AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 June 1926, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

.Australia & N.Z. Cable Association. FEDERAL PROPOSALS. MELBOURNE, June 4. In the House of Representatives, the Treasurer, ATr Page, gave notice of his intention to introduce a, kill to repeal the Surplus Revenue Act, 1910, and . make provision for special financial aid to certain States. The hill also provides for the withdrawal of per capita payments and reduction approximately of forty per cent in rates and taxation on income.s of individuals and companies, and the abandonment o! land and entertainment taxes and probate and death duties. They become effective from Ist July. The sugges tions are modification of the proposals submitted at the Financial Conlerenci of Federal and State Ministers a fortnight ago and rejected by the States representatives. CONFERENCE FAILS. SYDNEY. Juno 3. A special conference of the Miners’ Central Council and officials of Engine Drivers’ and Firemen’s Association arc endeavouring to reach a settlement of the coal strike blit failed to arrive at a decision. It will resume m-morrow but the outlook is not promising.

A LABOR PHASE. (Received this day at 10.23 a.nr.) SYDNEY, June 4. Difficulties arising from the settlement of the forty-two hours strike have been surmounted amicably. It is expected within a fiew dii.vs the metal trades and other body building industries will have returned to normal conditions. Norman Long Company, builders of the harbour bridge, notified the employees, who are member* of the Federal Unions that they will he paitl only for the time worked. Several months ago, when the fortyfour hour week operated in N.S.W. the Company, at the request of the Government paid their employees the working Federal awards at the rate of forty-eight hours, although they worked only forty-four, the extra cost, by arrangement, Ireiiig passed on t< the Government. In view ot the recent agreement, however, under which the Metal Trade Unions agreed to ac> cept_.the forty-four hours weekly for forty-four hours work, the Company refused to give Foderal Unionists fortyeight hours’ pay. A deputation from the men will wait upon the Minister for Works, Air Flannery, in regard to the poistion. ROBBERY and aiurder. PERTH, June 4. While two bank clerks were taking money from the suburb of Alaylands, to Perth by train, one of them, J. R. Greville, aged 22, was suddenly shot the bead and abdomen by a third man in the same compartment. The man then tried to shoot the other clerk, Douglas’ Favis, hut his revolver jammed. He hit Favis heavily on tbbead with the butt end of it. When the train arrived at Perth the man jumped out on the wrong side of the carriage taking money amounting to £174 with him. A single man chased him for some distance but .lie eventually made bis escape. Greville was sent with all baste to the hospital but died an hour later. Favis was only slightly injured.