AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 May 1927, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Aunts alia u & N.Z. Cable Association.j KM.l’ll! E DAY. SYDNEY, May 21. Empire Day was celebrated throughout tiie city and country. Appropriate ad reuses were delivered at all schools and largely-attended public meetings. .Similar demunstrafions were heLI in other States. TRIMMERS’ STRIKE. SYDNEY, May 21. The Central Council Miners’ Federation met to consider th.e serious position that has arisen in the Northern Held, as a result, of the trimmers’ strike and what action the Miners’ Federation should take iu the dispute, hut at a late hour last night had not reached a decision.

TRIMMERS’ HOLD-UP. SYDNEY. Alay 23. The position at the coal marshalling yards tit Bullock Island. Newcastle, is acute, congestion quickly• developing. More than four thousand loaded waggons are iu the yards. I hese will he considerably augmented by the output from collieries still working, hut these pits will have to cease shortly for lack of waggons.

CHESS. SYDNEY, -May 25. The State Chess Championship was won hv Crackanlhorp, his opponent Purdy, resigning after the fifty-fourth move. Two drawn games had been played previously. A LC-NCH EON. MELBOURNE. -M f.v 24. At a luncheon tendered by Hon R. McLeod to Federal and State .Ministers. and prominent business men. Mr McLeod said Australia and New Zealand both desired to bring about reciprocity in payment of pensions, and although there were many difficulties in the way, the scheme was not abandoned. Reciprocity in humanitarian efforts could do much to hind the Empire together. Mr Bruce said Australia and New Zealand had many problems in common. Their outlook with regard to Empire and the Throne were similar and they were at one in tlie determination to maintain the best in British t rades.

A CSTR ALI A N PRODUCTS. ADELAIDE, May 21. At a conference of Ministers of Agriculture. it was resolved that the Federal Government should tie asked to place heavier duties on butter, cheese, pork, hams and bacon. Delegates stated New Zealand was Australia's most dangerous (onipetitor in dairy produce. Efforts to stabilise the butter industry were fruitless, owing to imports from other parts of the world. Prices in Australia were based on those in England, where competition kept them at the world’s minimum. The only way to meet the difficulty was to raise a tariff wall and increase local consumption.

Mr Millington, of West Australia, was the only dissentient. He considered it was staggering that the dairy industry required such an enormous amount of spoon feeding. The claim of dairymen really amounted .to a desire to add sixpence per pound t > tho price of butter. Mr Millington also stated that fruit growers could make out an equally good case. He hoped farmers would never want artificial protection.