AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 December 1924, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. fUCM ASSOCIATION AUSTRALIAN' SKA M Pi .VS DISPUTE. MELBOURNE, Decemher 22. At the Arbitration Court, Justice Powers excluded the llrishane Branch of the Seamen's Union from the honefits of the overtime clause in the Seamen's Award, owing to the Union’s refusal to provide crews for. the steam, ers AVyandra, Canberra, Homhala. and Comma, hut he refused to grant the request of the Commonwealth Steamship Owners’ Association for the deletion of the overtime clause of the award. OBITUARY. V SYDNEY, Dec. 2d. Obituary—Arthur .McCuhhin. wellknown in shipping circles, lie served on Gallipoli in the Otago Battalion ol the N.Z.K.F. and later rejoined the navy. KHII’OWNKKS’ TIIRKAT. » SYDNEY. Dee. 2d. A statement has been issued by the Australian Steamship Owners' federation, amnilliieilig the shipowners are compelled to consider most seriously whether they should not lay tin the jpA whole of their fleets until the Govcrn- * ment enforced the laws ol the country. The Federation vigorously attacked the unions and crews lor holding no certain vessels and criticised the judgment delivered by Mr Justice Powers in the Arbitration Court yesterday. The Federation declares the Court has proved unable to enforce its award against the Unions. TARANAKI Oil, FIELDS. SYDNKY, Dec. 2d. .Mr A. K. Brow who has returned from New Zealand by the Mnlieiin, expressed the opinion that the oillields of Taranaki, when fully developed, will rank high, lie stales there is min h work to he done in the way of boring, hut there is no reason In doubt the efforts of those exploring the fields will he successful, lie considered the field, which is being exploited with British capital to he among the best in the Empire. A DEADLOCK. MELBOURNE, Dee. 23. No settlement has l>cen reached in regard to the dispute concerning the steamer Clan Mutiroe. A conference between the Prime Minister and l nion officials has reached a deadlock. DOUGLAS MJAYSON REPORT. AIKLHOURNE, December 22. A further official report regarding * the search for the missing Douglas Alawson women states the Commls- • siuiicr of Police cpietioncd many aboriginals including Raiiaka who previously made statements about the fate of the women. Btimika and other blacks all denied the story that the women were being held in captiiitv. The police ascertained that the aborigine Bokara to whom the older woman had been alleged to have been assigned as his wife, had been dead for eighteen months. DOUBT ABOUT TRAGEDY. SYDNEY, Dee. 23. The body of James Dwyer, the victim of the supposed Lithgow murder, is to he exhumed and medical opinion asked whether the wounds could have been self inflicted. NOT understood. MELBOURNE, Decemher 23. AD* Bruce has received an invitation • to attend the Conference of Dominion Prime Ministers at London in March. •He stated that the Federal Ministry was at a loss to understand the motive underlying the summons as the proposed reorganisation of the Colonial Office, the suggested grant of a million to assist in marketing Empire produce, and the various trade suggestions which are impending are regarded as easily adjustable by correspondence or cald'e exchanges. Beyond these matters there does not appear to be anything which would justify Mr Bruce's absence from tin* Coniinon- <*■ wealth for six months and if these were -the only subjects for discussion it u taken for granted that neither Mi Bruce nor any of his Ministers " > ,p sent to London to represent Australia.