AUSTRALIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 December 1917, Page 5

AUSTRALIA.

•CONSCRIPTION PROPOSALS. SEED FOR REINFORCEMENTS. Sydney, Dec. 4. General Jobson, reviewing the con(cription proposals, maintains that the Government is not over-stating the number of < reinforcements required. The Australians have been actually fighting for albout seventeen months and the total casualties to October 31 have been 132,000 averaging monthly about 7700, while the Government is asfking for 7000 monthly. It jb difficult for an average man to grasp the extent of the casualties a division suffers in a big offensive. It -is not uncommon for a week's operations to cost 4000 casualties in infant rv alone, and in an offensive like that lit Pasaciiendaele it is probable that the losses of the five divisions engaged would he 30,000*. Sir William Irvine, addressing a meettog, declared that conscription must come. If the people will not take the responsibility of sanctioning it by a direct ycte. Parliament must enforce it by Act of Parliament. AN ALLEGED FALSE STATEMENT. PREMIER BEFORE THE COURT. Received 'Dec. 4, 5.5 p.m. Brisbane, Dec. 4. In the Summons Court, under the War Precaution* Act, Premier Ryan was charged with verbally making a false statement likely to affect the judgment of the electors. Counsel for the defendant asked for the dismissal of the information on the ground that the regulations whereon the charge was based were ultra vires, as not being within the scope of the War Precautions Act; also that tiie .regulations are contrary to the law of the Commonwealth. The statement whereon the charge was based referred to the fitunber of Australian reinforcements in England. The case is not finjihed.

POLITICAL CENSORSHIP ENDED. Sydney, Dec. 4. Mr. Hughes announces that there is absolutely no political censorship in Australia to-dav; every elector is perfectly free to say and write ■ what he likes against the Government proposals, provided he takes the responsibility for false statements. Tho only limitations now concern information likely to he of benefit to tie enemy, or reflections on our Allies. ENLISTMENTS AND EMBARKATIONS ' Brisbane, Dec. 4. General Gordon Legge said that 383,1)00 men had enlisted to October 31 and 298.436 had embarked. As it was stat>d that at present there were not enough reinforcements to last three months hefore that time had elapsed our five diviliowi would l)e in process of breaking up. FEDERAL PENSIONS BILL Melbourne, Dec. 4 The Federal war pensions granted to November 30 totalled £00.867, involving Ui annual liability of £2,345,991. STATE PARLIAMENT OPENED. Received Dec. 5, 1.15 a.m. Melbourne, Dec. 4. The State Parliament opened to-day. The Governor's speech was colorless, and did not disclose the new Government's poliey.