AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 May 1928, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

(Australian Press Association.)

AN ARBITRATION BILL. CANBERRA, Alay IG

An amending Arbitration Bill designed to overcome strikers, punish strikers and give unionists complete control over their officials, control of lawlessness in times of unrest and gen orally to .strengthen the Commonwealth Government’s powers in industries, is now before the House of Re-

presentatives. Mr Cull in (Lender of the Opposition) declared the Bill was provocative and constituted the first serious blow bv tbe Commonwealth Parliament against arbitration principle. Tt was calculated to destroy the faith' of the community in the impartiality of the law and destroy the faith of workers in the arbitration principle. The Bill certainly would not bring peace in industry, indeed it was tantamount i<> a declaration of war upon workers. 'Die whole tendency of the Bill was to increase the penalties on unionists, any irresponsible officer whereof, if he incited a strike was liable to expose bis union to a fine of £IOOO. Air Blakely declared tlmt the employees would be compelled to form secret Organisations iuul a system of espionage would soon arise. The debate was adjourned.

AY A T E.RSTD E C 3 INFIiU 1E X CE. Melbourne, May 10. Tlie following motion by Air Jacobs Johnson (General President of the Seamen’s onion) will be considered at !to-day’s conference w-a'terMdom: “That this conference supports the cooks until a settlement is reached on a basis of conditions existing at tho time of the ITiniaroa’s dispute, or fniling that, on conditions existing prior to the dispute.” Tudohope, Federal Secretary of tho Marino Cooks declared: “The cooks will fight on.”

MEAT ( DAIPANTES CLOSE. (Received this day at 11.0 a.mA imiSH.VXK. Alay 17. Meat exporting*companies- in Southern Queensland have decided to cease operations for the present owing to a dispute with slaughterers who refuse to comply with with the award conditions. About a thousand men will lie idle, and these will probably be increased to fifteen hundred apart from loss of trucking on the railways.

There lias been considerable activity recently in oil shares. All the country in the vicinity of Roma is pegged for miles. No fewer than twenty-six subsidiary companies have boon formed to embark in the oil search in Australia.

PASSENGERS TO NEW ZEALAND SYDNEY. Alay 17. Bernard Gollieh sails by the Alakura to-day to lake up bis duties as United States Consul at 'Wellington. Beimo Aloiseiwitcli, a noted pianist. and Sir Henry Scott, of Fiji, are also aboard. The latter will pinko a sojourn in New Zealand for Iwo weeks.

cocaine seller. SYDNEY. Alay 17

Bernice Beviit. aged thirty-throe, was fined £250 for having cocaine in his possession. Tlk* woman prosecutrix said she was stopped hv Bovin, who asked hci to sniff something and immediately she became irresponsible. She was: taken to a bouse at Redfern, robbed and then turned out.

iSHTPOWXEIUS ATTITUDE. SYDNEY. Alay 37

Shipowners forcing a climax, have now decided to lay up tile Australian United Steamship Coy's large passenger vessel. Oiungal. . which reaches Sydney to-day from Queensland ports w.iLb a. crew of 130 and many passengers, who will be compelled to complete the journey to Melbourne by mil.

[m urtft*ii >U*;micr.s mo now kilo. Tlio employers have received numerous applications for volunteer labour, but are reluctant to take volunteers, if they can j»nin victory by any othoi way, as it would involve the immediate stoppage ol the entire industry, also other industries.

DR OARCA ST IX G ME RO MR. SYDNEY. May 17. 'lhe broadcasting merger is causing concern among listeners. It is announced both A class Mat ions a! Sydney namely 2band 28. L, lane been acquired by the new company called the New South Wales Broadcasting Company Ltd., composed of representatives of large department stores, theatrical interests and one newspaper.