AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3649, 9 December 1920, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

CUSTOMS CASE DECISION. 1 Received 10.20 a.m. SYDNEY, This Day. In connection wiith the High Court decision regarding the levying of duties on imported goods, important questions have arisen as to whether in view of the ruling of the «Court duties which the Customs Department has been levying in excess of the actual rate of exchange shall be refunded. As probably most goods levied upon have passed out of the hands of the importers at prices allowing for the full rate of exchange, it is considered impracticable to make a refund, and it is not improbable thaL Parliament will be asked to indemnify the Customs Department for '"'"any collections wrongfully made." As regards countries where the rate of exchange has depreciated, like the United States and Japan, the Customs Department is applying the same prinsiple as where the exchange rate had appreciated; therefore it had collected less duty than it should. In the latter case, it is considered unlikely that the Customs will ask importers of American and Japanese goods to make good the duties collected short. It is likely that the decision of the Court will apply to all future importations from both countries. The legal aspect of the whole position is being considered.

POLITICAL. Received 12.30 p.m. SYDNEY, This Day. In the Assembly, the Salaries Bill was read a third time by 41 to 24. Mr Dooley, in moving the second reading of the Bill to abolish proportional representation and substituting single seats, said it was the intention to make enrolment and voting compulsory.

MELBOURNE, This Day. The validity of Mr Hughes ’ seat has been questioned under the section of the Constitution providing that in the case of any member accepting fees of an honorarium for services rendered to the Commonwealth his seat shall become vacant. No action is contemplated till the meeting of Parliament af Easter time. In the Assembly, the Bill increasing members salaries from £3OO to £450 will ge introduced next Tuesday. SWIMMING. SYDNEY, Dec 8. At swimming,, Miss Walrond won the two hundred yards scratch race in 1.14. Misses Durrack and Wylie did not compete. Miss Walrond afterwards won her heat in the hundred yards in 1.13, and finished second in the final, |)feing\bcaten by a yard. Tlte winner’s time was 1.23, with a handicap of nine seconds.

RAIN IN NEW SOUTH WALES. SYDNEY, This Day. ■Steady rain ontinued over-night, 'and still more is forecasted. No play in the New Socth Wales versus Soeth Australia cricket match is likely today. Under the Sheffield rcles, the match must be play el out, but the Southorft men are anxious to return home.

INDUSTRI ATT SCHEMES,

SYDNEY, This Day. Slackness in the* wool-top in instry has set in, and hundreds are idle. The Uuion secretary says the wool textile workers propose to establish their own mills and are approaching the Government for the use of the old Parramatta Gaol buildings. The Hoskings Iron and Steel Company is establishing steel works at Port Kembla on the same scale as at Broken Hill and at Newcastle. The company has already acquired its own coal mine on the'South Coast; also an area in Tasmania containing large iron ore deposits whihh arc to be shipped to Port Kembla.