AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 February 1925, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[if TELEGRAPH PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.f ILLITERACY IN A i'STll ALTA. (Received tiiis day at 10 a.m.) SYDNEY, February 3. The Commonwealth Statistician in a .statement i elating to The education of the people in the ■Common wealih, points out that throughout the whole of Ausn alia 6.2 in every thousand ehildr.n oelueen the ages of ten and fifteen vonrs cannot read. Of children ol the -same ages in the Metropolitan areas 1.2 in every thousand are illiterate. In Hobart the illiterates in this group are represented by nine per thousand and in the State of Tasmania 11.1. In ■States other than Tasmania the prevalence of illiteracy showed its relation to the density of population which points to the large sparsely settled areas ns the cause.

SYDNEY’S RORELATION. , SYDNEY, February 3. The Government Statistician has issued a report showing the population of Sydney and its suburbs reached one million towards the close of last year. The estimated population on 31st. December was 1,003,500 and the area considered covers 185 square miles. In 1362 Sydney’s imputation was one hundred thousand. The progress of the metropolis las been accompanied by a steady increase in the total proportion of the metropolitan to the total population or the State. Whereas the proportion was 27.68 per cent in 1862. it readied 44.0 in 1924.

N.S.W. PRODUCTION. SYDNEY. February 2. The output from maimfacturies and works in N.S.AY. during the year 1923. was valued at £145.704.037 the production value havinge added the cost of raw materials which are estimated at £55.522.649. Wages paid totalled £28.665.469. The factories numbered i .310. while the persons employed numbeied 159.101. All the figures represent a large increase as compared with the previous year.

ANOTHER HITCH. BRISBANE. February 3. I Seamen refused to man the steamers I Cootm and Canberra, unless they were ’guaranteed a months* pay and work. The owners refused to agree_to this and the vessels are held up. It vas| stated these two vessels were going to he laid up for overhaul on arrival at Sydney. The secretary of the local branch ot the Seamen's Union said the men would not give their services for only a couple of days, as it would mean when thev arrived hack in their home port all the available work would have been taken.