AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 April 1928, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

(United Press Association.—By Electric Tc legra ph.—Copyrigh t ) DRUG TRAFFIC. SYDNEY, April 12. Referring to the prevalence of the drug traffic, Mr Pratteu, -Minister of ( llstoins, said that with legislation in other States similar to that in New South Wales, the position might he considerably improved, that notwithstanding the most rigid precautions it was impossible for the Customs Department to police every avenue of imporatioir; luit the Department was fully alive to ils responsibilities, and was leaving no stone unturned effectively to control the importation and disposal of drugs. „ Mr Theodore has announced his intention of having the matter discussed when the House of Representatives meets.

LABOUR SUGGESTIONS. SYDNEY, April 12. At the Labour Conference ..Mr W illis submitted a motion providing that, in order to relieve the parlous conditions of the coal industry, the whole of the coal he pooled, and that private selling agencies lie abolished. lie also suggested that a levy of one shilling po" ton on all coal produced he paid into a fund to provide work for unemployed miners. The motion also protested against further milling leases being granted to private enterprise. The motion was itiled out of order, lint will he discussed later.

DEATHS BY POISON. '' SYDNEY. April 12. Giving evidence during the prosecution of n number of Newcastle shopkeepers for selling poisons without the necessary certificate, the Poison Inspector said that during the past eighteen months there were 450 deaths in Newcastle from one particular poison. RECORD PRICE FOR COLT. SYDNEY, April 12. At the yearling sales to-day, a Salt-ash-Weltea colt sold for (>750 guineas to Messrs Hone, Robinson and Fell. This is a record price for Australia. Tile previous host was 5500 guineas for an Avant-Courier colt. Mr John Hrohni paid lour thousand guineas for a lull brother to W indhag. Mr Cecil Godby gave two thousand guineas for a Mugpie-Lncerta youngster.

SAI-E OF STATE SHIPS. MELBOURNE. April 12. Tt is reported that the officials of the Australian Maritime Union are planning to boycott the 1 new owners of the Commonwealth line ol ships it the line is placed on English articles and if the wages are. reduced. In that event the vessels will bo immediate!,' declared “black." and no cargo wil. he handled, nor any ot the liners handled when they are berthing. ANGLICAN CHURCH. NO MORE POLITICAL DICTATION. SYDNEY. April 12. Speaking at the Anglian Synod a.I Bathurst, Bishop Long said one fact, abundantly evident was that the leaders ~f the Church would not tolerate dictation as to forms of worship by members of Parliament. many of whom wen* not Church ol England members, or of even any form ol Christian I'ailli.

Forecasting what might happen if the House of Lords repealed its former vole, Bishop Long said that it this happened the Church would proceed mi Jo <*\vn iulmrent ;iut. hurity to lhori.se for use Inc forms approved hy the Ceil vocal ion ol tile ( Inircli, and leave Parliament to take action upon the situation, and this would involve disestablishment, to which lie thought no political party was anxious to commit itself.

X.X.W. REFERENDUM. SYDNEY, April 12. The Cabinet lias decitlt-cl to introduce a Hill during the forthcoming session, commencing on Thursdny next, to provide for a referemliini on tlie question of the reform or abolition of the Legislative Counoil. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. SYDXEY. April ILL Cabinet has decided to introduce a Dill during the forthcoming session, commencing on Thursday next, to provide for a referendum on the question of the reform or aholition of the Legislative Council. agricultural SHOW. SYDNEY. April 12. The Agricultural Show has' concluded.. The .aggregate attendance was G3G.522 which is slightly Iwdow the record. HEROIC SISTER’S HEATH. (Received this day at f).?0 n.m.) HRISIiAXE, April Hi. A falling tree seriously injured the leg of a youth named I’earson, necessitating the grafting of flesh eight inches |, v four in the wound. His thirteen-year-old sister offered to allow the necessary flesh to he taken from her body and the operation was sueeesslul and her brother is recovering. The sister was apparently doing well when she suddenly collapsed and died.

A YACHT WRECKED. (Received this day at 11 0 a.m * SYDNEY. April 13. \ radio message has been received statin l ' His Alaiesty’x steam yacht Euphrosvne. which has been engaged in punitive work in Xew Hebrides, is a total wreck. There are no details. She was manned by British officers and a native crew.

POOL I XU OF COAL OUTPUT. SYDXEY. April 13. The Labour Conference passed Air Willis’s motion providing for the poolin'' of the coal output. PROPOSED SHIPPING BOYCOTT. MELBOURNE. April 13.

Referring to the proposed boycott of Commonwealth ships. O Neill. Sect etnrv of the Victorian Branch of the Seamen’s Union, said that from the moment the ships were taken over and the crews signed on as English, they could be declared Mack. The Union officials estimate that bv placing them on English articles the new. owners will save more than £200.000 annually and nearly 3000 Australian seamen will be rendered idle. Liter-State Trade may also be affected by the change as the Navigation Act stipulates that oversea vessels must pav Australian rates while engaged in inter-State sei-

Afr Bruce announced that the new owners were not obliged to carry on inter-State trade. It was only stipulated that the service between Australia and England be maintained for a period of ten years. COMPULSORY CONFERENCE. PERTH. April 13. The Arbitration Court has called a compulsory conference for parties in the Afidlaiul Railway dispute.

VIEWS OF SAMOA. (Received this day at 11.15 a.m.) SYDNEY, April 13. C. Buchanan, an insurance assessor, who has returned from a visit to Samoa trenchantly criticised New Zealand's Samoan policy. He said New Zealand had made a terrible mistake when she sent warships to Samoa. Ihe natives were following a peaceful picketing policy which would be tolerated in any country in the world, except Italy. New Zealanders from the warship landed with full fighting equipment and were met on the beach by four hundred aged men and women, who neither offered nor intended to offer resistance. Samoa was quiet now, but is still full of discontent. Buchanan spoke to Tnmn.sese who said the natives would refuse to" cut any copra if traders became tax collectors under the scheme proposed by General Richardson. The Island was eagerly waiting the arrival of the now Administrator.

INDIAIN AFFAIRS. SYDNEY, April 13. Mr Gardiner, a retired police superintendent of the united provinces ol North End in, who is on a visit to Australia, said, there was a tooling throughout India that it would he impossible for the Simon Commission to submit a report which would he satisfactory to all factions. The Commission met with a great deal ol hostility through >i number ol educated agitators working through the country endeavouring to arouse the people to extreme action, and no one could say what would happen when the report was made. He added, that an almost insuperable obstacle to a successful form of administration was the intense ease of bitterness between the Hindus and the Mohammedans. Many people were of Hie opinion that on this rock, caste hatred would founder the hopes of an administration acceptable to all.

CASH ORDER SYSTEM. SYDNEY. April 13. Instancing the evils of the cash order system, Mr King, of the Country Traders Association, told a conference of the affiliated Chambers of Commerce that he knew of a case ol a man earning just above the basic wage, who had a motor car, gramophone and wireless sot and the latest purchase was a player piano. As ho had no room for the latter in his home he kept it in the kitchen whence it now stood with pots and pans on it. N.SAV. POLITICS. SYDNEY. April 13. At a joint ]ire-sessional meeting ol Nationalist and Country Parties, im-

portant financial reforms and new sources of raising revenue, were foreshadowed. The treasurer said the tax on liquor sales would be restored, which would mean a considerable increase in revenue. A great saving would also he effected by separating the control of tramways, from railway administration and placing omnibuses under the Transport Board, thus eliminating competition with trams. There would be no increase in tin* income tax.

•Explaining the liquor tax. ihe treasurer said liquor license lees would he increased from two per cent to five per cent on liquor sales, thus restoring the. tax removed by the Lang Administration. Prior to Lang’s amendment two per cent of the tax on liquor sales went to the treasury and the other three nor cent was paid into a compensation fund, in order to meet any claims made, as a result ot operations of the License Rodin turn Hoard. In the event of the amount, in the fund being sufficient to meet all claims it would then he decided to relieve te liquor interests of necessity of paying more into the hind. The Government was now of the opinion that an additional three per cent on sales (Oiild lie reimposed without \ n ionising liqiier < ouoimci ■. SENTENCED TO DEATH. PERTH. April 13. Edward Nicholas Kelly has been sentenced to death for the murder ot Sermonnt