AUSTRALIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 November 1920, Page 2

AUSTRALIA.

By Telegraph.—Fr«ss Assn.—Copyright, Sydney, Nov. 13. The fire at Council's grocery wareriousi? in the city did damage exceeding £IOO,OOO. In the Assembly, Mr. Storey (Premier) repudiated an alienation that two Ministers and one member received money for the election campaign from Mr. Talbot, a Wheat Commission witness, on condition (hat Labor would terminate the fteorgeson inquiry if returned to power. A full inquiry was promised. Mr. Justice Higgins decided to grant the timber employees' claim for a 44hour week.

Sir Joseph Cook, commenting on the Commonwealth civil servants' agitation, said that threats were futile; they were pursuing the way that of all they should not. Mr. Justice Stark said that he would not tolerate public servants thwarting politicians in carrying out their duties; he would single out offenders and deny them the privileges under his jurisdiction. In the House of Representatives, Mj\ Hughes (Federal Premier), replying toMr. Charlton, who indicated that the coal upheaval was the result of the AHctorian Government ignoring the Coal Tribunal's award, said that -they could not dictate to the Victorian Ministry, but he would speak his mind to Mr. Lawson. Mr. Baddeley, the miners' president, had informed him (Mr. Hughes) that unless ■the award Was honored it would cause every mine to he idle. The Premier r.dded that Mr. Baddeley was not entirely blameless. Brisbane, Nov. 13. Continuance has an absolute majority of 100. Perth, Nov. 13. E. Light, an engineer, was killed on a. farm near Denmark through the limb of a tree falling on him. Doctor Blackburne and a trolly driver named Fentel attended him, hut on returning to Denmark were run into by detached coal trucks and were both killed. Brisbane, Nov. 13. The Government statistician estimate?, the wheat crop at 4.000,000 bushels and wheaten hay at 4.1.000 tons. The ae-c----age under grain is 175,750. Brisbane, Nov. 12. Only a small number of votes are required to give continuance an absolute majority, the voting being: Continuanco 163,105,' Prohibition 141,182, State Control 20,030. Melbourne, Nov. 12. The Customs Act ha.s been assented to. The Board of Trade lias decided that the bank rate of exchange shall lie used as the basis for computation of value for duty on goods from France, Italy, Belgium, and Czecho-Slavonia, whose bank rate of exchange is more than 10 per •cent, below the mint par rate. The Morwell and Wonthaggi mines have ceased work, making 1300 idle as a result of the brown coal dispute. Mr. Hughes stated in the House of Representatives that he was doing everything possible to effect a settlement. In the Arbitration Court, Mr. Justice ■Hip-gins announced that, he had decided to grant a 44-hour week for all manual labor. Sydney. Nov. 12. At the 44-hoiir week inquiry. Mr. Justice Beeby intimated that his interim report would recommend that no further imposition be placed on the mining industry without further investigation. A conference between representatives .of the Overseas Shipping Association and the Waterside Laborers' Union agree' 1 , upon the following rates:—Permanent employees, ,C 4 lis weekly, casual employees, 2s fid an hour day work, 3s Od between 0 p.m. and midnight., 4s fid between midnight and 7 a.m.. (is 3d during sr.pper and breakfast hours, and 2s (id in excess of the ruling rates 'hiring other meal hours. The agreement is to be retrospective to October 20 and to operate for two years. The Incorporated Law Institute fas petitioned Parliament against the parsing of the proposed 1 Bill to reinstate Mr. R D. Meagher on the roll of solicitors. The Commercial Commissioner in the East advises that, contrary to earlier expectations, Japan's rice crop is pheno-. menal, and is expected to yield 315,000,000 bushels. The Korean harvest is 75,000.000 bushels. A meeting of the Federal public servants who are agitating for a basic wage, decided not to strike, but to carry on the agitation by constitutional means.) Adelaide, Nov. 12. • Further general rains have fallen, and the season is proving one of the most wonderful on record. Sydney. Nov 13. Late last, night fir* gutted the warehouse of John Council in the city.