AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 May 1922, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

LABOR DAY. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received May 1, 9.10 p.m. Brisbane, May 1. Labor Day was celebrated as a close holiday, with the usual unionists’ procession. TRIBUTE TO AN ADMIRAL. Received May 1, 7.45 p.m. Sydney, May 1. What is regarded as one of the finest compliments the navy can pay to a departing commander was accorded to Rear-Admiral Dumaresq, whose period as commodore of the Australian Fleet has expired. After handing over command to Commodore Addison on board the warship Brisbane, he was rowed ashore in a boat manned by eight commanders of the warships in port. THE SALARIES BILL. Sydney, May 1. The Coalition Party will .discuss . the Salaries Bill to-day and endeavor to calm the anxieties of the recalcitrants. It is stated that several of the latter,’ including Mr. Hosklngs. the late whip, are in favour of retaliating on the Ministers by moving an amendment for greater reductions in. Ministers’ salaries. RAILWAY LABORERS’ TEST. Sydney, May 1. A conference of unions has been coiled to consider the request by the Railway Commissioners that railway laborers should pass a medical test. It was decided that the present time was inopportune to strike, as there were too many unemployed and the union were not financially strong enough to ntand a siege. BEEF INDUSTRY SUBSIDY. Brisbane, May 1. The cattle council has completed an arrangement in the terms of Mr. Hughes’ offer to subsidise the beef industry, all parties agreeing to the specified proportionate reductions estimated on the dressed weight of 195 I million pounds of exportable beef and ' the exportable proportion of 81 per cent. The Federal Government concession of id per lb. yields £165,221. The freight concession on the same meat works a reduction of l-8d yields half that amount; the labor reduction of L-16d yields a quarter, making a total of £453,677, equal to £1 10s per head, or 4s 7d per 1001 b. THE MOUSE PLAGUE. Sydney, May 1. A conference of the western district branches of the Agricultural Bureau resolved to ask the Government, in view of the widespread damage resulting from the mouse plague, to negotiate with the Pasteur Institute to introduce a virus for the spread of disease among mice. Statements are being made showing that the mice are stili widely ravaging the wheatfields, also that the last mouse plague caused <t loss of wheat valued at a million sterling, besides untold loss on tne rarms and in the homes.