wales Cabinet further prorogued Parliament till March 6. Earth tremors of small magnitude were recorded at the Sydney Observatory between 8 p.m and 9.30 p.m. on the 22nd. It is estimated that the centre of the disturbance is £OOO miles distant. The Federal Cabinet is considering an amendment to the marriage laws with a view to including insanity as a ground for divorce. It is proposed to introduce legislation to that effect next session. The Federal revenue for the half-year ended December amounted to £28,3:2,496 —- an increase of £564,233 compared with the previous corresponding period. 'Hie expenditure amounted to £24,312,011, compared with £26,772,081 the previous year. For the six months ended December the New South Wales revenue showed an increase of £564,000, and the expenditure a decrease of C 759,000, compared with the previous corresponding period. This is the most satisfactory condition the State finances have been in for many years.