AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1922, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

LABOR LEADER RIVALRY. By Telegraph.—"ress Assn.—Copyright. Sydney, April 24. As an upshot of the exchange of compliments between Mr. McGirr and Mr. Catts, the former has challenged the latter for both to resign and contest the latter’s constituency in the House of Representatives and to test the attitude of the electors towards Mr. Catts’ new Majority Labor Party. Mr. Catts. has replied that he would welcome Mr. McGirr as axi opponent when the Federal elections arrive, but he declines at present to be side-tracked from the work of organising a Dew party. STEEL WORKS SLUMP. Sydney, April 24. Mr. Justice Higgins, referring to the cessation of activities in the steel works, says that it is not the high cost of labor that was responsible, but the collapse of the market through the dumping of steel from abroad, and the excessive cost of coal. The company did well during the war, when no ships were available to carry steel from America and when steel was £3O per ton. Business had to stop now because rails were being landed in Australia, duty paid, at £9 to £lO a ton. ORGANISING DAIRY INDUSTRY. Melbourne, April 24. A committee appointed by th e conference of dairymen recently drafted a seheme for submission to the dairying organisations of the Commonwealth. It provides that legislation be enacted for the better control and stabilisation of the dairying industry, and that a standard grade of butter be established for the Commonwealth. It also provides that trading be perminsable only to the extent of making up the actual shortage of another State, to be paid for at the rate fixed for Home consumption. THE CANBERRA STRIKE. Sydney, April 24. Additional returned soldiers arrived at Canberra from Melbourne, but declined to start work when acquainted with -*he conditions of the strike. Senator Thomas, addressing a meeting at Canberra, said that though he deplored strikes, he would have struck if he had been one of the workers at Canberra. A message received from Melbourne stated thf»/t the Ministers are resolute in their determination not to concede the demands, but reiterated the promise of a board to determine wages and hours which would be appointed as soon as the men elected representatives. (The strike was owing to the' fact that wages were reduced, and the hours extended from 36 to 48.)’