AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1787, 5 November 1919, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

ENDOWMENT OF CHILDREN.

. By Ca'Ae. — Prut Association. — Copyright. SYDNEY, Nov. 4. A meeting of associated trades, representing 11 large employers' asso- , ciations, resolved that it would be far preferable to accept the Board of Trade's-living wage of £3 17/- than 9 to attempt to put the Maintenance of Childrens Bill, now before Parliament, into operation. PRONOUNCED"OPPOSITION. (Rcc. Nov. 5, 11.10) SYDNEY. Nov. &. , Ihe Legislative Council is debating the Childrens Maintenance Bill. Many members are showing pronounced opposition, expressing the opinion that it is preferable to accept the Board of Trade's living wage of £3 17/-. aeriaiTroutes. (Rcc. Nov. 5, 11.10) " r_ SYDNEY, Nov. «. Ihe Government has arranged for the aviator, Captain Pickles, to survey an aerial route between Sydney and Broken Hill, to demonstrate the practicability of conducting an aerial service between the two cities. THE WAR GRATUITY.

MELBOURNE, Nov. 4. Mr Hughes explains that the Government proposes to cover the £25,000,000 worth of bonds which it is issuing as a war gratuity in the following manner:—(l) The Treasury will take up at least £500,000' worth of them annually. (2) The Government,will earmark the whole of Australia's share of the German indemnity, estimated at between £/,000,000 and £15,000,000, due in May, 1921, for the redemption of the bonds. (3) If the indemnity received by the date named is below £10,000,060 the Government will make good the deficiency up to £lO 000,000. ■ (4) The Government will redeem the balance of the outstanding bonds after May, 1921, in not more than three annual instalments. Th Government undertakes to accept the bonds, as a cash equivalent for all purposes under the Repatriation Department, including land settlement, home building, and •e purchase of businesses, or will cash them in cases of hardship or urgency, or when a soldier marries or a soldier's widow remarries. DEPORTED OFFICIALS. (Rec. Nov. 5, 11.10) PERTH, Nov. 5. The deported Northern Territory ofiMuals have arrived. THE LABOUR PLATFORM. (Rec. Nov. 5, 11.10) MELBOURNE, Nov. 5. The Labour policy for the elections has been issued. It states that the party stands for the emancipation of Labour from all forms of exploitation and obtaining the workers' full reward for industry by collective ownership and democratic control of the collective-, ly-used agencies of production, distribution and exchange. It promises to stimulate production by guaranteeing the producer a return showing a reasonable profit, and the provision of oversea world markets. It includes a protective tariff and the compulsory use of Australian products by Government contractors. It also provides for a referendum on the question of recasting the Constitution, the repeal of the com-pulsory-clauses of the Defence Act, nationalisation of shipping and assistance to workers to secure homes. MEAT COMMANDEERED. (Rec. Nov. 5, 11.10) BRISBANE, Nov. 5. The Government has commandeered all the meat supplies for 1919-20 and has prohibited owners from traffic in such meat and declared all contracts void. ' .