AUSTRALIAN.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 April 1920, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN.

rAUSTRALIAN 03 N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION] RESTORING RIGHTS. . SYDNEY, April 24. Government have announced it is restoring the full rights enjoyed by railway and tramway employees before the 1917 strike. GR ANTS TO SOLDIERS. MELBOURNE, April 24. The House of Representatives inserted clauses in the Repatriation Bill granting pensions to Australians who served with other branches of the King’s forces, and granting £250 sterling per head to enable men to join together in establishing co-operative factories. MARCONI’S SCIHEME. MELBOURNE, This Day. Details of Marconi’s scheme show it provides for the erection of five main trunk stations in Engl ml, three each in Egypt and India, and two in East Africa; also a super high power station at Montreal, Vancouver, Singapore, South Africa, West Africa, Australia, and East Indies. Among the trunk routes contemplated is one from England to India, thence to Singapore, Australia mid New Zealand, with a branch from Singapore to Hong Kong, and another from Australia to Vancouver, for night service only. For working stations on tiie twenty-six main routes a staff of 17,170 will be required. COST OF STRIKE. MELBOURNE, April 24. The Broken Hill strike to date has cost the unions £70,000. WORKING HOURS. MELBOURNE, April 24. The Central Council of Employers of Australia passed a motion endorsing the action qf the Master Builders in opposing the demand for reduction in working hours and urging the appointment of a Commission to enquire into the whole matter. GIFT DESTROYERS. BRISBANE, April 24. Six gift destroyers have left Thursday Island for Sydney. TOTE TAX. BRISBANE, April 24. It is stated that the imposition of the totalisator tax will result in the exclusion of the totalisator from Queensland racecourses. LIQUOR POLL UPSET. SYDNEY, April 23.

An important decision has been given by the Federal High Court, in connection with the Queensland local option poll in 1917. Tlie poll was taken on the same day as the election for Vho Federal Senate, and resulted in favour of a reduction of hotels, in certain districts. The point taken was that the State authorities over-rode the Federal law by taking a poll in conjunction with the Federal elections. The High Court held that the Federal law was paramount, and the poll was invalid. BRICK LA YE RS AWARD. SYDNEY, April 23. Tho Industrial Court has varied the bricklayers’ award. Those working 48 hours weekly are to he paid award rates of 3d per hour. Those adhering to the 44 hours, with no Saturday work gets Is 9d an hour.

THE ALIENS BILL. MELBOURNE, April 24. The Senate road the first time the registration of the Aliens Bill, which defines an alien as any person over 16, who is not of British nationality, and includes the wife of an alien. It provides for the registration of every alien resident in Australia and also that alien crews of oversea vessels and passengers must register at the first port o fcr.il. Hotel and boarding-house keepers must furnish a return of all aliens staying on their premises, and aliens must notify a change of address within seven dais. Officers are also empowered to take finger prints.

THE TOTE TAN. MELBOURNE, April 24. In the House of Representatives, Mr Cook announced that Cabinet would consider questions of delaying the day for the commencement of tho totalisatro tax and the imposition of a tax on betting tickets in the same proportion as the totalisator. A BEER STRIKE. ADELAIDE, April 24. Following a beor strike at Port Pirie, which has now lasted a fortnight, the workers who boycotted beer owing to the price, passed a motion inviting prohibition speakers to come to the town, with a view to considering the advisx ableness of initiating a campaign for a referendum on prohibition, and in tho meantime declaring the town dry.