AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 June 1922, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

THE BETTING LAW. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Sydney, June 7. Consternation has been caused amongst bookmakers through the action of a firm of solicitors in claiming from a number of bookmakers repayment to the estate of money paid by a better by cheques in settlement of lost bets. Action was taken under the Eng Jish Gaming Act, under which it has been decided that bets paid by cheque are recoverable. ZEALANDIA LAID UP. _ Melbourne, June 7. It is officially denied that the Zealandia is laid up owing to lack of trade. The only factor towards cancelling the trip was the union’s persistent antagonistic attitude towards the boatswain. NO TRACE OF MANUREWA. Sydney, June 7. The searching warships Sydney and Geranium wirelessed that they had found no trace of the missing Manurewa. FALL IN FLOUR. Melbourne, June 7. The price of flour has been reduced to £l3. Bran and pollard are in short supply and have been raised ss; FIRE AT LONGREACH. Brisbane, June 7. A fire at Longreach gutted 18 buildings comprising practically the whole of one business block. The damage is estimated at £50.000. CLYDE ENGINEERING WORKS. Sydney, June 7. As the result of further negotiations arrangements are being made for workers at the Clyde engineering works to carry on pending the final settlement of certain questions as to the interpretation of the contract with the railway commissioners. The Government has undertaken to tide the company over for a month, within which time an inquiry is to be held. ANTI-TRUST LEGISLATION. Sydney, June 8. Mr. Bavin has announced the repeal of the Profiteering Act and the substitution of legislation on the same lines as that of the Commonwealth, makir.* it an offence to interfere with prices by means of a trust, combine or arrangement. The objective is to maintain free and open competition. SHEARERS’ WAGES. Sydney, June 7. ! The graziers have appealed to the High Court for an order restraining certain people and organisations from inciting members of the Australian Workers’ Union not to take work under the Federal award for shearers. As the court is going to Queensland the application to restrain will be heard in Brisbane. Melbourne, June 7. The High Court made an order nisi returnable before the Full High Court at Brisbane on May 19, calling on the A.W.A. and its officers to show cause why an injunction should not be granted restraining them from inciting members of the union to refuse to accept work except at rates of pay other than those fixed for shearers by Mr. Justice Powers’ award. ENGINEERS’ WAGES. Melbourne, June 7. In the Federal Arbitration Court, in the plaint of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers against the Adelaide Steamship Co. and others, Mr. Justice Powers varied the award given by Mr. Justice Higgins last year by reducing the engineers’ basic wage from 84s to 775, and apprentices’ wages by 2s to fls weekly. The Judge declared that the evidence submitted to the court proved beyond doubt that if Australian industries were to compete in the world’s markets the rates previously awarded could not be paid. If they ’were paid the industries could not be carried on profitably, or even canned on at all. CANCER RESEARCH APPEAL. Sydney, June 7. With a donation of £7OOO already in hand towards cancer research, the faculty of medicine of Sydney University is appealing to the public co raise £30,000, below which sum it is considered it is impossible to tackle an undertaking requiring the services of men skilled in all branches of science. STARLINGS HINDER TELEGRAPHY. Melbourne, June 8. Mr. Laird, manager of telegraphs at Sydney, ventilated the operators’ grievances in a claim for higher wages, and said at times they were compelled to work overtime as the result of telegraphic communication being held up by hundreds of thousands of starlings resting on the wires till they touched, rendering it necessary to send gangs to shoot the birds. THE 44-HOUR WEEK. Melbourne, June 8. A deputation from timber merchants and millers asked Mr. Groom for immediate reconsideration by the Arbitration Court of the 44-hour week award which •' ruining industry. Unless longer hours were restored and other concescurtailed, the industry would fall a. prey to foreign competition and have generally to close down. Mr. Groom promised the earliest possible consideration. THE CASKET LOTTERY. Sydney. June S. Mr. Bavin, replying to M'Cormaek regarding the Casket lottery, stated that his only desire was to see the law observed.' He admitted the sale of Tattersail’s tickets was illegal, so also was stealing, but. neither law would be broken with his- consent.

NAURU PHOSPHATES Sydney. June S. It is stated that Australian farmers have saved over two millions sterling as the result of the Nauru agreement, in for motion from Mr. .Hughes to Mr. Marr in the House of Kvpresentatives larger supplies of

superphosphates at cheaper rates will be available next season. Mr. Marr stated that the total output during 1921 from Nauru and Ocean Islands, was 394.000 tons, which was 45,000 tons more than the Pacific Company’s best year (1913). Though entitled to only 42 per cent. Australia had taken 65 per cent, since the agreement was made. Sufficient phosphates remained to supply requirements for the next 200 years. INCREASED LAND VALUES. Sydney, June 8. The Town Clerk reported to the finance committee of the City Council that the unimproved capital value of the city • had almost doubled in the last 13 years. The value in 1908 was £19,621,000; in 1921 it was £35,887.000.