AUSTRALIAN.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 February 1923, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CAnI.F, ASSOCIATION. GOLD COINAGE. I MAY CIRCULATE IX AUSTRALIA. j SYDNEY. Fch 15. | Within ii very short time- Hold coin-! age is likely to he in i irenhition non in i in Anstrnlia. It is expected tlntt ex-! change " ill f(;ieh parity within twelve | months, which will bring shout the cir-. cola lion of gold once more. The embargo on the export or gold is still operative. It is pointed out that - Australia, could not allow tree shipment of ln-i- oold if Great Britain did not do the sani'-. It is believed that the agreement for funding the British debt to the United States will hasten the resumption of cold payments in the United Kingdom. It is understood that as soon as the example is set in England it vein be followed almost immediately in Australia. Gold production has heavily declined in Australia, but the gold reserve held against paper circulation stands amongst tho highest in the world. Ihe latest note issue returns show that the value of notes in circulation is 152.051.00!) and gold held against this amount is L'JI. I'ib.nou representing !(i. I per cent.

Gold coinage, it is thought, will never circulate as freely as in prewar days. The paper money has caught the public's fancy. Having no intrinsic value, d ran when soiled, be scrapped without loss. As fast as notes become soiled or damaged they are replaced. A MUCH .M ALIGNED GOVERNOR. EXT It GiRDIXABY MISTAKE. SYDNEY. Feb. 17. The Governor of Now South Wales •Sir Walter Davidson) was recently the suunrolll object of much adverse criti ei -in in llobart owing lo a curious mixturc of two I'ress reports in cable 1 i’lliisiiiissitin from Sydney. lulo the ever tactful, pleasant and circumspect mouth of bis Excellency, who bad addre.-sod some appropriate remarks at the Anniversary Regatta luncheon, were placed the burning strictures of a fervent clergyman who on the same day addressed a Protestam demonstration. So the people of Hobart were astonished to read that bis Excellency had warmly commended a proposal to form a Protest a lit Early in the State Parliament and bad urged Protestants to make a determined effort to control executive position- m the Labour movement. The lri-.li people. bis Excellency was made to declare. had just as much liberty as they had in Australia, hid would not Tie guided bv reason, and in emphatic words he nas made to spur his hearers to he on their guard again t Die ".-.■mnl! hut thimaut minority width was I nit 1 1 openly and surreptitiously working I'm the th-fhroiieiuent of the King." Nat urally enough his Excellency was mystified to find amongst his e'ti-t-e.sjioiirlence one inuriiing a remonstrante from Father O’Donnell, ot Trs mania --whose pul rioi it- services durin .-; the war are gratefully rememberedfollowetl bv iiiliers in les- dignified terms. and t-'-enl u.-d’y a <ej>y of the Hobart paper in which the garbled report li.-id appeared was procured, am! the extraordinary error was detected.

MARRIAGE LAWS. A NEW SOUTH WALES EROEOS U

SYDNEY. Eeb. 17. It is reported that New South Wal

-1 1 <, 11 1 1 1 do away with tin* present system of marriage laws and compel parlies to enter lirsi a civil contract bof, re the Registrar, irrespective of any religious ce re in on v.

Very strong pressure is being brought Vo bear on the Government to adopt this course next session. The threat was made that a Bill on tielines suggested would bo introduced before last Christinas, but ill the rush to com|dote legislation it never appeared.

The same forces are still at work, however, and the subject, is to be raised in Cabinet before the return of Sic George Fuller.

The Government is being urged to go further, and proclaim it an offence punishable bv imprisonment, as well ns a line, for anyone lo impugn the legality of such a civil contract.

The precedents of Franco. Laly. Austria, and other countries are quoted. These make the civil ceremony tlii- only compulsory one. leaving il to the parties to attend any religious service afterwards that they may wish. The completeness of the marriage contract as made by the State, and not by the ('lun ch, for all legal purpose.., is thus emphasised.