AUSTRALIAN.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 August 1920, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN.

AUSTUAIjIaN it -NASSOCIATION] STRIKE, OF SHEARERS. &YDNIEY August 5. it is estimated. there are now thirty thousand men idle as a result of the shearers strike. GOAL. CRISIS GRAVE. (SYDNEY, August 5. The situation in the coal industry has increased in gravity. Mr Willis (Secretary of the Miners Federation) has announced that the men have refused to accept any scheme ot settlement based on Mr Hughes’s Industrial Peace Rill. Mr Willis added that the position iu most cases is most serious. The men take the strongest objections to M Hughes’s “Industrial Peace” measures because these measures persist in regard ing the workers as merely wago slaves, whose standard of living’ must be settled for them by their masters. The men refuse to accept any settlement proposals until they are given an equal economic partnership in the community. Until this has been accomplished there will never again Ire industrial peace. COOLIES FOR NOUMEA. BRISBANE, Aug 5.

The French steamer “Roberts Figures,” bound from China to Noumea (Now Caledonia) with a thousand Chinese coolies arrived at Townsville with a se,rious outbreak of spinal meningitis aboard. Thirteen coolies died during the voyage. Thirty-two cases have been landed.

SHIPOWNERS’ LITTLE GAME. SYDNEY, Aug 5. The Coastal Steamship Owners’ Association has circularised the owners in the other States asking for subscriptions to defray the cost of testing the validity of the Navigation Act. FEDERAL CONSTITUTION. MELBOURNE, Aug 5. In the Federal House of Representatives, Mr Hughes stated a bill for a constitution convention would he dealt with this session. WHEAT AREA. (Received this day at 9.30 s.m.) MELBOURNE, August 6. The total acreage under wheat in the four States is 111 million; nearly a record. The 1910-l(5 record acreage was 121 million. Hides arc firm, heavies and medium, f;.(’thing to half-penny higher; kips and fight grades firm at late rates. Tiie Central Board representing four wheat states will control the compulsory wheat pool, on lines of the existing pool. AUSTRALIA’S IMPORTS. MELBOURNE, August C. Australia’s imports for the year ending June 30th., amounted to 97$ million, million less than the previous year, and exports 148 J; million, 34J million more than the previous year.