AUSTRALIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 1915, Page 3

AUSTRALIA.

VARIOUS ITEMS. Sydney, July 24. The newspapers, in special articles, strongly press the need of public and private economy and devoting savings to war purposes. Melbourne, July 24. The seventeen Herman prize ships in Australia, which have been utilised for transport, have earned .£300,000. ,ln the House -Mr. Fisher, in reply to a question, said there had been negotiations between the Imperial and Dominion Governements with a view to the consultation of responsible Ministers prior to the pence settlement, but most of the information had come through the press in the shape or answers to questions in the Imperial Parliament. Personally he did not think that the British Government realised the position of the distant Dominion Governments.

The Senate passed the War Census Bill. Mr. Millcn declared that 74 millions would have to be raised by loan or taxation in Australia during the next twelve months, and there was no guarantee that existing loans would <be renewed, which greatly accentuated the seriousness of the financial position. Sydney, July 24. A city drug importer wiis fined £2OO for attempting to trade with the enemy. To mark the anniversary of the com'menccment of the war the Government has decided on strenuous efforts to make August o a record recruiting day. It is now claimed that the low record cabled of the New South lU'ales recruiting averages is due to the inclusion of men from Broken Hill, Itiverina, and the Northern Rivers in tlic list's of the three adjoining States. The newspapers accept the war loan philosophically, describe it as a good investment, and predict that it will be heavily subscribed.

The Telegraph says: "If the Govern-1 nient has erred in the matter of terms' it has been on the side of liberality." It adds that the loan represents an unproductive debt of £3 per head of the population, as against England's £4O. There is a set-off which does not appear in concrete form and cannot be treated as a negotiable asset. This is the enormously increased prestige Australia will enjoy at the conclusion of the war.

Tin' Employers' Federation passed a resolution against contentious party legislation during the war, urged national unitv, and suggested the appointment of national committees of financial experts to co-operate with tlie Government in financial matters, securing for the committees the leading commercial men, who will undertake the purely civil work in connection with arinv equipment-, relieving,the military officers for service.