COMMONWEALTH POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 September 1919, Page 6

COMMONWEALTH POLITICS.

AUSTRALIA'S WAR DEBT. ' By Telegraph.—rross Assn.—CopyrightMelbourne, Sept. 11. Tn the House of Representatives, speaking on a Bill to ratify the peace treaty, Mr. Hughes said: "At the Peace Conference our claim was for 354 millions, of which 300 millions was actual war debt and 54 millions capitalised value of pensions, repatriation, and loss on civilian property. At one stroke 300 millions of our claim was struck out. Probably we may get, between now and the end of April, 1021, anything from rive to eight millions." He was unable to say how much Australia might receive afterwards. Mr. Hughes concluded: ''This peace is very unjust to Australia, which is burdened with a hill of ;JOO millions as the cost of a war which we did not provoke, but which it was necessary we should enter or perish." Mr. Tudor announced that he had information that the Federal elections would be held on December fi.—Aus.-N.Z. Qable Assn. Sydney, Sept. 11. The national conference at Bendigo agreed to extend the franchise to all returned soldiers aged 20, and also agreed to a motion for the formulation of a scheme to bring about the amalgamation of all anti-Labor organisations. The conference is discussing the proposal that all mothers whose husbands are not receiving a living wage and who have more than two children under the age of fourteen should receive five shillings weekly for each child after the second.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.