Australia

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 20, 22 September 1915, Page 5

Australia

! ' United Press Association. Adelaide, September 21. Thb Premier, after attending the inaugural meeting of the Universal Service League, said Australia should do nothing at this juncture in regard to conscription that would embarrass the Imperial Government. They could safely reply on the British Cabinet doing all necessary to bring the war to a successful conclusion. It was not for Australia to say conscription is necessary, but if so they should not hesitate to adopt it.. . - , , , . Sydney,' September 21. In the Kidman case Counsel for, the Grown f|aid 'tllajt figures yv’Ohld befpfrof' dnced showing that, for ..certain con-., tracts £6375 had .been paid by KitU njan for goods' for .which” be received ,£11;2d4,' 'libs Tgrbss profits being £4829, whereas if the increases on contract* 'jil-lbds U iis Vecommehdecl by on the ground that Kidman wjas losing money owing to a rise in prices of com modi tibk 1 , bbcHieen' granted, the -^Sflis - 'wbfiid* ' been &1173. Melbourne, September 22. At a meeting of tile Federal Munitipns Committee, Senator Pearce announced that all the States had tendered for the manufacture of munitipns with the exception.. . of South Australia and Tasmania. Private films would bp paid a flat rate of 21s to completed the shell ,'hpdy up to March 31 neitj and thefe would lie no; limit as to the quantities .they may deliver to that date, jNino hundred aiiid fifty-five war pensions are to he -provided,Kdnyplving in expenditure of £30,000 ■ yearly. Perth, September 22. The Union has agreed to working tliree shifts without overtime payment in connection with the manufacture of munitions. (Received 8.15 a.m.) Sydney, September 22. The New Zealand Rugby Union cabled the New Couth Wales Union its regret and sympathy at the death of its president, Major MeMaramey. So far, 1341 New South Wales Rugby Unionites have enlisted and fifty have fallen in the war. The Bishop of Bathurst, in his presidential address at the Anglican Diocesan Synod, fervently supported the Universal Service League. He said: There was a very real danger of being badly worsted in this war, not because we are lacking in resources, but because of the democratic disability to all the available resources at one time. He ridicules the statements about voluntaryism in England, who had always relied upon voluntaryism, pointing to the press gangs, and he deprecates the sentim'ent that one voluntary is worth ten conscripts. It is time he says, wo are done with such silly British bluster. The skill and courage of other troops equal our own, and nothing but conscription is able to meet the terrible wastage consequent on Kitchener’s new armies joining in. To my mind it is as clear as day, either that or the acceptance of defeat is the only course open to us. History has shown that com-

pulsory levies fight equally as well as voluntary when the cause is a national one. As an example, he quoted the great democracies, of France and Italy which was enough to show how insincere is the protestation of those who appeal to democracy to oppose what is essentially a democratic policy. In the Assembly, Mr Holman tPremier) stated that there were twentyfive naturalised men and women of German birth in the Public Services of whom the Government had decided to retain the services. Neither of the other States nor the Federal Government were interfering or were intending to interfere with naturalised enemy subjects in their respective employments, supposing there weie no signs of disloyalty. Melbourne, September 22. Mr Fisher (Prime Minister) deprecates the idea of a wealth census preparatory to the imposition of a wealth tax. • , T - The Victorian branch of the Universal Service League has been established.