Australian News.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 31 May 1923, Page 7

Australian News.

BY CABLE—PRESS ASSN.—COPYRIGHT Sydney: The Court sanctioned the Pastoral Finance Association shareholders compromise. The New Zealand Soccer programme was altered so that the second test will be played in Sydney instead of Newcastle, on June 16, and the third test at Newcastle on June 30. Matches are fixed for Maitland, South Coast, and Western districts on the 20th, 23rd, and 27th. They are subject to possible alterations in view of industrial troubles on the coal fields. The New Zealanders’ proposed visit to Victoria is abandoned owing to the inability to secure suitable grounds.

Matters in connection with coal troubles are quiet. Masters are depending on a waiting policy and claiming that the union leaders’ aim is job control, which employers are determined to resist to the uttermost. Men show little present inclination to accept the owners’ terms. Meanwhile, stacked coal at the idle Maitland pits is being loaded with the assistance of non-union labour under police protection. Strikers are mostly contenting themselves vMtk easing tlieir feelings against interlopers. Demonstrations, which include the playing of the Dead March, are generally of a peaceable character. The police quickly suppress any 1 tendency towards rougher methods. The secretary of the Cricket Association received official confirmation that the South African team would be unable to accept the invitation to visit Australia in 1923-24.

A youth, Leonard Henry Lovett, was arrested in connection with the death of the chijd Carratt, and was remanded on a charge of murder. Police evidence stated that the accused is an English immigrant and arrived in August last. When arrested he made a statement allegedly admitting that lie enticed the child which owing to long fair hair he believed was a girl into the bush, and in order to stop the boy crying, pressed his hands over his nose and month, When the child failed to answer questions, the accused became frightened and ran away.—A. and N.Z. Cable. Melbourne: The High Court continued the hearing of the Irish Envoys’ application. Counsel for applicants took a new point arguing that the proceedings of the Board of Inquiry amounted in effect to contempt of court, as the Envoys were awaiting trial on indictment for seditious conduct when the Board commenced its sittings. At the conference last night ,the taxation agreement was endorsed, the tax to be levied by the Commonwealth on companies not to exceed 2s 6d in the £, per capita payments to cease, the States to forego interest on transferred properties, and abandon that portion of the field of company taxation.

It is estimated that the Commonwealth will be called on to sacrifice £1,400,000 under the rearrangement, which was agreed to for five years. The Commonwealth, by retrenchment, expects to save £400,000 per annum in administration. The conference agreed to the principle of defining Federal and State industries, but no finality was reached on the question as to which industries will bo Federal and which State.