AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 May 1922, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

■IHE OVERDUE BARQUE. By Telegraph.—Press Assn —Copyright. Sydney, May 2. There are no further tidings of the Manurewa. COST OF ELECTRIC POWER. Sydney, May 2. A committee of the City Council is investigating the causes of the high cost of Sydney’s electric supply. It is stated that to produce current valued at £356,000 in Melbourne, it cost £24,000, while the production of £943,000 worth of current in Sydney cost £147,000. On the Melbourne basis it should cost only about half. BUTTER PRICE INCREASED. Melbourne, May 2. The wholesale price of butter has been increased by 9s to 187 s. STRIKERS RESUME. Sydney, May 2. The Canberra strikers have accepted the Prime Minister’s terms and returned, to woi£. SALARIES OF MINISTERS. Sydney, May 2. Cabinet considered at length the question of the reduction of Ministers’ salaries, but declined to make the result of the meeting public. SENATOR’S TRAGIC DEATH. Brisbane, May 2. Senator John Adamson was cut to pieces by a train at Hendra. He had been in bad health for a considerable time, arid it is stated he threw himself in front of the train. PROPOSED MUNICIPAL INQUIRY. Sydney, May 8. The City Council, by 16 votes to 3, repeated the request for the appointment of a Royal Commission to inquire into the affairs of the city. The previous Government refused the request on the grounds that no specific charges were made. THE NjS.W. ORCHESTRA. Melbourne, May 3. The t ictorian guarantee fund for the Conservatorium orchestra is inquiring in New South Wales if it is liable for any losses on the ordhestra*B tour of Victoria. It contends that it is not pledged to the present tour. THE BEEF SUBSIDY. Sydney, May 3. Mr. W. M. Hughes says that the beef subsidy, offered by the Commonwealth, would operate immediately. The chief stumbling block, the reduction in wages, had been overcome, and an agreement reached by which wages had been reduced 12s per week. LAND SETTLEMENT SCHEME. Sydney, May 3. Mr. W. M. Hughes and Sir George Fuller conferred on the land settlement scheme. Both are in agreement on the essential points. The financial burden will be apportioned equally between the Commonwealth, State and Imperial Governments. ARE BEES NOXIOUS? Sydney, May 3. The Minister of Labour announced that the Parkes Council has declared bees noxious animals. Acting on advice of the Crown Solicitor, the Minister has notified the Council that there is no power to declare insects noxious. ADMIRAL DUMARESQ’S REPLY. Brisbane, May 3. Admiral Dumaresq, replying to Mr. Hughes, sarcastically stated: “It would not become me to reply to so great a man as Mr. Hughes.” He added that he did not want to say in England anything about the navy which he would not say in Australia, hence his observations. BOY BUSHRANGERS SENTENCE. Melbourne, May 3, Banks has been committed to a reformatory prison during the Go’vernor’a pleasure. The Judge said he was satisfied he had been influenced by his strongwilled, vicious companion Maple. (Banks was the companion of the youth Maple during the latter’s bushranging escapade. He was etiarged with breaking and stealing from a store. He affirmed that he did no shooting.) REDUCED SHIPPING FREIGHTS. Sydney, May 3. A reduction of 3s per ton on coal freights from Newcastle to Queensland ports is announced by the AdelaideSteamship Company. It is stated that other inter-State companies are also reducing coal freights with the object of assisting the industry. A special reduction for the carriage of copper ores and 'blister copper from North Queensland to Port Kembla is announced. As the result of the falling off of interstate cargo trade, five Adelaide steamers are idle in Sydney. It is expected the approaching sugar season will call for increased tonnage shortly. FATE OF WARSHIP. Sydney, May' 3. Mr. W. M. Hughes denies the report that the. Australia is to be sunk. He savs that her future is uncertain until the results of the Washington Conference are definitely known. The Randwick Council adopted a mo ' tion that the Commonwealth be asked to sink the Australia off Coogee, to be utilise-d as a pier for erecting a sharkproof fence.