AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 3 May 1923, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CAULK ASSOCIATION. III!H’K LAYERS’ APPRENTICES. (Received this day at 0.25 a.m.l SYDNEY, May 3. The Master Builders' Association applied to the Beard ol Trade lor a modification of flic apprenticeship regulations governing brinkhiying. It was pointed out that in -nine instances only twenty-live per cent ol the skilled labour required was obtainable, in- • 1 irer-tlv eoutributmg to the shortage of housing.

The Supervisor of the city railway gave evidence that the work of the railway was done in cement on account of the excessive demand for work which should he done in brick. The Association suggested that the regulations should he amended so a. to regard- adults being appointed as slow workers. Chairman I techy adjourned the hearing till the 14th, representatives of the Association and Union to endeavour to propound a si-heme in the 'meantime.

PAPER ON SHIPBOARD. SYDNEY. May 3. A daily paper will he published on the steamer Niagara commencing to. morrow, being the inauguration of a system to he extended to other overseas vessels of the Union Coy. The news will he lraiismtiled by wireless from Sydney during half the journey, and from \inericn for the oilier half. The paper will ncntain an epitome of world wide events. On the journey to America the paper will contain American advertisements am! on the return trip Australian advertisements. FED ERA !, FINANCE. M EI.POUR NIL May 3. It is uuoflicialK stated that the debit balance cf the Commoiiwealt h for 1121-22 is approximately a million. .SCIENCE CONGRESS. SYDNEY, Mar 3.

Arrangements are progre -ing for holding a pan-Pacilic Science Congress towards llie expense.- of which the Commonwealth Government voted C'5,000. The Congress will comprise two sessions, one being held at Melbourne from August 13th to 22nd and the other in Sydney from August 2.ird to Sept. 3rd. Invitations have been sent to 250 leading scientific societies in countries either bordering on the Pacific or having direct interests there-

COLONIAL SUGAR COY. (Received this dav at 11.-15 a.m.) SYDNEY, May 3. The Cha'rmaii of the Colonial Sugar Refining Coy. in a statement, said after paying the preference shareholders in the liquidated Fiji C'ov. it will be possible to divide among the shareholders of the Colonel Sugar ( <>v. as owners of ordinary shares, portion of the cash assets not required to eonduet the business outside Australia. It is proposed to pay b’2 per share on ,‘llst Alay. From thy same source it is proposed to restore the capital reduced in 1.020 by an amount of 0050,000 then returned to shareholders, which was met by the Board malting a call of Cl per share payable on 4th August. Both these payments of C2 and Cl were in receipt of capital interest of the parent Coy. in Fiji, and New Zealand. The institution represented »v ordinary shares possessed bv the former remaining assets will he transferred direct to the Colonial Sugar Refining Coy. which will then resume the position existing before the sop nation of the Companies. In view of the altered position created by the winding up of the Fiji and New Zealand Coy. it has been decided to increase the remuneration of the Board of Directors from CISOO to £2500 yearly.