AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 June 1927, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

'.Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.]

N.S.W. ELECTION. SYDNEY, .1 line 1. An official statement by Governor De Chair says the Assembly will lie dissolved immediately the electoral rolls arc completed. A tentative date •or the election has been fixed for 2i"th August. RESULT OF STRIKE. . .MELBOURNE, June 1. 1 iic trimmers strike at Newcastle is beginning to have a serious effect upon supplies ot coal, which are very low here. Big manufacturers have private reserves but smaller linns will have to close down unless a settlement is reached quickly. 'thousands of workmen will be affected and the laying idle of the collieries will place nearly two thousand seamen out of employment. Between three and four hundred coal lumpers will also be affected. Steps are to be taken by the unions concerned. to approach the Trade Union Disputes Committee with the object of intervening in the dispute in an effort to reach a settlement.

CONST A 81. E ARI i EST ED. PERTH. June 1. Constable St. Jack has been arrested in connection with allegations of cruelty to aborigines. TRIMMERS STRIKE. SYDNEY. June I.

As there is no evidence of a settlement of the coal trimmers strike at Newcastle the crews of ten inter-Stuto steamers will bo paid off to-dav and the vessels will be laid up. Four Union Cov steamers are idle, but as the crews of these vessels have home ports in New Zealand, they will not be paid off immediately. Another matter now in dispute is the waste of meals. The Secretary of the Trimmers Union states, when engaging trimmers the Stevedoring Association notified the men of the number of meals it thought they would require on the job. On many occasions the work did not last as long as anticipated and some meals were wast-

Jn January last the reference Board gave* judgment that the men were entitled to compensation for waste meals. The Stevedoring Association, however, refused to grant compensation. 'lbis is now the main point in the dispute. LEPER STATION COMPLAINT’S. MELBOURNE. June 1. Referring to the complaints about the leper station at Darwin (cabled on 20th .May) the Minister for Home and Territories (Mr Mbit) said it was quite untrue that lepers bad boon lelt uncared for and not fed and clothed. He bad been advised by the Chief Medical Officer of the Health Department who visited the Lazaret every week for inspection and treatment of lepers, that during the time between bis visits tiie treatment was carried out under tlie supervision of an intelligent ball-caste inmate. A weekly ration was supplied the inmates and clothes and other articles were supplied when requested. 'l’lie recent escape of some lepers was not due to maltreatment, but to quarrelling and jealousy among the lepers themselves. Mr Murr admitted the site was an unsuitable one for a leper station, and said the Oovernment had been endeavouring lor some time to procure a better one.