AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 January 1928, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.) SITE FOR EXHIBITION. SYDNEY, Jan. 12. 'I he State Government has decided to offer the Centennial Park site to the Federal Government on which to bold the proposed British Empire Exhibition, subject to tlie restoration of the park to its original state at the conclusion. BUSH FIRES. MELBOURNE. Jan. 12. A bush fire sweeping through the thick bush country at the basin near llnyswnter, did considerable damage to property. Two bouses were burned. It is feared several others were gutted. Tfie fire is still raging. A large force of fighters are in attendance. FEDERAL DAIRY POLICY.

SYDNEY, Jan. 12. Dr Earl Page, Federal Treasurer, in an address on the Government’s policy in regard to the dairying industry, at Till willimhah. referring to tlie reciprocal trade agreement between Australia anil New Zealand, pointed out that six months’ notice was necessary be lore a variation could become effective. Recently New Zealand had desired to increase the duty on flour by Tl. lo this tlie Commonwealth bail raised no objection, yet when Australia wanted to increase the duty on New Zealand butter there was an outburst Ironi the Dominion, lie suggested that a representative of the Federal Government should be sent to New Zealand to revise the whole treaty, and see it the

hotter duty could not be settled without delay. New Zealand dairymen, be said, were not benefiting by exports to Australia, but only the speculator, .iiany countries where the standard of living was much lower than Australia were doing in for dairying and in orilei to compete against them. Australia would have to reduce her manufaeturing costs to a minimum. The meeting resolved to request the Federal Government to approach, the New Zealand Government asking lor a revision of the whole trade agreement, w ith the object of bringing an increase of duty on butter into operation as soon as possible, also asking that a representative of the new Federal Government to be sent to New Zealand lor the purpose of having the matter dealt

wun at the earliest moment. l)r Page said in Australia £125,000.00n represented the capital invested in the development and the equipment of dairy farms. They had an annual production of forty-five millions, of which thirty millions was for milk products. Butter and cheese factories represented a capital outlay of £425.000. Their average annual production was valued at nearly twenty-three millions. There were approximately half a million persons, and hundreds of towns entirely dependent upon the industry. Directly or indirectly, a million persons in Australia depended for their livelihood upon the dairying industry.