AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3621, 6 November 1920, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

REDUCTION OF LICENSES. Received 9 a.m. SYDNEY, This Day. The Licenses Reduction Board has decided to de-license sixteen city hotels from June 30 next. This is the first instalment of reductions. The existing" hotels number 334, and the minimum possible reduction is seventyeight. PILFERING OF CARGO. SYDNEY, This Day. Mr. Dooley, answering questions in the Assembly regarding pilfering on wharves, said he had been informed that the gretest amount of pilfering was on deep-sea ships, -whereon ninetyfive per cent, of the labour employed were classified as returned soldiers and loyalists. The statement was received with much dissent and some disorder.

MEMBERS' SALARIES. SYDNEY, This Day. In reply to Mr. Justice Edmunds's invitation to members of Parliament to give evidence before the commission on the question of salaries and expenses, the Leader of the Progressives has written to Mr. Justice Edmunds-stat-ing that no member' of his party' will take any part in the' proceedings on the grounds that tne members are responsible to the electors~only, that the Legislature is competent and it is essentially its duty to fix allowances, and that the- holding of an enquiry is a degredation of Parliament. COMMONWEALTH MANDATES. MELBOURNE, This Day. A Commonwealth Gazette notice invites applications for new offices to be created untfer the German-New Guinea and Nauru Island mandates. The salary of the Administrator of New Guinea has been fixed at £IBOO, and of the Judge at £IOOO, with, quarters. For Nauru, an Administrator is required at a salay of £IOOO with quarters. DISCUSSION ON IRELAND. MELBOURNE, This Day. , In the Federal Hous« of Representa-. tives, Mr Mahon moved the adjournment to discuss the )uLvisableness of intervention in regard to British treatment of Ireland, which, he alleged, had resulted in, the death of McSweeney. Australia's share in the war had shown her desire to preserve the small nations, of which Ireland was one. He characterised the British Government as a foreign Government so far as Ireland was concerned. McSweeney had died for "a' principle. A member interjected: "Suicided." Mr. Mahon excitedly characterised this as a lie. ; ,-■ .

Mr. Hughes, replying, said he was not out to defend English, rule in Ireland, but be declined to support a plea that justified crimes, and outrages. He deplored the state of affairs in Ireland, but it'was heyond the power of this or the British Government to settle this dispute, whiSh was one of racial hatred. If there were those who thought they could re-create in Australia the state of things existing in let them try it. They would find the temper of Australians different. If Britain, as Mr. Mahon claimed, was a foreign country, then one of the Federal members was not entitled to sit in this Parliament., as he was not naturalised.

The closure was applied and the motion negatived. , DAMAGE BY CYCLONB. Eeceived 12.5 p.m. BRISBANE, This day. Cyclonic storms again caused damage in Southern Queensland, the fruitgrowing districts of Stanthorpe, and wheat crops in Warwick faring badly. Many private houses were unroofed in Ipswick, and several unregistered racehorses were killed.

RIFLE SHOOTING. HOBART, This day. The Southern Tasmanian team beat, the English rifle team by 1129 to 1121. QUARANTINE DELAYS. SYDNEY, This day. Mr Selig, chairman of the New Zealand Newspaper Proprietors)' Association was among the passengers jby the Osterley. He complains of the inconvenience and delay caused Dv the action of the quarantine authorities after the legal time of quarantine had expired. He, with a number of other passengers, desired for particular reasons to proceed to Sydney by train, but were refused permission to do so; yet several Sydney'passengers and one who desired to see Melbourne were allowed to land. Such favouritisin merited a searching inquiry. POLITICAL. SYDNEY, This day. The Australian Labour Party Executive is request!*!? the Government to

swamp fhe Legislative Council as a preliminary to its abolition. PRICE OF GAS. SYDNEY, This day.

The report of Justice Wade on the gas inquiry recommends that the Companies be permitted to increase the price of gas by 8d per thousand feet. The present price is 5/1.

ALLEGED PRICE REDUCTIONS. SYDNEY, This clay. Mr McMillan, chairman of the Warehousemen's Association knows nothing of the reductions in prices of soft goods. HARVESTERS' DISPUTE. SYDNEY, This day. Officials of the Australian Workers Union and the Farmers' Association are criticising each other over the harvesting dispute in a manner reminiscent of" the shearing dispute. Mr Lambert, secretary of the former, says 't is impossible to do harvesting without the assistance of his members. Mr Campbell, secretary of the Farmers' Association, replies that he will largely rely on volunteer labour from rhe city and country.

ARBITRATION. SYDNEY, This day. Acting-Premier Dooley, interviewed, with regard to the statement that the Labour Government is pledged to arbitration, said that no party was able to say off-&an<? wftat the workers should or should not get.