AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Otago Witness, Issue 3886, 4 September 1928, Page 31

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

THE ST. GEORGE MURDER. BRISBANE, August 28. William Stewart, charged with the murder of Little, at St. George, was committed for trial. THE COOKS’ STRIKE. SYDNEY, August 28. The trial of Jacob Johnson, general secretary of the Seamen’s Union, on a charge of attempting .o intimidate the crew of the steamer IJarwon to leave work in connection with the recent cooks’ strike, has been concluded. Johnson was found guilty and sentenced to six months’ gaol. Notice of appeal was lodged. GRAFT CHARGES. SYDNEY, August 29. Mailing’s appeal against his conviction on a charge of receiving money from Babcock and Wilcox, Ltd., has commenced in the Full Court. The appellant relies on 13 grounds, chief of which are that the evidence properly admissible failed to establish the offence, that there was no evidence that such alleged payment was from Babcock and Wilcox, that the evidence did not establish that such alleged payments were made as a reward for recommending the acceptance of a certain tender, and that the offence charged was not punishable under the State Secret Commissions Act, which is not under Federal law. The hearing is unfinished. The charge against Aiderman Green of receiving £75.00 from Babcock and Wilcox has been adjourned until the Maling appeal has been concluded. August 31. The Full Court referred Maling’s appeal to the High Court to decide the points raised relating to the constitution. The court intimated that it considered that the other grounds of appeal had failed.

THE FEDERAL BUDGET. SYDNEY, August 30. In the House of Representatives Dr Earle Page (the Federal Treasurer) delivered his Budget speech. He said the estimated reveniie, at the end of- the present financial year would amount .to .£63,610,000 and the estimated expenditure : to £63,597,000", leaving a surplus of £13,000',000, eonipafed with , a deficit, of .£2,630,237 last year. There wpuld, be .no \ increase of direct

taxation and it had been decided to abandon the proposal to tax overseas incomes. Dr Page added that he was satisfied that the clouds of depression were disappearing from the financial horizon and the country could look forward to a continuance of the prosperity which in recent years had been characteristic of the conditions in Australia. CANBERRA, August 31. Dr Earle Page, speaking on the Budget, said the loans raised by the Commonwealth during the year totalled £40,500,000. The Commonwealth Governapproved of an expenditure of £7,250,000 bv the States on migration under the British-Australian migration scheme, whereby Britain is advancing £34,000,000 at a very low rate of interest over a long period. A national insurance scheme would be introduced as soon as possible, to which the Commonwealth and the employers and employees would jointly contribute. Soldiers’ widows would receive pensions amounting to £2 2s weekly, without the slightest condition. A war pensions appeal board would also be established. The war debt had been reduced to £293,500,600, while the public debt now stood at £494,000,000. FEDERAL ELECTIONS. SYDNEY, August 30. The Prime Minister announced to-day that the Federal elections will be held on November 17. THE COAL INDUSTRY. CANBERRA, August 30 In the House of Representatives Mr S. M. Bruce announced that the Federal Government would appoint a commission to inquire into the whole question of the coal industry. No definite steps would be taken, however, until negotiations with the interested parties now being carried on were completed. Mr Bruce added that the Government had discussed the matter with the New South Wales Government, and concluded that it was essential in the interests of the industry that, if there was to be no further reduction in the sale of coal, there should be a reduction in the price. 9 ACTION FOR LIBEL. SYDNEY, August 31. Mr Thomas Mutch, formerly Minister of Education, has begun a suit against Beckett’s Budget, claiming £5OOO for libel in statements alleging that he was unfitted to hold Ministerial office or to represent the people in Parliament. The hearing is unfinished. QUEENSLAND POLITICS. BRISBANE, August 31. A no-confidence motion in the StatS Assembly was defeated bv 37 votes to 34.

BOILERMAKERS ON STRIKE. SYDNEY, August 31. A dispute over the dismissal of a boilermaker from Babcock and Wilcox’s works connected with the Bunnerong power plant contract has resulted in 150 men being idle. The trouble may spread to the firm’s big workshops in the city, involving 500 more. Two men were originally dismissed, but one was reinstated. The employers refused to re-engage the other under any circumstances. If the union persists in its demand that the man be reinstated the workshops will probably be closed and orders sent to the firm’s English where they can be dealt with more checqfly. It is stated that many of the men are anxious to resume work. DECREASE IN ARMY EXPENDITURE. . . SYDNEY, September 1. Declaring in his annual report that the army vote is quite inadequate, Sir Harrv Chauvel (Chief of the General Staff of the Australian Military Forces) points out that the policy of reducing the expenditure to bare essentials jeopardises efficiency and preparedness for an emergency. The present financial limitations, he says, permit of elementary training only. Despite the increase of the Commonwealth population, the allocation for the army is approximately only £1,000,000 compared with £2,277,000 in 1912 13. TRAGEDY IN SYDNEY. SYDNEY, September 1. A sordid tragedy was discovered today in a tumbledown washhouse in Underwood street, Paddington, when the dead body of Hilda Miller, aged 29 years, an attractive looking barmaid, was found with her throat slashed. Lying nearby was Aubrey Chapman, aged 33, a carpenter, whose throat was also slashed. He, however, is not dead, but is unable to give a coherent account of what happened. . The police have been informed that Chapman is married. POLL ON PROHIBITION. SYDNEY, September 1. The vote on the question of State prohibition has flooded New South Wales. The “wets” have secured a majority of five to two in the latest figures. It has been a- very heavy but quiet poll, and it now stands:; against prohibition, 818,312; .for prohibition, 329,941. - - I . September i ' .. . The present. majority against Prohibition,, is 489,667. out of a total enrolment of 1,426,000. ’ ‘ ; : ■. A.j. poll was taken in the Federal capital .territory* which hitherto

has been a dry area, and a three to one majority voted for the sale of liquor at Canberra.