AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 2 December 1930, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

BIRTH RATE DROPS

(Australian Press Association.)

SYDNEY, December 1

The Commonwealth Statistician reports that the birthrate for Australia in 1929 was lowest on record, namely, twenty decimal thirty-one per thousand of the population. The death rate is also very low, and the rate of natural increase by excess of births over deaths was equalled in very few countries.

RAILWAY WAGE CUTTING

SYDNEY December 1

Arising out of the recent” application by the Railway Commisisoners in the Eastern States for the right to vary the railway”employees awards in order to institute emergency schemes of retrenchment, the High Court was asked by the Unions and the Federal Government to decide the question of whether the State Railway authorities could be made parties to Federal Awards. The High Court today decided in the affirmative. SYDNEY WOOL SALES. SYDNEY, December 1. At to-day’s woor sales the offerings were 10,716 bales, ol which 9992 were sold, also 675, which were disposed of privately. The average price of wool last week was eight decimal threepence per pound. The market to-day was very firm. Competition was strong on Japanese and Continental accounts. There was limited inquiry from the United States. Greasy merino made 21 pence. N.S.W. LOAN. SYDNEY, December 2. The Conversion loan is being rapidly taken up. Subscriptions now total £5,552,920 sterling. The conversions were £2,916,880 and cash subscriptions £2,636,040.

FEDERAL CURRENCY. MELBOURNE, December 2. Notwithstanding the known hostility of members of tire Commonwealth Bank Board to the plans for inflation of currency of the Commonwealth advanced by Federal Ministers at the Conference between members of the Ministry and Board, Mr Fenton said the Board had agreed to consider various proposals and a further conference being held to-day.

ESCAPEES RECAPTURED. ißeceived this day at 9.40 a.m.) SYDNEY, December 2. Two men who escaped from a patrol van cabled on Nov. 15th. were both recaptured. One Joseph Schmidt, a notorious criminal, was caught in a cave at Hurstvillie. Ho made another bid for freedom leaping over the heads of the police but was caught, and ironically enough, was taken back to gaol in the same van from which he made his cunning getaway. This time however, the floor was of steel. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. FORTY PROPOSED NOMINATIONS. SYDNEY 7 , December 2. ' No fewer than 1347 applications were received from Labour candidates "by the Australian labour party executive for appointment to the Upper House. ■Mr Lang will make a selection from these The Premier is selected to approach the Governor to-day for forty additional .appointments to tlie Legislative Council. NEW POSTAL STAMP. SYDNEY, Dec. 2. A special postal stamp is being issued by the Commonwealth Postal Department to commemorate the aviation achievements of Air Commodore ■Kingsford Smith. The basis of the design will be two hemispheres with an aeroplane circling about. PURSUED AND CAUGHT. A SYDNEY ROBBERY. SYDNEY 7 , November 30. Two armed men bailed up a garage employee named Cyril Charge, at the suburb of Waterloo last night, and stole £6l. Charge followed them in a motor car, picked up a young policeman, and ran the bandits to earth. The constable covered one of the robbers with his revolver, and he submitted to arrest. The whole of the money was secured, but the second robber escaped.

BEATEN TO DEATH. SY T DNEY, December 2. John Roset was felled by an iron bar and kicked into unconsciousness in the suburb of Waverlev. The police blame meat strikers, as Roset works at his brothers butchery.