AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1922, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

LAW BEFORE POLITICS. I I By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Sydney, May 29. Mr. W. A. Holnia.n, a former Premier, declined a seat in the Legislative Council, as he desired to devote his whole time to law.

GOLD RUSH UNJUSTIFIED. Sydney, May 29. The mining warden at Muriel Tank, after an examination of the claims, reports that at present there is no, justification for thq rush. THE LIQUOR QUESTION. Sydney, May 29. A deputation of temperance bodies asked the Premier for an immediate referendum on the liquor question and the limitation of compensation to £7,000,000. Sir George ruiier, In reply, said he would ask Cabinet to de'fine the policy on the liquor question, but at present nothing definite was decided. THE BASIC WAGE. Sydney, May 29. Before the Full Court argument has commenced on the question of the legality' of the Board of Trade declaring the basic wage more frequently than once annually. The matter arose out of an application to reduce bread carters’ wages. TRAMWAYMEN’S WAGES. Melbourne, May 29. Tramway employees are submitting a log to the Arbitration Court, asking for increases of upwards of 50 per cent. £7 12s Bd is asked for drivers and conductors.

WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. Melbourne, May 29. The manager of the Amalgamated Wireless Company informed the Commonwealth Government that, to ensure the secrecy of public correspondence and to prevent a leakage of information, the apparatus used by experimenters should be designed so as to prevent tapping messages. He advised the Government to exercise care in issuing licenses, which should be cancelled at the shortest notice.

AUSTRALIANS FOR BISLEY. Melbourne, May 29. The executive council of the Commonwealth Rifle Association decided to send a team to Bisley in 1924 if £3OOO were raised, to enable a hut to be built in England, and to cover expenses. A STRANGE DISEASE. Brisbane, May 29. The Queensland branch of the British Medical Association agreed that the mysterious disease at Ipswich is identical with the X disease of 1917. Both had the cerebral manifestations of the form of poliomelytis named Encephalitis. TRADE WITH GERMANY. Brisbane, May 29. Mr. Hughes, speaking at Cairns, referred to the returned soldiers’ criticism objecting to a resumption of trade with Germany. He said it was too late to act now, the objection should have been made when Parliament was dealing with the matter. In any case the tariff would effectively protect Australian industries. HELP FOR HOSPITALS. Sydney, May 29. A deputation from the Hospitals Association asked the Chief Secretary for financial assistance in the direction of some compulsory system. It suggested that the Government should pay £ for £. A conference of hospitals had decided that, in the event of a compulsory system, each district should be allowed the right of continuing the voluntary system if it wished. Mr. Oakes replied that the department was hard put to cope with the demands, but promised an investigation to ascerrtain. ways and means.