AUSTRALIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 September 1915, Page 5

AUSTRALIA.

GOVERNMENT AND CONSCRIPTION. STATEMENT BY MR. i t • Received Sept. 24, 10 p.m. Melbourne, Sept A Trades Hall Council deputation asked Mr. Fisher to make a public announcement of his attitude and the attitude of the Government regarding conscription. !Mr. Fisher, in replying, said: You wanted a private conversation and I declined it. This is a public question, and the only person who can announce the policy is myself, or somebody in my place. lam irrevokaMy opposed to conscription. I have not discussed it with my colleagues, but am sure I speak for them when I say that no Bill will be introduced in Parliament before tliose to whom we owe our positions have been given an opportunity of expressing their opinion. lie said he would make the necessary announcement on the matter at the proper time. Conscription would not be brought about by anything said at a public meeting. The only question the deputation need ask was, Was it the the intention of the Government to introduce a Conscription Bill? The leader of the deputation; ''Then we aak it in that way." Mr. Fisher then replied, ' No."

THE KIDMAN CASES. FURTHER EVIDENCE. Received Sept. 24, 10 p.m. Sydney, Sept. 24. In the Kidman cases, the director of Commonwealth equipment, who investigated the papers in connection with the disputed contracts, said he found that increases had been granted in regard to numbers of contracts. He did not know that such a practice existed. Without the sanction of the Minister of Defence a number of contracts had been varied by the commandant, or at the direction of the commandant. Kidman's counsel proposed to submit prices which were agreed should be paid for goods, but the Crown counsel replied that no price was agreed upon, the allegation being that Kidman was allowed to charge what he liked, and it was from this that the charge of conspiracy arose,