AUSTRALIA TO-DAY.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 October 1921, Page 1

AUSTRALIA TO-DAY.

LATE JOHN STOREY. SYDNEY, Oct. 19.

These arc clays of eventful happenings. Sydney’s good man, Mr Juhn Storey, tier* Labour Premier, has passed away, amid the sorrows of, all classes and creeds. The funeral was the longest ever seen in the- city. THE FLAG CONTROVERSY.

One very unhappy incident marked flic obsequies. The Lord Mayor (Aiderman Lambert) ordered the Union .lack to l,e, placed under the- Australian flag at the Town Hall. Tin- town clerk infused to carry out his wishes, and another official was persuaded hv Aiderman Lambert to do so. While the people- were celebrating the return of Mr Hughe's, tiie Prime Minister, it was noticed that no Hag was living at the Town I'ail. A party of returned soldiers iinmev'iatcly fixed the 1 liinn .Tack to the flagstaff. Archbishop .Wan- i nix l-as entered into tin- flag controversy. At a function lie- was attending,’ he indicated the Sinn l-’ein ling as till- only Olio he. as an Irish man was eglael to see. and said that tile Australian flag should have'preference over the Union Jack. Mr Hughes in one oi j his characteristic lighting speeches, said that the persons who were so: concerned with displacing the supremacy of the Union .l.n-k won- no more friends of Australia than they were of the Empire. And so it goes on. F \ l LING I*RK’E« AND BASIC WAGE. The Bond of Trade- lias fixed the basic wage at, B‘>s per week, a reduction of .’ls Oil the wage tixed twelve months ago. This wage determination is the fourth made by the Board of , Trade the first, in 1018. being for a. wage of td per week. Tn 101-1. the, living wage- was fixed at -18 s per week. As higlu-r prices forced the Board to increase it. so the falling prices have brought the reeiueti- n. Since the peak was reached, in September, 1020, there lias been a- fall in perhaps every necessary commodity anil service- of life, ex- | ec-pt trails, ort and house rent. Retail ) >s of food and either groceries are | pmv o*2 i»'i* liitflp'r titan in 1911: watrf's, with tho mlm-tion now nnnoun-i-.eeL or. rather, the leasie wage’—tin* living wa-'e are eO per cent-, highei than the living wage- fixed in 191-L THE .14-IIOUR WEEK.

judge B-'e-hy. of the- Industrial Court lias decline 1 to reeotnnieud the extension lo tint railway service- of the 44liemr wc-e-k. recently granted in general indiist ri'-s, hut lias reporleii in favour of the sberle-nin-’ o r working hours for tram dp-e-rs. r o-idiu-tors. and a few n l|,ers. His Honour said the cost of a i Uinur week to I Is- State railways and tramways would amount to L'535,000 per annum. These stalls lie said, "-to paid higher than in auv other (Oiintry in tin- world, and an indiscriminate e 011cession of the shorter week must K-sult in a further increase- in fares and freights at a period of stagnation. Replying to Hi'- ohie-elions to the 44-hnur week ill shops and wa rehouses, llis Honour said that. - stnblislime-nts < oiild adapt themselves to the shorter hours witlioiit extra labour cost,

SHORTER WEEK ( oNDEMNED. Mr 1 In..lies Inis r-unidlv , omh-mm’d (he bl-hour week. Sneaking at the annual (tinner -f tin- Nrw S-ulh Males Cliamlier of Manufacturers he said that it was time 1 1 talk of a shorter week when conditions lx-iame normal. While the country was staggering along under its present burden of debt, it was as nine'll tin- duty ed the- pe-oid-- to work harder at ill was for the soldier to go forth and fight. It was not to (he interests of Australia that prices should 1,1- I'celmcd. as its prosperity depended oil prices for wool, meat and wheat, being reasonably high. .losenli Cook, tile- Federal Treasurer, who was at the same dinner, was mnro emphatic in his condemnation <>f wluih lie termed “the greatest of national mistaki-s to suppose that when stllle-f----j„g from the shook of war they c'mhl nretenel to assist restoration by doing less work.” The shorter week, in the ooiuion of tile- presid-nt of the- ehamher Mr Clifford Love, would cost the Start two anil: a hal 1 ’ millions a venr. ANGIACAN NEXT’S. The 1-ooenf sittings of the An-dienn ctynod aifordod a triuimdi for the ee-e.b-siast ie:il st a tesma nsiiin of Bisliop Long, of Batliurst. whose prop'sal for reeoneiliug the eb-me-tils in Synod opposed t- 1 liej vital const it nt ienial changes involved in the eiiicst ion of fecal nexus was agreed to in broad Pt'ineirde. alt lion-'h aim-mled in several directions. The d.-termiicili' n e xtending the cowers of iiianacenie-nl and government or flu- Anglican Cliurcli in the Commonwealth is now to l»- remit-, ted to the dioci-ses for their eonsidera- j | hill. Bv July next Ihe Anglican Cliurcli will he asked 1.1 bav<- Iliad.- up ils ce 1 til, lloll i»-ilid 0,1 the otie-slb-n. I !'- (-11 a gene.-.-l cimfe-rciice of H- Church in Australia in 1926. approving a uniform (lociou-'iit. prepared bv a central committee from all tin- rc-ennHle-neDi-tions. ,11 mlieat ion may lli'm It 1 ’ madeby 111.- State dioceses to tile I.egisbituri's for the passa<-e of eiiaetinents , in accorelanei-. with tin- changed basis ,if tin- , eilistitiil ion uf tile Cbiiredi ill Australia. j

SKVKIi INC Till'. IMPKIiI AI, TIK. i A fnrlln*r scvci'iiiin' of I In* Imperial tie is forecasted liv the resolutions passoil liy tin- intcr-Stato conforoiico.s of , llio Australian I uhoiir Party. mm I.»■inn licld in llrishano. (In tlio mol ion of Mr 10. (1. Tlii'i'ilorc. Premier of ’ Queensland. tin- leiiforcnco on minimi--; ly ailoptcil tlio followin'/ rosolntion. to: proviilo for tlio roilrafl iiiii of tlio yen- j oral platform of tlio pary: (l) “Complete Australian sell'-y ivern- , tin'll t as a. liritisli community; no ltn-j porial fi'iloration : ailniinisl rat ion on tlio atlvioo of Australian Mini.-lurs only, suliioct lo oonlrol of tlio Common-| woaltli Parliament; all legislation ox- j oopt. sndi as appoars inninsistent witli | Imperial treaty nldiyatioiis to lie as-J soiitoil to on tlio advice of Australian ‘ Ministers only; no further Imperial, lionmirs to ho yranled in any eircunistanoos to Australian citizens. <-1 Tlio ('Mmnionw oal tli tVuist ittul ioj) to lie ! a mondial to provide fill unlimited 10-| gislativo pmvor for tlio ('nmmonwenUli j Parlianiont. and sitoli deleyale newers i lo Rlatos or provinros as tlio Commonwealth Parliament may determine from t (inn l to time. fIA Tlio f'oniiii'Uiwoaltli j Parlii'iiionl. to ho vosloil with authority i to oroato now Rtatos or provinces. (c) | Tlio Sonato tn ho abolished. fd') Tlio; lliidi Court of tostralia to have final j iurisdicl ion in all Australian causes, fot Tl-o oroioinlo ,"f adult sutlra./o to | ho onihoiliod in tlio ('oust it iition. (T) . Provision for tlio initiative and refer - : endum.” 1