AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 6 November 1930, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

AUSTRALIAN WHEAT

(Australian Press Association.)

(Received this day at 10 a.m.)

SYDNEY Nov. (i

The Commonwealth statistician estimates the Australian wheat harvest to amount to the record figure of two hundred and fifteen million bushels.

RAILWAYS AWARD

(SYDNEY, Nov. 6

It is announced on behalf of Premier Lang that the State Ministry decided to instruct the New South Vales Railway Commissioners to withdraw from any legal action in the direction of having the Federal railways award set aside. . '■ A full court of the Arbitration Court recently granted the application of the railway commissioners of four States for setting aside the awards of various railway unions. Advice has been received that the Labour Gbvernmen’t of South Australia reduced the wages of three thousand raihvaymen in accordance with the decisions of the Federal Arbitration. Court to set aside awards. INCREASED TARIFF. (Received, this day at 10 30 a.m.) CANBERRA, Nov. b. Resolutions for immediate increased tariff on certain goods was submitted to the House of Representatives. The customs duty on tobacco was increas- 1 ed to 2s 2d per lb and .excise duty 2s per lb. Tea will have the bear customs duty of fourpence a lib imported in bulk and sixpence in packets not exceeding twenty pounds net weight. Kerosene formerly free, now bears a duty of -a penny a gallon. Coffee, chicory, rubber, cutlery, carpets, filament lamps and a variety of other goods are affected. The primage duty is increased front two and a half to four per cent.

THE BASIC WAGE.

BRISBANE, Nov. G The President of the Industrial Conciliation Arbitration Court declared the basic wage from December Ist next should be £3 17s a week for adult males and £1 19s 6ci a week for adult females. FEDER AL TAXES. CANBERRA, Nov. 0. Mr Forde, Assistant Minister of Customs, in tabling the tariff increase reso'iaJions said their would • ibe ■ :no justification for. asking the public to pay the whole tea tax. The same applied to rubber and the Government were confident the oil companies would carry the penny gallon duty on kerosene and lubricating oils. SYDNEY, Nov. C 1 Representatives of a large importing firm are of the opinion that there will 'he tin immediate increase on tea and coffee priori*, following the now duties which will be considered a form of taxation preferable to income tax and more cheaply collected. THE fEA TAX. A STEAMER RUSHES IN. BRISBANE, Nov. 0. The' steamer Barrabool arrived at Brisbane yesterday from India and Ceylon. When the news of the impending tea tax spread, a wireless message was sent to the ship which carried one million pounds of tea lor various States, that she was to speed, and in an exciting race against the clock she reached port in time to enable her cargo to be cleared before the Customs Office closed. r l he tea thus entered duty free and the Government lost over £16,000 sterling.