AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2997, 7 February 1917, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

1 FEDERAL POLITICS • 8r Assoriatlon.-Capyriirlt " 'Molbourne, February 6. Trie Liberal Party, after considering . • Mr. Hughes's coalition proposal, post- . poned their decision until after meeting the ludor Party on Wednesday. Senator Lynch has beon notified by jhc West Australian Labour Federation that unless ho denounces Mr. Hughes within a montli lie will ho excelled from the party. MOBILISE THE DOCTORS Molbourne, February 6. . lu view of tho coming Allied offensive tho Australian medical profession .favours complete mobilisation of the . entire profession, with tho object of securing all medical mon available for tervico abroad. INQUIRY INTO AVAR EXPEND* TURE Melbourne, February 6. - On the reassembling of the Federal (Parliament on Thursday a motion will be submitted for tho appointment of a board to inquire into naval and military expenditure. The sums involved are of such magnitude, and the necessity of tho closest control so urgent, ithafc .it is felt that an inquiry lias bcfconie imperative. THE WHEAT POOL Melbourne, February 6. To the end of January tho wheat jiool received 53,798,000 bags of the >915-16 crop and 5,553,000 of tho 191617 crop,, whilo stocks held by milfcrs and shipping agents total 24,035,000 bags. ' , • FORGERY CHARGE AGAINST AN OFFICER ' , 5 '■ Sydney, February 6. Lieutenant. Howell-Price has beon fcommitted for trial on charges of.forgler.v. , . - > , (Lieutenant Howell-Price was re-ar-fested on a .chargo.of forgiug and utltering two cheques for £1000 eacli. It iwas alleged that ho knowingly claimed the.pay of Lieutenant Downes during •November, 1915. The police proswutor stated that be understood accused was lieutenant-adjutant of the 9th Tjgbt Horso;from April to July, 1915, and he was alleged to have submitted claims for pay for tho whole nnits from thetimo of demobilisation till the following November. He drew money which allegedly approximated to '£50,000. He left the Defenco Force Jn September last medically nnfit. . There. was a suggestion that he had not disposed of. all tho money lie obtained. Subsequently further charges wore laid : ftgainst Howell-Price.] . STATE TRADING CONCERNS Perth, February 6. Tho Premier (Mr. Wilson) told'a La- . tour Federation deputation that he ■was opposed to their proposal., that State trading concerns sbouid not be disposed off and Would not alter his policy ono iota. : Re-establishing returned soldiers ■ Sydney, February 6. - Inquiries in connection witli the rePEtablishment of returned soldiers show that up to the end of December, out of •pi,oßß men concerned in New South ilVales, 21,435 were provided for- on returning. Out of 27,002 who desired positions, 11,789 desired to settle on ■ Jhe land. • . COMMONWEALTH TRADE (Kec. February 6, 5.10 p.Tn.) Melbourno, February 6. The. Commonwealth overseas imports' for the second half-year of 1916 totalled £43,288,000 in value, an increase of j£!4,546,000. The exports totalled (£39,925,000 in value, an increase of £9,062,000. . NEWSPAPER MEN IN THE ARBITRATION COURT (Rec. February 6, 5.10. jj.m.) Melbourne, February 6. The hearing has commenced in the , Arbitration Court of tho Australian Journalists' Association's plaint against the newspaper proprietors of the various States. - ; THE WRECKED BARQUE KONA (Rec. February 6, 5.10 p.m.) Adelaide, February 6. Tlie four-masted barque Kona, which grounded'on Kangaroo Island, and was reported to have become, a total wreck, was bound- from California to Adelaide; .wit'i 80,000 feet of. timber. - At -latest reports she had. floated. off the rocks and was drifting, out .to sea. HEAVY RAINFALL Brlsbano, February 6. 14. message from Cbarleville states that all the rivers are flooded, and railway traffic is impeded. No loss of life is reported. t _ Sydney, February 6. Soaking rains have been general for several days, and continue. Further heavy falls are reported in Queensland, and a> recurrence of the floods is feared. COMMONWEALTH STEAMERS' EARNINGS (Kep. February. 6, 10.20' p.m.) • .. Melbourne, February 6. i The Commonwealth'-.steamers . have l earned.half a million' to date..- - il - 000 LABOURERS FOR BRITAIN . (Rec. February 6, 10.20 p.m.) Melbourne, February 6. At the ..requestof the Imperial authorities the Government is arranging to send ono thousand labourers to Great Britain for constructional work in connection with- the wan * Tho men will to .regarded as civilians, exempt from compulsory service. RETRENCHMENT IN PUBLIC WORKS -■> (Reo. February 6, 10.20 p.m.) V Sydney, February 6. The Labour Council sent a deputation to urge the Premier (Mr. Holman) to relieve 'unemployment.. It was stated lliat approximately ten thousand men ,were idle in Now South Wales. Tlie Premier confessed that shortage of funds and tho difficulty of obtaining loans in Englnnd had necessitated a retrenchment iu public works. AMUNDSEN'S TRIP TO THE NORTH POLE (Rue. February 6, 11.10 p.m.) London, February 5. Captain Amundsen has arrived at I/iverpool from Naw York, to prepnie' ?or his North Polar trip in the summer ef 1918. — I Tho "Times."