AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2480, 5 June 1915, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

COMMONWEALTH LABOUR CONFERENCE. SUGAR INDUSTRY SHOULD BE NATIONALISED. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) Adelaide, June 4. The Commonwealth Labour Conference has referred the question of placing the nationalisation of the sugar industry on tho fighting platform to a committee to report. Resolutions wexo adopted in favour of fixing a minimum tax on unimproved lands of a shilling in tho £, strictly enforcing preference to unionists, and granting pensions to widows. The conference affirmed tho desirability of a larger number of States, such as the Federal Government may grant. After discussing, the question of settling international disputes by arbitral tion, the whole question ' or international disarmament was remitted to a committee to. report. CONTROL OF COMMODITIES. DEBATE IN VICTORIAN ASSEMBLY. Melbourne, June 4. The House is debating a motion in fflavour of She Commonwealth taking over the control of commodities. Mr. Catts objected that butter which had been sent Home should be brought back for local consumption, and also to the sale of wheat to the Now Zealand Government. Exceptional means should be taken by the Commonwealth in these exceptional circumstances to End out what stocks were available. EARLY CLOSING OF HOTELS. NATIONALISATION PREFERRED BY LABOUR COUNCIL. Sydney, Juno 4. The Labour Council has negatived a motion in favour of a referendum on the question, of closing hotels at 6 o'clock by 61 to 31, the chief argument against being the throwing out of work of many employees in the trade. The council favoured a referendum oil tho question of nationalising the traf&c,. Melbourne, June 4. The Federal Government is shortly taking over tho liquor traffic in the Northern Territory. Hotels will bo licensed from month to month, so they ;an be taken over by payment of compensation at any time. SIR CEORGE REID. SVILL NOT BE REAPPOINTED HIGH COMMISSIONER. (Rec. June 4, 8.20 p.m.) ' Melbourne, June 4. Mr. Mahon (Federal Minister of Internal Affairs) has stated that Sir Seorge lie 1(1 will not be appointed to tho High Commissionership after the oxpiration of his present term. ITEMS IN BRIEF. HOPE FOR THE BANTAM. Melbourne, June 4. Senator Fearco (Minister for Defence) , in appealing for further reinforcements has . officially ' notified that the heicht minimum for recruits had been reduced from sft. iin. to sft. 3in. SOLDIERS' CLUB IN- SYDNEY. Sydney, June 4. Sir Ronald Munro-Ferguson, Gover-nor-Genoral, opened tho Soldiers Club, which has been comfortably fitted as a gathering place for the men during the period of training.' DISPUTE WITH STATE TRAWLERS SETTLED. Sydney, June 4. The dispute with' the crews of the State trawlers has been settled.