AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 September 1920, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. ' Melbourne, Sept. 23. Mr. Hughes announced that he anticipates visiting Britain next year to at tend the conference of Prime Ministers. The Central Wool Committee ha; made available £5,430,000 for distrilm tion among the wool-growers of tnc Commonwealth. This represents re tcntion money for adjustment of a]i reraised price of wool to a flat rate. The- State Budget provides no nev, taxation. Adelaide, Sept. 23. In the . Assembly, Major Smeatoi presented a record petition, with 57,(i(Ji signatures, asking for a referendum on the question' of prohibition. The debate on the referendum motion was adjourned. Brisbane, Sept. 23. Owing to the demand for an extra 4d an hour by hatchmen and winchmei. at Townsville two steamers ceased loading frozen meat, and were ordered to return to Sydney. The companies threatened that no refrigerated vessel would visit Townsville unless the Government guaranteed the loading. Sydney, Sept. 23. There is much adverse comment in the business community 011 the AntiProfiteering Bill. Jt is claimed that business men will be disinclined to venture on the investment of further capital il "prolits are fixed within too 1 jianoW a limit. This would render business insecure pause stagnation, and result in increased unemployed. It is also claimed that the talk of wholesale profiteering is without foundation. If an investigation was made it would prVjve that the profits of the great majority df- traders were not excessive. Sydney, Sept. 23. At the opening session of the Presbyterian General Assembly of Australia the new Moderator, 'the Rev. James Gibson, in his inaugural address stressed that the pressing problems to be faced involved the rpL-onstpictinn and reorganising of institutions whieh should serve men's social life and transmit the best treasure* of humanity to the generations to come. lie declared that the choice before the world was the choice between the old order and a revolution, a choice between revolution in the Bolshevik form, founded on hate, revenge and covetousness, and a revolution which had its root in supreme faith in Cod.