AUSTRALIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 December 1917, Page 5

AUSTRALIA.

RIOTOU§ SCENES. MR HUGHES MALTREATED. ■ Brisbane, Nov. 30. Tfcft nigh filing aroused by the conIcription issue -culminated in riotous Mesea (ft Warwick. When Mr. Hughes hrrived to address a meeting eggs were thrown, and * free fight ensued. Mr. Hughes 'was assaulted and hustled. It 5s alleged that the police ignored re'quests H arrest the ringleaders, stating that. they only 'recognised the Queensland ' laws and would not act on any (other. demonstration only subsided when Mr. Hughes departed in the train. • Speaking at Toowoomba, Mr. Hughe* Mated that under the proposed scheme vo man galled up would be sent out of 'Australia until he had attained the age j»f 21. BECLOUDING MAIN ISSUE. ', " Sydney, Nor. 30. Unfortunately the cross currents of Sectarianism are becoming an increasing element in the- conscription campaign, causing much hflaTt-burning and beclouding the main issue throughout the Comtfnonwealth. Both, parties have now their JEull forces in ta'e field and the light waxes farmer 'is- it,-Jhroceeds. f A noticeahlo' feature is the lack of leaflets, with: which the electors were inundated* at the last referendum. Meantime voluntary recruiting proceeds steadPy- a • DEALING STATEvv - ; -MFNTS. [ '■''■ Brisbane, Nov. 30. Mr. Hughes, speaking at Toowoomba i-eferredjl| the stAtement allegedly made by Mr FfsUya<Bi, member of the Federal House, cable received from General BirdVood by the, Government urging . the need! was inspired for campaign purposes. Mr. Hughes denied thft the cable was inspired |and announced that under a Regulation of the War Prosecution Act, .which m£de it an offence to make false statements, he had given instructions for £he prosecution of Mr. Finlayson. leave: akrectep by referen- ■:■'■' DUM. !f Melbourne, Nov. 30. Mr. 'Pearce has announced that if the referendum was carried it would remove one of thfe. difficulties in granting leave to the original Anzacs.; Provided the other difficulties could be surmounted the Goernment would endeavor to bring the faen bade. ■ ' Wfß&titiß ML SOLDIERS^ Received Nov. 30, 11.35 p.m. ■:,,■■ Sydney, Nov 30. An argument that is receiving' much Support during tie-conscription campaign' is that if soldiers under 21 are old enough to fight'they arc old enough lo fight they are old enough to have a vote. Ift. Hughes now announces that If the difficulty with regard to the voting pi"6ce3nre*can toe overcome all persons bearing arms shall be allowed to jrote. "OUR DAY," The city'is en fete for "Our Day" collection, but the rain Which has been falling since the early afternoon has interfered somewhat- with the proceedings. The with £37,000 in hand, End to-dfljyfs response is good. i ■< MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS. J. H. Citts is charged with making at a public meeting verbally a false statement, lfkely to affect the judgment of the electors in relation to their votes on the conscription referendum. The statement was thajt a sixth division had keen created'so that General Bird wood wuld get the higher, rank and pay attached to, the position of commander of six divisions. Catts pleaded not guilty, rhe evidence tendered showed that no sixth division existed. Catts gave evidence that his statement was made at a meeting in the eouiitry, and that when he left for the country tour the new regulation under which the case is taken 'did not exist, and he was not aware the .jgulation .had been passed. When he made the statement he was under the belief that a sixth division existed, and ho produced statements from various sources in support of this belief.

THE CASE DISMISSED. Received Dec. 1, 1.40 a.m. Sydney, Nov. 30. The case against Catts was dismissed, the magistrate holding that accused believed the statements to be true when he made them.