AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 March 1927, Page 1

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[Australia & N.Z. Cable Association.] N.S.AV. POLITICS. SYDNEY, March 3. The women’s demonstration at Government House, organised by the Australian Labour Party and headed by a number of women prominent in Labour circles, was in no way a representative gathering. The leader stated afterwards that the Government bad agreed to meeting a deputation on Monday next. Lt is now stated Air Lang intended to renew the controversy with the Governor regarding the Upper House appointments. The Attorney-General commenting on his Excellency’s refusal said it was now contrary to the Constitution. It was now the Government’s intention to launch a campaign against the Governor and Upper House and the campaign will be inaugurated at a Labour demonstration at which Air Lang will speak at the Town Hall to-night. The Government is now being urged by trade unions and Labour officials to ask the Dominion Office to recall the Governor, but it is generally considered in political circles that the authorities in England jvill refuse to accede to the request in view of the reply recently given to the At-torney-General when he was in England by Air Amerv. The Government is not likely to appeal to tlie electors as it still lias fourteen months in office and it is known that although Alj- Lang favours ail election members of the caucus are unanimously opposed to such an action. BRISBANE, Alarch 3.

Tin' Arbitration Court reserved judgment in the application oi tho Australian Workers’ Union and other organisations for an increase of the basic ■wage from C-l os weekly to £4 15s. The Government and the Graziers’ Association opposed. Counsel for the latter addressing the Court, said the estimated loss of sheep in the recent drought in Queensland would reach six million sterling with proportionate losses of cattle. SYDNEY, March 4. In the Legislative Council. Mr Willis stated hi 1 intended to move to-morrow that the resolution which sent the Family Endowment Hill to a Select Committee, should he rescinded. A mass meting of Labour supporters at the Town Hall was addressed i>v Mr Lang on the opposition of the Legislative Council to the Family Endowment Hill. The meeting passed a resolution protesting against the action of the Council in frustrating the adoption of the endowment scheme.

Mr Dunne (Minister of Agriculture) announced a ballot taken among farmers on flie question of the formation of a compulsory wheat pool for a period of three years was negatived by 4,334 to 3137. Only forty-one per cent of the farmers to whom the issue was submitted, voted.

FIRE TRAGEDY. MELBOURNE, March 3. A lire at Tungamali, sixty miles southwest of Albur.v destroyed the cottage of a farmer. Hayes. Mrs Hayes removed the children from the house and went hack for some clothing. Two children followed her and all three perished in the flames. NSW. PAPER TAN INVALID. SYDNEY. March 3. The Australian High Court has niDnimously decided that the Act. imposing a halfpenny tax on the sale or newspapers, levied by the New South Wales Government 'is unconstitutional, and the tax has been declared invalid. The newspapers concerned were awarded costs, which are_ estimated to he in the vicinity of £SOO. The Court held that this i«x constituted an excise duty and that them on it, came within the province ot me Commonwealth Government. The afternoon Sydney newspapers today reverted to their former price of a nonnv per copy. . . Rome of the papers have been issuing halfpenny coupons with each issi since the tax v*as imposed. \\ hen Die legal difficulties are overcome those will he redeemed. , Air Lang (N.S.W. Premier) declined to comment on the decision of the I-ligh Court.

AUSTRALIAN INQUIRY. MELBOURNE, March 3. The third progress report of the Federal Royal Commission on National Insurance states that the annual expenditure upon poor relief hv the private charitable and Government institutions. including the old age pensions and the invalid pensions in Australia now totals £15,000,000. The report recommends that a more effective provision could he made by a comprehensive scheme of national insurance than by amending the Invalid and Old Age Pensions Acts so as to provide for the payment of destitute allowances and it is recommended that, pending the institution of some such insurance scheme, the Commissioner of Pensions should he granted certain discretionary powers in regard to rejected claims, where the claimants arc destitute. IRELAND’S REGRETS. MELBOURNE, March 3. President Cosgrave of the Irish Free State has cabled to Mr S. Bruce (Australian Premier) regretting the inability of himself or ally of his Ministers to attend the Canberra opening ceremony, owing to the imminence of the general election in Ireland.