DROUGHT IN AUSTRALIA.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 582, 28 November 1902, Page 2

DROUGHT IN AUSTRALIA.

REMEDIAL MEASURE'S,

By Telegraph—Press AssociationCopyright. SYDNEY, Nuv. 27. The Bourke water supply is restricted tc two hours daily. Many country towns are suffering from scarcity ot water.

The Premier, explaining the proceedings at the conference in regard to the drought, said lie believed the maximum supply of breadstuffs in New !.South Wales this season was only four million bushels, and they would require to import something like six oi seven millions to cover food require-

merits. If the Federal Government did not see its way to allow the petition of the resolutions, some other action may be taken hereafter. lie did not .say this was a threat, but it might happen that an unprecedented drought would occur elsewhere, and it might be prudent to suspend the provisions of the Commonwealtii tariff to assist the whole community. Mr Carruthers endorsed the necessity for remedial measures..

At a late hour the Premier announced in the Assembly the decision of the conference with the heads of the Opposition and Labor parties in respect to affording relief to the .sufferers by ttic drought. The conference decided Hint the Government should take immediate action to relieve authenticated cases of distress by pushing on with puhlio works in the stricken districts, extending the Advances to Settlers Act, to empower the Board to make advances up to £ISOO, the distribution of seed wheat, susixuision of instalments of rents of Crown lands, asking trie Federal Government to suspend the duties on breadstuffs and fodder for twelve months, continuing to carry starving stock at j-edhebd rates pp - thij railways, and unremittingly pushing on wvter conservation in the drought areas. Kir Edmund Barton, interviewed,, said that- so far as the constitutional aspect was concerned, iie would undertake under dire circumstances, in case of-any refund of duties lieing made by the States, not a whisper of an oojection would come from the Commonwealth Government. (Received Nov. 28, 1.2 a.m.) Sydney, Nov. 27. In the Assembly the Premier moved the diought resolutions previously adopted by the Conference party leaders, and which a caucus of the Government party to-day endorse. Mr B. 13. O'Connor moved an amendment in favor of opening negotiations with America and Canada for the importation of breadstuffs. Tho House generally favor the resolutions, which will probably be carried.