AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 26 September 1930, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

WAGE CUTTING AGITATION

(Australian Press Association.)

SYDNEY, September 25. Addressing the annual meeting of the Employers’ Federation, Mr C. M. McDonald declared that Australia could overcome her difficulties if shackles in the shape of compulsory arbitration, heavy taxation, and Parliamentary enactments were removed, or modified. So serious was the position in some industries that unless a definite move was made by the Industrial Courts to rexluee costs, a number must close doWrf.

N.S.W. COAL LOCK-OUT,

SYDNEY, September 25

At the conference of the Employers’ Federation, figures were quoted showing there had been 254 strikes in Australia last year, involving 92,527 work-people, with an estimated loss in wages of £4,869,303. It was stated that at least 81 per cent, of these strikes had occurred in New South Wales, where they were accompanied by a wage loss of £3,721,412.

DROP IN IMPORTS

SYDNEY, September 26

Overseas imports into the State for August amounted to £2,775,787 sterling compared with £5,301,062 for tlie same -month last year, a decrease of 47. per cent. 'Every item showed a tremendous drop. OPPONENTS VIEW.' SYDNEY, September 26. The State Treasurer Mr Stevens in the course of an address, declared Mr Lang’s proposals were a short road to bankruptcy and national disaster. ELECTION FEATURE. SYDNEY, September 26.' A feature of the elections is that George Cann, who was,. Minister of Health and Local Government in the first Lang Administration, is. now standing as a Nationalist candidate. FEDERAL FINANCE. MELBOURNE, September 26. A sub-committee is still engaged, in the preparation of a programme of ec-, onomic financial reconstruction. •No decision is likely-to be reached for a week. ; , ... •; s2j.cn.■‘.■s -y Mr Fenton said,, the ffinbn<A.fil ifHtyn blems are proving extremely- difficult.-