AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 May 1922, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

AN AERIAL DERBY. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received May 7, 5.5 p.m. Sydney, May 7The Aerial Derby, ol fifty-five miles, was won by Captain Nigel Love in 49 minutes 35 2-5 seconds. ART UNION REGULATIONS. Sydney, May 6. Mr. Bavin, Attorney -General, has decided to insist on the observance of the strict letter of the law in connection with art unions in future. In previous years the law relating to raffles was given a liberal interpretation. WAR TROPHIES IN SCHOOLS. Sydney, May 6. Mr. Bruntnell has decided that permission be granted to schools desiring to place war trophies in the buildings and grounds. The Labor Minster consistently refused on the grounds of inculcating a spirit of militarism. BIG FIRE AT PERTH. PERTH, May 6. A big fire destroyed the premises of Robert Harper and Co., merchants and manufacturers. The damage is estimated at £40,000. H.M.A.S. AUSTRALIA’S FATE. Sydney, May 6 Mr. Massey Greene states that no decision has been reached respecting the fate of the Australia. There is no intention of sinking her. ACCIDENT TO TOURISTS. Melbourne, May 6. A serious accident occurred to a party of 31 tourists en route to Mount Buffalo, a famous Victorian resort. The earth gave way when the coach was approaching Eurobin Point, and the horses dashed over the bank, taking the coach and passengers with them. Miss Templeton rolled 300 feet ahead of the coach and broke both legs. The coach fell 60 feet and was wrecked. Other pasengers sustained lacerations and shock, but were otherwise uninjured. COST OF STATE POOLS. Sydney, May 6. Mr. Bail, Minister of Agriculture, explained that, as the result of the Labor Government’s guarantee to farmers of 2s 6d pen? bushel over the Commonwealth ss, the State has incurred a loss of between £BOO,OOO and £900,000. A similar amount would also be lost in connection with over-payments in other pools. * LEAVE FOR MR. VERBRUGGHEN. Sydney, May 6. Mr. Bruntell, Minister of Education, stated that the Board of Advice was willing to grant six months’ leave to Mr. Verbrugghen, but without pay. It i» now awaiting a reply to a cable asking Mr. Verbrugghen’s intentions. The orchestra meant an annual loss o£ £ll,OOO. The Government was not prepared to shoulder the loss, and unless sufficient funds were subscribed to finance the orchestra it would be abandoned. SHEARERS’ WAGES REDUCED.

Melbourne, May 6. Mr. Justice Power granted a 44 hours week to shearers instead of 48 on a claim by the Australian Workers’ Union against the Paetoralista’ Federal Council of Australia. This was the only victory for the union, the rates being reduced from 40s to 30s per hundred; shed hands, from £4 10s a week with keep to £3 and keep for adults and proportionate rates for youths and boys; and wool pressers from 2s 8d to 2s per bale for greasy wool. A new feature is a daily rate for casuals em-

ployed less than a week, the rate being one-sixth of the weekly rate, the Judge explaining that it was unfair to compel employers to pay a week’s wages to wanderers calling at a station for a day’s work to help them on their journey. GOLD PROSPECTING. Perth, May 5. The West Australian Prospecting Board has dispatched a prospecting party of ten, under Captain Jones, to investigate the country east and northeast of Laverton. The expedition will start with 14 camels and provisions for three months. The leader will be paid £7. the others £2 weekly. All will share alike in any gold discovered. FOOD PRICES. Sydney, May 5. The food prices for April were 12 per cent, cheaper than in April, 192-1, bat 48 per cent, higher than in July, 1914. FEDERAL PREMIER’S TOUR. Sydney, May 5. Mr. Hughes’ recent* trips through South Austalia and WestraJia and now northward in New South Wales are regarded as pulse-feelers, in view of the coming Federal elections, though, an early dissolution is not considered likely. In the north, Mr. Hughes has been bombarded with requests for the creation of a new State. He declared: “If you mean, in asking for a new State, that you only want’an opportunity to help yourselves, I am. with you to the. end. *So far as my influence goes, it is at your service.” THE PLAGUE OF MICE. Sydney, May 5. Since the rain last week the Rivdrina reports a marked increase in mice. Considerable damage has been done to wheat dumps and chaff sacks. It is feared the trouble will be much worse when the cold weather sets in. In some places the visitation is in the same proportions as three vears back, when the damage done to stacked wheat amounted to hundreds of thousands of pounds.