AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 May 1923, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CARLE ASSOCIATION. METHODIST CONFERENCE. ADELAIDE, May 18. The general Conference of the Methodist Church of Australia has opened. The Reverend E. H. Sugden was elected President. MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS. MELBOURNE, May 18. At the annual meeting of shareholders of 15.A.W.R.A., the Chairman said that the realisation account surplus at the end of last year stood at £1,224,688, while stocks of wool on hand were valued at £3,718,000, which valuation there was every probability of being realised or exceeded. The securities totalled £3,201,000, and cash at hankers £7,013,000. The latter was in April last distributed for capital reduction payment. Since January, 1923, B.A.W.R.A. had disposed of an additional 176,000 hales, leaving the balance of stocks on hand at April 30, 27,000 merino, whereof a thousand were New- Zealand crossbred ; 610,000, whereof 236.000 were New Zealand. Considerable progress was being made ill connection with the question of making a final distribution to the owners of the 1916-17 clip. The meeting resolved that the capital of the Association he reduced from £10,076,000 to £13,744,000, by repayment of nine shillings per share. IRISH ENVOYS. SYDNEY. May 19. The Irish Envoys appeared before a special Court to answer the charge why they should not he deported. Counsel for' the dependants argued that the Court had no jurisdiction and no power to deport British subjects with passports from one Dominion to another. The hearing was adjourned till next week. UNIVERSITY PROCESSION SYDNEY, May 18. Great crowds witnessed the annual University commemoration procession. Despite their expurgated song-hook, the st intents .succeeded in making the proceedings very lively. 4 lie usual scenic skits on public events accentuated the drift noticablc in recent years to broader and coarser Inn. compared to the finer sparkling humour ol older-time epmmetnora I ions. Sparkle was completely lacking to-day. CAI’T. COOK DOCUMENTS. (Received this dav at 9.26 a.in.) SYDNEY, May 19. Captain Cook documents which recently were purchased in London, have arrived and will he exhibited at the Federal Parliament House before being placed in the Mitchell Library.

lIOI'RS OF WORK. SYDNEY. May 19. On the appeal by the building trades employees against the raising of hours from forty four In forty-eight, the Industrial Court fixed the hours at fortysix weekly.

RACING A CURSE. SYDNEY, May 19. The speakers at the Presbyterian General Assembly characterised the overgrowth of racing. particularly penv racing, as scandalous and the greatest curse In the community and they deplored the growing gambling among women and stated they had known households destitute of lend because the women used the hnuseliold nioiicv for hacking ponies. It was dceided to ask the Government to reduce the racing days.