AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 2 May 1930, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

LINERS’ MAIL THEFTS.

PERTH BLAMED

(Australian Dress Association)

(SYDNEY, May 1

The officials of the Peninsular and Oriental Shipping Co., disclaim the responsibility for the mail bag thefts (cabled on March 29th) from their liners, Mooltan and Chitral. The Postal authorities are now of the opinion that the thefts occurred, after the mails were unloaded at Perth.

CONFERENCE FAILS. SYDNEY, May 1

The Coal Conference has failed. Neither side stated why, but it is assumed that the- miners’ delegates again rejected the suggestion for a wage cut. The owners are now preparing to throw open two, three or more important collieries to free labour.

N.S.W. PROPOSALS.

SYDNEY, May *2

The Anain'proposals submitted to the State Parliament by Cabinet are a tax of threepence in the pound on all ■wages and incomes, without exemptions to provide an unemployment fund ol three million sterling annually; a reduction in public servants’ salaries from 6 to 1\ pep cent,; two weeks’ off annually without pay and Saturday morning work, equivalent in all to ten per cent reductions, or as alternative retrenchments' in the service, and the amendment of the Industrial Arbitration Act to empower an industrial commission to extend the * working hours to forty-eight, without additional pay or retain the 44-hour week with a reduction in salary equivalent to four hours. ,

If the Public Service scheme is not accepted by Parliament, three thousand employees will be dismissed, with more to follow.

Although the officials of the Australian Railways Union rejected the proposal of Cleary, Chief Railway Commissioner for rationing work, a ballot of union members resulted in favour of the scheme by an overwhelming majority.

AUSTRALIA’S POPULATION,

SYDNEY, May 2.

Statistics show Australia’s population art the end of December was u,414,373, an increase during 1929 of 77,587 persons.