AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 February 1927, Page 1

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

'_Austialien & N.Z. Cable Association.]

SILVER LODE UNEARTHED. SYDNEY, Feb. 23. Following heavy rain, a dam at Rutiivab* near Arinidale burst, uncovering a. rich lode of silver. Several leases were secured and a rush of prospectors followed. PAT II EXDR EX AS COACH. ADELAIDE, Feb. 25. South Australian Cricket Association has secured the services of the English batsman Patsy Ilendreil as coach for Clubs and colleges for a year, with the right of renewal for three years from the end of September. Ilendren will play in Australia and England in season. SPIRITED EIGHT IN SYDNEY. SYDNEY, Feb. 10. “There is nothing like proposed liquor legislation to provide a spirited controversy, both in and out of Parliament, and the Government Bill before the State legislature, providing for the cessation of payments to the compensation fund, and the supplying of liquor with meals on licensed premises up to 9 p.m. is no exception to the rule. Coming at the fag end of a session, when the Government is rushing into recess, the Bill'—defeated in the Upper House, hut which may be re-introduced -—is regarded as somewhat remarkable, in that it involves a heavy remission of .taxation at a time when the Government is at its wits end to discover additional sources of revenue, and when, as a matter of fact, the State deficit for the seven months of the financial year, ended on January 31st. exceeds £1,572.000. Through the medium of a levy on their trade, hotel and wine shop licenses have been obliged to contribute to a fund for the compensation of those among them whose licenses have, been terminated by the Reduction Board. The fund is in credit to-dnv to an amount of more than £900,000. According to the Act, contributions should continue to bo paid into the fund for another two years, hut the nttiude of the Government, in its remission of this taxation, is that there is no possibility of the £900,000 being required for compensation as there is now only one electorate which has not been visited by the Reduction Board.

It would have been a nice Ijttle present to make to the trade, although the Government’s attitude, in the circumstances, seems quite equitable. Money was‘contributed to the fund for a specific purpose. As the fund now contains a much greater amount than will ever he required for that purpose, the Government takes up the stand that, to insist upon further contributions to it, would be unjust. Tbe position of the Government, however, is that it is. on the one hand, deliberately denying itself of money, and on the other hand searching for it, in order to finance some of the big schemes with which it is now flirting, notably family endowment, which, incidentally, will, if carried, mean, a levy on industry' to the tune of about £6,000,000.