AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 July 1927, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

(Australian A- N.Z. Cable Association.) LIVING WAGE. SYDNEY. July 2<t Th<- N.S.W, Industrial Commissioner. Mr Beddington. K.C.. unexpectedly countered the submission that the living wage declaration was invalid by redoclaring his declarat ion of the JiTli June, and fixing the basic wage at £4 .Is per week. It is anticipated that the employers will now move in the Full Court tor an injunction to restrain the Industrial Commissioner from proceeding any further with the declaration, and that, Parliament may have to he (idled to pass amending legislation. 'Pile N.S.W. Industrial Commissioner (Mr Beddington, K.C.) has declared a temporary living wage of £4 Its per week for the adult male employees ill the rural industries, on the basis of man and wife.

44-HOUR TROUBLE. HOBART, July 21. Ml. L.veil Coy. which was exempted from the provisoes of the forty-four hours’ award, in response to a threat by the men that they will work only forty-four instead of forty-eight, has issued a warning that they wiil he dismissed. Union officials conferred with the management and afterwards the men decided to refuse to resume work to-morrow, except under the lorty-four hours’ award. Over a thousand employees will lie idled.

PAPER PULP PRODUCTION. SYDNEY. July 21. The Institute ot 'Science and Industry reports ils investigations regarding the production of paper pulp were highly successful. They showed tho use of certain varieties of Australian timbers for commercial production of paper was a promising proposition. Tho work ol the Institute had aimed mainly at production ol soda, pulp for high grade papers. More recently the sulphite method for newsprint had been investigated and had given such promising results that tho production of newsprint was being undertaken in Tasmania on a one ton per day plant, and if results continued satisfactory, the establishment of ail industry on the basis of an expenditure- of five- to six million sterling in the course of Hie next five or six years was assured. \ cry promising results laid been obtained from pmis insign is pulp, which was lound eminently suitable for the manulacture ol strong brown paper. Large quantities of this timber are available and the council is arranging for further tests, which it is believed will lead to commercial exploitation on a large scale.