AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 April 1922, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

PAYMENT OF SEAMEN. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Sydney, April 14. The High Court, by a majority, decided that the Commonwealth Arbitration Court- had power to make a binding award ordering the Steamship Owners’ Association and its members, to pay members of the Federated SeaMen’s Union of Australasia engaged in inter-State trade at shorter periods than one month. i The Chief Justice and Mr. Justice I Duffy dissented or the ground that such shorter payments were inconsistent with the expressed terms of the seamen’s agreement. SHIPPING SHORTAGE DENIED. Melbourne, April 15. Mr. Rogers, Minister for Customs, denies that the Navigation Act has been i responsible for a shortage of shipping at Hobart, as the Commonwealth vessels are calling in lieu of the P. and |O. boats. Ijast year’s export of apples j was only half the estimated shipment ! for 1922, also freight had been reduced 1 2s per case since 1921. SMALLPOX ON A STEAMER. Sydney, April 15. I The cargo steamer Comeric, direct ' from Shanghai, has been quarantined owing to a case of smallpox among the , crew. AN ABORTIVE CONFERENCE. Brisbane, April 15. , Mr. Theodore wired to Mr. Hughes that the Meat Conference had proved abortive. The workers’ representatives : offered a reduction of 6s weekly. The i employers urge that the cost of living has fallen double that amount. The workers, in reply, state that the basic wage as been reduced only ss. THE BOY BUSHRANGER. I Sydney, April 15. ! In connection with the boy bushranger sensation. Banks, one of the youths involved, charged with breaking and stealing from a store, in a written statement declared that one of the police, firing at Maple, knocked a cigarette from Maple’s mouth, and. Maple thereupon declared that he intended to shoot the constable. Banks affirmed he j did no shooting. THE SYDNEY SHOW. Sydney, April 15. The attendance at the Royal Show yesterday was a record for any day since the inception of the show, being 110,000, which is 9000 more than cn the previous Good Friday. j Weir’s Musician established a high ; jump record for the show, 7ft. 4in, I which is six' inches less than his effort lat Wangaretta last year. AID FOR MEAT INDUSTRY. Melbourne. April 15. In connection with the Federal Government’s proposal for assistance to the meat industry, Mr. Hughes states that a -reduction in wages is one of the ne--1 cessary cqnditions. . It iffust be such that, while not affecting the standard of living, it must equal the reduction in the cost of living. Regarding the reduction of freignts, he anticipated no difficulty -from the shipping companies. The matter was not finally settled. Much depended on the Genoa Conference. If the economic conditions of Europe were stabilised, he was confident that one of the results would be an appreciable improvement in the beef market. FLOUR EXPORTS PERMITTED. Received April 14, 5.5 p.m. Melbourne, April 14. The Commonwealth has revoked the proclamation issued in 1914 prohibiting the export of flour and wheat from Australia. PACIFIC MAIL SERVICE. ! Received April 14. 5.5 p.m. j Melbourne, April 14. The Commonwealth is inviting tenders for a new mail service to the Pacific Islands on the same lines as provided by the Burns, Philp Co. THE SYDNEY SHOW. Sydney, April 13. At the show sales the Hereford bull Gay Mansell 25th, owned by Mr. McKenzie, of Masterton, brought 150 guineas. CANADA-AUSTRALIA TARIFF. Sydney, k April 13. Mr. Pearce conferred with Mr. Rogers with a view to effecting a reciprocal tariff agreement with Canada, whose Premier informed Mr. Pearce that he had taken steps to communicate with the Commonwealth on the Question. A LABOR EXPULSION. Sydney, April 12. The official statement issued by the Australian Labor Party regarding Mr. Catts’ expulsion, states it is due to his disintegrating tactics, which have become intolerable. His membership of the party is no longer desirable. A SUCCESSFUL SALVAGE. Sydney, April 14. A salvage syndicate formed in Sydney in January chartered a ketch and proceeded to Deal Island. Bass Strait, where the Karitane was wrecked on Christmas Eve, when bars of copper and precipitates were lost valued at £25,000. All but twenty bars were recovered, which is one of the most successful salvage enterprises on record. THE BEEF SUBSIDY. Sydney, April 13. Mr. Hughes informed representatives of the meat industry that the meat k subsidy did not include mutton. Action was taken with regard to beef only because the industry was in extremis. The same could not be said of the sheep-raising industry. If, however, the sheep industry got in extremis he was prepared to consider granting a »j*bsidy.