AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Otago Witness, Issue 3957, 14 January 1930, Page 29

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

1 REVALUATIONS IN SYDNEY. SYDNEY, January 7. City revaluations for 1930 total £71,854,000, an increase of £10,768,000 over 1928. This means additional taxation for property owners. THE COTTON INDUSTRY. BRISBANE, January 7. The Assistant Minister of Customs (Mr Forde) stated that Sir Amos Nelson, a prominent English cotton spinner, intends spending £lOO,OOO on the establishment of a cotton mill either in Queensland or New South Wales. The mill will give employment to 1500 men. BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY. SYDNEY, January 7. A storm of press indignation has arisen in regard to comments in an article contributed by Major H. C. Porter in the Army, Navy, and Air Force Gazette, which was published in London on October 17, in which Australia is described as a “ black man's country.” Major Porter’s comments are in the nature of advice to ex-service officers who are considering migration to this country. He appraises highly British Columbia, but he sees distinct promise for his brother officers in New Zealand. Mr Scullin, the Prime Minister, has expressed resentment at Major Porter’s remarks, and he declares that they cannot be taken seriously. A CRISIS DEVELOPING. SYDNEY. January 8. The Herald says that the Federal Ministry is gravely concerned with the growing unrest on the waterfront caused by the demand of the waterside workers for the immediate removal of non-union-ists from every wharf throughout the Commonwealth. It is revealed that the Assistant Minister of Industry (Mr Beasley) recently held a number of secret conferences with the waterside workers in Melbourne. Fears are held in Federal circles that a crisis in the maritime industry is threatened, and it is stated that the Cabinet will give special attention to the position at a meeting next week. MELBOURNE, January S. Officials of the waterside workers emphatically denied the statement that trouble is looming on the waterfront over non-union labour. NEW SOUTH WALES REVENUE. SY’DNEY’, January 9. The revenue of the State for the six months to December 31 was £6,905,932, an increase of £811,353 compared with the first half of the year 1928-29. The expenditure was £9,884,072, a decrease of £3,546,854. FLOODS IN QUEENSLAND. BRISBANE, January 9. Heavy rain continues in Northern Queensland. All railway traffic it interfered with. The Tully River has overrun its banks, the water spreading over the countryide. The water on the Bellenden Plains is six feet deep over the railway lines. The Herbert River is 10 feet over the railway bridge. THE MALVERN MURDER. ADELAIDE, January 9. Thomas Blyth, aged 39, a tramway employee, was executed to-day for tire murder of his wife, aged 36, at Malvern, on September 30, following a quarrel over another man. Blyth leaves two daughters aged 17 and 14. STATE PARLIAMENTS. BROKEN HILL, January 9. A startling announcement to Australians was made by Mr Blakeley (Minis ter of Home Affairs in the Commonwealth Government), who said that in all proba bility a referendum would be taken this year by the Federal Government asking for power to abolish State Parliaments, thereby giving full and complete power to the Federal Government. This would mean a revolution in the domestic powers of shires, municipalities and provinces. The Federal Government ■would control national railways, water ways, Customs, and defence. SYDNEY’, January 11. The Prime Minister (Mr J. H. Scullin) says that nothing definite has been decided concerning a referendum for the abolition of the State Parliaments. Press editorials have already appeared trenchantly condemning the proposal. The Sydney Morning Herald says: ‘Wo do not expect the States to bare their breasts to the knife at the impudent behests of Trades Hall extremists.” The Evening News (Sydney) points out that if the referendum endorses unification it will authorise an experiment which has never yet been tried in the history of the world. Never before has any nation tried to govern a whole con tinent by democratic methods. The Labour extremists probably hope to get Australia under one management so that they can keep their fingers on its windpipe and jugular vein. ALLEGED SLANDER. MELBOURNE, January 9. Mr Stanley Williams has issued a Supreme Court writ directed against Sir William M’Pherson, former Victorian Premier, claiming £2OOO for alleged slander.

THE STANMORE TRAGEDY. SYDNEY, January 10. The coroner, inquiring into the Stanmore tragedy of January 2, when Mrs Osborne killed her daughter and then committed suicide, returned a verdict that the child died as a result of the mother’s act, and the mother committed suicide while she was temporarily deranged owing to ill-health. BIG FIRE AT WERRIS CREEK. SYDNEY, January 10. Eight shops, with their contents, were burned at Werris Creek, an important railway junction in northern New South Wales. PAY CLERK HELD UP. MELBOURNE, January 11. Threatening him with a revolver ami a sandbag, two masked men held up Joseph Train and robbed him of £3OO. which was pay money. The robbers weie particularly daring, as they walked through a yard where other employees were working and tied handkerchiefs round their faces as thev entered the pav office.