AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 August 1924, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

IBY TELEGRAPH—PER I’lt ESS ASSOCIATION.]

END I .VEERS WANT BETTER CONDITIONS.

NY ON EY. August 11

The Federal Arbitral inn Court com. mem-ed the hearing of an application l>y the Amalgamated Society of Engineers for a variation of the Federal award to provide increased rates of pay and better working conditions, illeluding a forte-tour week. Several hundred linns and the railway commissioners are covered by the claim. MINED SEVERELY CASSFI). .MELBOURNE. August 11. \\ liilc sealing the Wonthaggi mine, where tic lire i- still raging A. Blackburn was severely gassed, being sent in the hospital. The Hooding operations continue, lour milioii gallons of water being pumped in daily. It is expected this will have to he continued lor six days before the outbreak i> extinguished. TARIFF QUESTION. .MELBOURNE, August 12. The Federal .Ministry has declined lo consult any of the other Dominions hefrre it lakes ncfiim to alter the basis of the British preferential tariff. The Minister nf Trade. Mr Prat ten. favours raising it to seventy-live per cent. Some months ago. when the Federal -Ministry contemplated action, the Now Zealand Ministry agreed to eo-operate. but later, when it was pointed out that the basis of preference was deeided by the IP2I Imperial Customs Conlereiiee. it was agreed to a>k the Dominions to co-operate in a readjustment.

THE FORDSDAI.F. TROUBLE. (Received this day at !• a.m.) SYDNEY. August IT. Alter an angry meeting, at which the members of the i-n-u el tin- I'ordsilale were asked to .-imi an agieement | lacing the disposition ol their jobs in tile bands of the Union and guaranteeing to obey any decision ol the Executive, ill this regard the men. with the exception of four or live, refused to Sign, demanding to know what the decision was. Another attempt will lie made to-uay. A RECORD PRICE. SYDNEY. August 1:1. A reel in I pri<e for Australia of live thousand guineas was | aid for a merino ram by Rov MrCaugltey. ol Coon- • mg. PROHIBITIONISTS PI-'.RTVR BED. (Received this day at 12.J0 p.m.) SYDNEY. August 1:1. Tile prohibitionists aie seriously perturbed over the recent Court finding in favour of a lioen.-ee being able to serve liquor a( table to guests idler the closing hour. They claim that such a finding will enable designing persons to frustrate the purposes of the early closing law . T bey consider the matter so important and lar leaching that they have asked the .Minister ol Justice to make il the subject ol tin appeal to the High Court. The Minister has promised to submit the matter to the law authorities. WINE OR WATER. A COYKRN'OR’S MISTAKE. ADELAIDE. Aug. IT. Speaking at the l.iei-iis-eil \ lit nailers Assn, annual dinner la-t week, the Oovernor Sir C. Bridges in the course ol a speech is reported to have said: "I think we all distrust the eamoiillage and the eorriiptiaii of prohibition. Il is foreign to our nature, although it docs give Us a laugh now and llteii. He referred m humorous vein to the age-long controversy whether wine or water was the heller beverage.

The matter was ivlrrr. d to in .he Assembly. Mr Pri< r asking t lie Premier whether be bail anything to renuri gat'd ing Sir (!. Hi clg.e .«precb. lie Premier I.'piled Ibe ( :.e. ei-iimcc I bail taken t lie ealTicO ojiport mill \ ' I I' mating 11 > Major l •ciicral I Irid :*' 'be constitutional position ol 11 is Mac. vs representative on controversial subjects. It i' understood I lie (•overmueut bad no thought of hurting the siisi epl ib:!i----1 ies of any section nl the cum e nil y ; that evidently meaning to read into the words which were not intend • I.