AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 June 1930, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

(Australian Press Association)

ANOTHER COAL STRIKE,

SYDNEY, June 11

Five hundred miners employed at Coalcliff Colliery, South Coast, decided to adopt an instruction from the Federal Council of Miners’ Federation, to strike. Rates of pay and the dismissal of a pit boy are the cause of the trouble.

GOVERNOR-GENERAL

SYDNEY, June 11

The “Herald” says : It is considered probable in political circles that the appointment of a new Governor-Gen-eral will be deferred at the request of the Prime Minister, Mr Scullin, until he arrives in London at the end ol September, to confer with the Dominion Office. It is understood Lord Stonehaven has made arrangements to leave Australia on 2nd Octobei. lo fill the gap of about six months, between the departure of Lord Stonehaven and the new Governor-General, it is stated that the Governor of Victoria, Lord Somers, will most probably be sworn in as Governor-General.

AUSTRALIAN FINANCE

SYDNEY, June 11

Expenditure by Australia’s various governing bodies during the last financial year was more than, half the value of all production during that period. The Federal Government spent 81. millions and- six State Governments 121 millions, and 1058 local governing bodies spent 36J millions. The total value of Australian production for the same period was 455 millions sterling. During 1928-29 taxation by Australian Governments oombined, amounted to millions, compared with 45 millions ten years ago. In other words, the taxation per head last year by the Commonwealth and States amounted to £l4 per head of the population.

WESTRALJAN BASIC WAGE

PERTH, June 11

The basic wage for men workers is reduced by one shilling to £4. Hie rate for country districts is established at £4 ss. Adult females in the metropolitan area receive £2 6s 5d and in the country £2 5s lid per week.

NEW G OVERNOR-GENERAL

SYDNEY Jun 0 10,

It is understood the Prime Minister will confer with the Dominion authorities in London in September concerning the appointment of a now Governor-General.

AMBITIOUS LAND SCHEME.

PERTH, June 10

The West Australian § Government in 1928 embarked upon fan embitious scheme of land settlement comprising three thousand five hundred farms wherein ten millions was to be spent. The scheme wfis well under way when disquieting reports were received that most of the land was unsuitable, owing to the presence of alkali in the soils, resulting in unsatisfactory harvest returns. Scientific tests have been made, the reports whereof are in the hands of the Government, vi^h it'll is now -considering whether the whole plan should be abandoned.

OBITUARY. PERTH, Juno 10 Obituary.—Sir Frederick Toone.

FREIGHT CHARGES

(Received this Hav at 9- a.m.) PERTH, June 10

Mr David Jones (Chairman of the New Zealand Meat Producers Board! lias secured a renewal of the contract from New’ Zealand Shipping Shaw Savill and Commonwealth Dominion lines .to carry meat , for a triennium at reduced rates of freight saving fifty thousand sterling annually to the New Zealand dairy producer. The Board obtained a similar renewal of contract for butter, and cheese saving £35,000 annually.

SELLING OF GOODS

PERTH, June 10 Sir Ernest Benn said the British had still to learn that the selling and distributing of goods was more important and certainly more difficult than producing. Britain thinking in millions was organising the rationahsi'iiv;/ forgetting these impressive figures meant less in the total than the sum of all little figures which woulc. develop from the proper use of individual effort and entei-pri.se. Britain was learning better and th e Socialist Government was helping. Retailers who took a third of the tof.il of the national output and tended, to live on 'inflated discounts, vote not doing more than a third of the trade and ought to he millionaiics. useful not for themselves, but it stimulated many others to. follow a little hit the same way.