AUSTRALIAN.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 June 1919, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN.

( AUSTRALIAN it N.z. CABLE ASSOCIATION'] | FEDERAL WAR COST. j MELBOURNE Tins Day. ! Mr Watt," in tlie House of Representatives outlining the general financial position, stated the war expenditure amounted to £261,521,10-1, with I a heavy expenditure in prospect. It will be necessary before long, to raise another war loan. The indemnity from Germany might somewhat lighten the . burden, but tli 0 taxpayer, in his opinion, would have to liquidise the bulk of Westralia’s war debt. He also announced that Government intended to continue the Commonwealth line steamers and build larger and faster vessels. j STRIKE NEWS. ; MELBOURNE, June 26. i The Government has voted five hundred pounds for the relief of distress owing to the shipping strike. The position gncrally is unchanged. The General Secretary of the Seamen’s Union has arrived hero, and he met the Federal Council. He stated the seamen of New South Vi ales, Queensland, and Victoria' arc determined not to go to the Arbitration Court. , INFLUENZA SPREADING. SYDNEY, June 26. ! j The country districts, as well as the metropolitan area are suffering from the increased virulence of influenza. ' j Many thousands of cases, chiefly of a severe ordinary type, are reported. ! From ot,hcr States the reports indi- t cate a steady decrease in the epidemic, f ' .1 FEDERAL PROGRAMME. j MELBOURNE, June 26. ~ Mr Watt, Acting-Premier, anuounc- d ed that among the measures for the coming session, will be a Bill to take the place of the War Precautions Act. A new tariff would he proposed, design- g ed for the preservation of local indus- M tries established during the war, and j for the encouragement of new undertakings. New financial methods for dealing with loans and taxation and better methods of controlling naturalised aliens and immigration would also 11 be proposed. AUSTRALIAN REFORM. J SYDNEY, June 26. h The Australian Inter-State Labour j 1 Party’s Conference to-day adopted it scheme in favour of uniform Parliament- 11 ary Government, ’

WATT’S MYSTERY MESSAGE. MELBOURNE, June 2(5. The origin of Mr Watt’s message is a mytery. It is thought that it "as mutilated in transmission. Another theory is that the wireless operator on some ship in the Indian Ocean sent it as a hoax, '•EXTREME LABOUR’S THREAT. (Received This Day at 11.15 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. Addressing the Labour Council, Willis, one of the leaders of the extremists at’ the recent Conference, threatened tli formation of a new Labour Party, if tlie old party were not prepared to fight for the speial democracy advocated by the extremists. SEAMEN’S STRIKE. SYDNEY, This Day. Prominent Trades Hall officials predict an early settlement of tlie seamen’s strike, stating the owners will gjnuit improved accommodation, the other questions being referred to arbitration. AID TO COITJER PRODUCERS. SYDNEY, This Day. Tlie State Government is granting assistance to copper' producers with a view to facilitating the resumption of mining operations. WIRELESS TELEPHONY. MELBOURNE, This Day. In the Senate a bill was introduced extending the scope of the IV ireless Telegraphy Act, to ensure Government control of wireless telephony.

TR ADE RECIPROCITY. MELBOURNE, June 27. Tn the House of Representatives, Mr Watit stated the Air Ministry were considering the question of negotiations with Canada and New Zealand with n view to establishing trade reciprocity FEDERAL HOSTELS. (Received This Day at 11.20. a.m.) MELBOURNE, This Day. The Federal Government will establish hostels in each capital city for treatment of soldiers suffering from alcoholism, WAR PROFITS. MELBOURNE, ■ This Day. A bill which has been in force dealing with war time profits expires on Monday next. declared black. BRISBANE, This Day. Townsville railway workers have decided not (o handle any goods from the meat wofks until the strike has been settled.