AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 May 1926, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[Australian ifc N.Z. Cable Association.] 44-HOUR STRIKE ENDED. SYDNEY, May 28. A meeting of the Metal Trades Employers’ Association decided to accept the Trades Hall Disputes Committee’s offer for a settlement of the dispute as cabled yesterday, thus ending the Forty-four Hours' Strike, which had idled thirty thousand employees. A mass meeting or the men will he "held on Saturday to ratify the Committee’s action. Many owners were against accepting the men’s offer, but alter a heated discussion it was accepted by a narrow majority. FOREIGN LOANS. MELBOURNE, May 27. At a meeting of the Federal Loan Council, the question of taxation of interest on loans issued and securities sold in Australia, in respect to borrowing of other countries, was considered. It was decided to ask the Commonwealth and the State Governments to consider the question of taxing the interest on such loans and securities.

A SERIOUS CHARGE. SYDNEY, May 11. Charged at Paddington Cqurt this afternoon with a capital assault on a girl 17 years of age, Harold Dent (22), plasterer, was committed for trial at the. General Criminal Court. The girl’s story was that on April 11th. Dent was seeing her home, and they went into the Park, where Dent put his arm around her, and -said: “If you don’t keep still, I’ll smash your face in.” Mr Malcolm, for the defence, asked the Magistrate to discharge Dent on the ground that there was no evidence of assault, as after the alleged offence the girl allowed Dent to see her home, where they talked for 20 minutes, and made an appointment to go to the pictures the next night. The girl did not make her complaint untij the following night. THE STRIKE SETTLEMENT. SYDNEY, May 29. Both sides in the Forty-Four Hour dispute claim a victory. The conditions of settlement, however, show that each party made liberal concessions in the interests of peace. Although the employers agreed that the men work 44 hours for >44 flours’ pay, the settlement does not involve no Saturday work. Employers are allowed to work employees on Saturday if desired. ihe Unions believe they will be able to obtain from the Commonwealth Arbitration Court the rate of wages they previously enjoyed for forty-eight hours’ work. It is estimated . the strikers lost £176.0900 sterling in Wales during the four weeks the strike was in progress. Gihson, (general secretary of the Engine-Drivers’ and Firemen’s Federation) announced the strike was settled at Tvldesley mine, Lithgow owners having acceded to the men’s demands. The colliery has an output of five hundred tons daily. The owners are not members of the Northern Collieries’ Assn. The strike will have been in progress three weeks to-day. During that time thirty thousand miners were affected, and have drawn no wages. As their Federation is without relief funds the plight of the miners is stated to be serious.