AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 April 1921, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

MULTIPLEX TELEGRAPH. By Telegraph,—Press Assn.—Copyright Melbourne, April 4 The Postal Department ha completed a contract for the installation of Mur-' ray’s multiplex telegraph apparatus between Melbourne and Brisbane. Murray, the in venter, is an ex-New Zealander. QUEENSLAND BUTTER PRICES. Brisbane, April 4. The Government has cancelled the orders fixing the prices of butter and cheese. Butter was thereupon reduced 4£d per lb, and a reduction of 2d in cheese is anticipated. POSITION OF LABOR GOVERNMENT. Sydney, April 4. The Herald, commenting on the significance of the Labor Conference vote, says that, despite the most careful organisation and the most strenuous contest, the Storey Government has been defeated. It stays in office discredited by its own movement, censured by those in whose hands rests its political fate, and in the position of a naughty child whipped for doing a wrofig thing and threatened with all sorts of pains and penalties if it continues its objectionable conduct. The Herald describes me position as one of. subservience, and declares that the people have a riglfy to know if Ministers are prepared to accept such a position. WHEAT SALES TO GERMAN u Melbourne, April 4. Mr. Tudor intends to raise the question of the sale of wheat to Germany in Parliament. He stated that he had been informed that the quantity sold ran to millions of bushels, the bulk at 7s 9d and the balance at 7s fid f.o.b. Mr. Hughes has been adversely criticised over the sales after the stand he maintained against the resumption of trade with Germany. He replies that the sales were carried out through the Wheat Board, not by the Government, and the sale of goods to Germany is a different matter to purchasing her goods, to which he is still opposed. Mr. Hughes, reviewing the wheat position generally, stated that the greater part of the 100,000 bushels of exportable wheat had been sold at 9s 3d, while the price fixed for home consumption was Bit Sydney, April 4. The Minister of Agriculture states that of three sales of wheat made to Germany two are at 10s a bushel f.o.b. and one at 9s 6d c.i.f.