AUSTRALIA'S CRISIS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20108, 11 December 1930, Page 11

AUSTRALIA'S CRISIS.

PLAN FOR NON-PARTY COUNCIL. EXPRESSIONS OF APPROVAL. (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—BY ELECTEIO TELISGHAFH —COPYRIGHT.) " (Received December 11th, 1.5 a.m.) SYDNEY, December 10. Leading public men and the Premiers of four States heartily approve of Mr J. G. Latham's (Leader of the Federal Opposition) plan for the creation of a non-party council to deal with the economic crisis in Australia. They emphasise that this was done during the war in England, and a united front would have to be in the Commonwealth. On the other hand, the Labour viewpoint is hotly opposed to Mr Latham's plan, it being contended that the proposal would enable the opponents of Labour to make a virtue of necessity.

APPEAL TO THE COURT ABOLITION OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. OPPONENTS TO SEEK INJUNCTION. (Received December 10th, 9.15 p.m.) SYDNEY, December 10. It is expected that the first 6hot in the legal battle Over the Government's move to abolish the Legislative Council will be fired this week, as the anti-abolitionists intend to approach the Supreme Court as soon as the Bill passes the Assembly, in order to obtain an injunction to restrain the president of the Council from presenting the measure for Royal assent.

LAND OF OPPORTUNITY. GRIT AND DETERMINATION REQUIRED. (Received December 10th, 7 p.m.) NEW YORK, December 9. The Australian Minister for Markets and Transportation, Mr Parker Moloney, has arrived here from London. He said: "There is no other country in the world where a young man can do better or make his way quicker than in Australia. He need havo no money; he requires only grit and determination. '' TAX ON WINNING BETS. BILL PASSES ALL STAGES. (Received December 11th, 1.15 a.m.) SYDNEY, December 10. In tho Legislative Assembly a Bill to levy a tax of ten per cent, on winning bets, to yield £2,000,1)00 in revenue, was passed in all stages. It comes into operation on December 20th. HARD TIMES AHEAD. SIR OTTO NIEMEYER'S COMMENT. OTTAWA, December 9. Sir Otto Niemeyer, declaring that 18 per cent, of Australians were' unemployed, stated that they had not accepted his recommendations, and were not likely to. There were liard times ahead for the Australians, but tuey did not know how to be pessimistic. If they had a few of the Canadian breezes they might help to cool them off.

AUSTRALIAN TARIFF INCREASES. INFORMATION AS TO EFFECTS SOUGHT. LONDON, December 9. In the House of Commons, replying to Mr G. Mander's (Liberal) enquiry as to whether he had made representations to Mr J. H. Scullin (Australian Prime Minister) at the Imperial Conference in referenoe to the hardship and unemployment caused, particularly in Wolverhampton, Wednesfield, and Willenhall by the increases in the Australian tariff, Mr William Graham (President of the Board of Trade) said the conference members gave attention to the serious effect of all Dominion tariffs. The Australian tariff was not discussed in detail. Mr Mander: Do vou consider the system of preferential prohibition any good to the Empire P Mr Graham: No. lam opposed to all tariffs. DEFENCE OF THE COMMONWEALTH. CANBERRA, December 10. The Acting-Governor-General, Lord Somers, in a speech at the Royal Military College at Duntroon, touched on the future defence of Australia. He said several nations were looking round to see where their surplus population could be put, and Australia, which in years to come would become a power in this part of the world, would not go on relying on Great Britain to protect her from attack. A good motto was "Be Prepared."