AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Otago Witness, Issue 3861, 13 March 1928, Page 27

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

STATE OF VICTORIAN FINANCES. . MELBOURNE, March 6. Speaking at a dinner tendered to the members of the State Ministry, the Premier (Mr E. J. Hogan) said that closer settlement finances had been investigated, and in all probability the people of Victoria would be faced with a loss for the past eight years of £8,000,000 on soldier settlement, without any provision being made to meet that loss, with the exception of £75,000 yearly. Referring to the expected deficit on the railways, Mr Hogan said that interest amounting to £3,500,000 yearly had to be met. If the people did not use the railways and patronised private enterprise instead, they would still have to meet that interest bill.

The Minister of Railways (Mr T. Tunnecliffe) said that the Railways Department was in a serious position. The actual deficit for the year would be about £2.000,000 owing to the bad harvest, from which the department derived revenue amounting to £30,000. A similar amount was lost through the absence of return traffic. On top of that 120,000 motor cars competed with the railway, and at an estimate at £5 a year each they represented a loss of £600,000.

FALSE REPRESENTATIONS. SYDNEY, March 6. Robert Gunter was sentenced to six months’ hard labour on a charge of falsely representing that he was Sir Robert Gunter, thus obtaining the use of a motor car.

lhe police gave evidence that accused had many previous convictions in London and New Zealand for similar offences. He had victimised a number of leading Sydney business men, and whilst en route to Australia on the Marama he represented to the passengers that he had received a cablegram apprising him that his uncle had died and that the title was now nis. On arival at Sydney he engaged a suite at a leading hotel as Sir Robert Crunter.

EXCITEMENT ON THE MAUNGANUI

. SYDNEY, March 6. k-ome excitment was caused on the Maunganui last nig'ht when nearing the coast. The electric light wires behind the panelling in the lounge fused and ignited the woodwork. Tire outbreak was extinguished without difficulty before much damage was done, but as a precautionary measure t-b e vessel was speeded p and the liftboats were swung out.

MURDER OF A FARMER. Melbourne, March 7 In connection with the death of Martin Ryan, the police have arrested the son murder d<?a ° man and c^ar 5 e d him with

the yallourn epidemic. MELBOURNE, March 7. In connection with the deaths of children at lallourn, the district health officer has reported that the chief cause w ’ as t" e moist, steamy weather, a plague of flies, and insufficient precautions to prevent the contamination of food particularly milk. ’ 1 The report added that 40 to 50 per cent, of the houses in the Yallourn area were unfit for human habitation. The mam contributing factor to the epidemic was the extremely insanitarv condition of the township. GERMAN REFUSED A LANDING. rp, ~ SYDNEY, March 6. Die German, who was refused permission to land is named Karl Kraft. He wag again a passenger by the Maunganui. After failing in a dictation test he was declared a prohibited immigrant and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment pending deportation to Germany. INDUSTRIAL PEACE CONFERENCE. MELBOURNE, March 7. In a letter to the secretary of the Australian and New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, Mr Bruce informed the council that the Ministry could not accept the terms laid down by the council in its conditional acceptance of the invitation to appoint delegates to attend the proposed industrial conference. Mr Bruce said that he did not propose to proceed with consideration in Parliament of the amended Arbitration Bill, pending the holding of the conference. The Government would consider any further representations made by the council on the question. Mr Bruce concluded with the request that the council should reconsider its decision and immediately proceed to nominate representatives.

COMPULSORY WHEAT POOL. CANBERRA, March 7. In the House of Representatives, Mr Parker (Labour) gave notice of the introduction of a motion favouring the formation of a Commonwealth compulsory wheat pool as a means of co-operation between the Commonwealth and State Governments.

THE ULIMAROA HOLD-UP. - SYDNEY, March 7. The Ulimaroa’s mails were transferred to the Iron Crown, which sailed from Newcastle for Wellington.

A WOMAN ASSAULTED. SYDNEY, March 6. While walking in the street en route to her home, late at night, a married woman was seized by two men in Darlinghurst and dragged to an adjacent building of flats, where she was criminally assaulted by seven men. When allowed to

depart she informed the police, who arrested five men. NEW SOUTH WALES PARLIAMENT. SYDNEY, March 6. Cabinet decided that Parliament will reassemble on April 17, when a Bill will be introduced providing for a referendum prior to any change in the constitution of the Legislative Council or its abolition. THE MINISTER OF CUSTOMS. SYDNEY, March 8. The Minister of Customs (Mr H. E. Pratten) leaves for New Zealand by the Niagara to-day. He will discuss with the New Zealand Government the reciprocal trade treaty between the Commonwealth and the Dominion. Mr Pratten said that although the position was delicate owing to recent alterations in the tariff made by both New Zealand and the Commonwealth, he hoped before returning to Australia to be able, by mutual goodwill, to arrange the trade position between the two countries upon a basis more satisfactory to each.

IRON AND STEEL INDUS PRY. SYDNEY, March 9. A new British and Australian company has been formed to develop the iron and steel industry at Port Kembla. Two leading British companies and two Australian companies are co-operating, and between them will supply the initial capital of £5,000,000 to develop the industry.

The total capital resources of the combined organisation exceed £23,000.000.

MURDER OF ELDERLY COUPLE. MELBOURNE, March 9. The police have arrested George Eric Gordon in connection with the deaths of Clements and his wife, and charged him with murder.

NEW SOUTH WALES MINERALS. SYDNEY, March 9.

The value of minerals won in New South Wales in 1927 is estimated at £18,497,000, a decrease of £444,000 compared with 1926.

The quantity of coal won last year was 11,000,000 tons, valued at the pit mouth at £9,782,000. This value is the highest on record.

The value of the output of silver, lead, and zinc, however, was £4,484,000, a decline of £1,264,000. The iron and steel manufacturing industry continues to expand, the output from ores mined in New South Wales being 119,000 tons, valued at £654,000, an increase of £75,000 compared with the previous year. The yield of gold amounted to 18,032 ounces (fine), valued at £76,000. BRISBANE FIRE BRIGADE. BRISBANE, March 9 All the members of the fire brigade struck as a protest against the action of the chief officer in Suspending a number of men for refusing duty. All the stations throughout the night were manned by skeleton staffs, but luckily there was no outbreaks of fire, as the number of men available to-day is quite inadequate. The men have returned to work, the Arbitration Court having decided to intervene and hear the dispute. THE BONUS SYSTEM DISPUTE. SYDNEY, March 10. The compulsory conference called to attempt to reach a settlement in the bonus system dispute at Walsh Island failed in its object. Hopes are now centred in the special meeting of the Newcastle Disputes Committee, which is summoned for Sunday. CONFERENCE OF ROTARY CLUBS. HOBART, March 10. At th e annual conference of Rotary Clubs of Australia, it was reported that arrangements had been made for the establishment of a Rotary journal for Australia. Means of increasing the work for the welfare of boys was also one of- the main matters discussed. Mr Birks was re-elected district- governor for the coming year.