AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 February 1927, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[Australia & N.Z, Cable Association.]

F.MPI.OYERS PROTEST. SYDNEY, February 23

A meeting of the Alaster Builders’ Association carried a resolution protesting against the Child Endowment Bill. It was stated the bill would add at least L'3o to the cost of a small Lome. New South Wales timber millers are already lighting for an existence and should another (it per cent tax he placed on the wages the hardwood industry of the State would die. BUILDING STRIKE. BRISBANE. Febrtiarv 23.

The Disputes Committee «>f the building trades group of unions have

written to the Alaster Builders’ Association asking the latter to state the (auditions li nder which they would agree to a resinitpi ion of work; also to state whether the master builders would meet the < onunittee in conference. The master builders discussed the letter but declined to state what action thev intended to take. There are indications that the strike is collapsing. AYESTRALI AN POLICY. PERTH. February 23.

The Premier in a policy speech, said the Government proposed to make available fifty thousand sterling yearly for building workers’ homes and to proceed to establish a scheme of State insurance. MALICIOUS EXPLOSION. (Received this dav at 0.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, Feb. 2-1. A Hindu who was the principal witness in the quarter sessions ease, which lieeari yesterday was sleeping m a shop at Rod fern.. where tlie explosion occurred. Indications show there was a considerable quantity of high explosives. n reliably gelignite, mal'ieiously plaecd in front ol the shop.

UUfLD ENDOWMENT DILI

SYDNEY. Feb. 21

Mr Waddell. President of Graziers’ Association, said he was convinced that the Child Endowment Bill would result, in widespread unemployment in Hie rural industries and a great loss to the state shipping. The companies trailing on the Const have announced that they will lie compelled to increase freights if the Bill becomes law, as they will not. he able to meet the increased burden and cany on at a reasonable profit They, therefore, are compelled to pass the additional costs on. La shippers. ELECTORAL BILL AAIEX DM ENT ACCEPTED. SYDNEY. Feb. 21. Government proposes to accept the Legislative Council's amendment to the Electoral Amendment Bill, which provides for the allocution of three additional seats to country centres.

LABOUR APPOINT’AI ENT,3. SYDNEY, Fob. 21

The agilation has been renewed in Parliamentary Labour and Union circles for additional appointments of Labour nominees, including women, to flu- Legislative Council. 11 is felt, however, flint ihe Governor, in view of the fact that the pre.-ent Government is now in its last year of office, and that, twenty-nine Labour appointments have already been made to the Council by the Lang Government, will not agree to further appointments. Air Willis gave notice in the Legislative Council, that lie will move today that the Liquor Amendment Bill recently defoalcd hy the Council be restored to the business paper. INCREASED TARIFF OPPOSED. MEI.BOFRNE. Fob. 21. Opposing an application for increased tariff on imported timbers before the Tariff Board. Heath (Manager of Saxton and Sons), one of the leading tiinti d r merchants of Sydney, said he opposed the pro.posed increased duty, because Australia could not supply all the requirements. With economic chaos reigning t liroughoiit the trade in both Australian and foreign tinders, any further duty would only do harm. There was a huge over capitalisation in tlie timber trade brought about through failure to make adjustment in the post wai period.

44-HOUR WEEK. ARBITRATION COURT DECISION. [Received tLIs day at 10.15 a.m.) MELBOURNE, Feb. 24. It- was a majority judgment of the Federal Arbitration Court which awarded a forty-four hours week in the engineering industry. The judgment is highly important, as it docs to some extent determine the standard hours of labour in Australian industries. Chief .Justice Dethridgc. in delivering the judgment said the State laws had purported to make a shorter week general amongst most of the workers in Now' South. Wales ami Queensland, and State arbitratal awards lmd a similar effect, in West Australia. l! existed very largely in New Zealand and received support hv men not themselves members of the wage earning classes. The conclusion could not he evaded that a continuance of the forty-eight hours week \pax likely to he accompanied by increased .slackening, and reduction of output among certain classes of workers, which would largolv offset tin* output derived I rum the extra lour hours work per week. The Court was not going to be influenced by political cou.siilcra t ions, bur could not ignore economic conditions. merely because ihe vwcrc created partly or wholly by political or government action, even (hough that action might be considered by some people to have been ill advised or too far reaching. In any case the Court could not prevent any person or body or any State Government or Legislature (mm continuing to grant a fortyfour hours week to its own employees. Therefore it ordered a forty-four hours week to he granted in the engineering industry. He added that it must he taken as a guiding line that the judgment indicates the probable course of the Court in future applications.

BUILDERS STRIKE. BRISBANE. Eel). 24

The Master Builders Association has replied to a letter from the Building Trade Unions group cabled yesterday, that the Masters are anxious to terminate the strike and all work will he available for strikers after the Unions, as a body, have declared the strike off. The Association would also require an undertaking that there would be no victimisation of employers. and that no illegal strike would again he prosecuted. The Association refused to meet the unions representatives in conference. N.S.W. POLITICS. SYDNEY. Ft b. 21. Tn the Legislative Assembly Mr Ball moved that the allegations contained in the Australian Labour Party manifesto cabled yesterday ol a Communistic plot wherein Air Willis [Vice-President of the Legislative Council) now alleged he was implicated. warranted investigation by a Royal Commission. The motion was defeated bv three votes, six members ol the Nationalist Party being absent. Mr Lang, in a statement, said he knew the allegations were untrue and as far as Alr AYilfis was concerned, the latter did not engage in any Communistic plot. AIETHODIST PRESIDENT. SYDNEY. Feh. 24. Rev. George Hewitt was elected President of the N.S.W. Aiethodist Conference.