AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8545, 28 September 1907, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

PRICE OF MILK. , Reeved September 21, 10.2 a.m. * SYDNEY., September 27. Owing to the high price of feed milk has been raised in price from 4d to 5d per quart. CHURCH CO-OPERATION. Received September 21, 10.2 a.m. SYDNEY, September 27. The Diocesan Synod has adopted a scheme of co-operation with the Presbyterian, Methodist, Congregational, and Baptist Churches, based on a report drawn up in March last. The co-©Deration mainly concerns work .on temperance and work among the 1 jpsed masses. AUSTRALIA AND JAPAN. Received September 27, 10.2 a.m. SYDNEY, September 27. Speaking at a farewell M. Iwasaki, Acting-Japanese Consul-General, who has been appointed Secretary to the at St. Petersburg, , said:—"lt would be idle to pretend that there are not many grave, im- i portant questions pending, which may be fraught with serious consequences ; to your nation and mine. Ido not | mean by this that there is: any justification "for tho scares which some I people are fond of raising. Th? real danger comes from the fact that when j a large number of men and women i are persuaded by those who ought to i know better that some great impossible peril is threatening them they are apt to lose their heads and behave in a manner calculated to develop a new series of difficulties altogether. Those most bitter against the Japanese know the least about them.

THE SAPPING COMBINE. Received September 27, 9.41 p.m. MELBOURNE, September 27. Mr Sinclair moved the adjournment of the House in order to' discuss the Shipping Combine. He stated one of the lines interested in the combine was subsidised by the Federal Government to carry mails 3 to England and elsewhere. Under a recent'contract for the carriage of butter shippers were compelled to ship the whole of their batter by mail steamers, . and this left the exporters in the hands of the mail He urged the Governin accepting the new mail contract, to impose conditions which would prevent a recurrence of this sort of thing. Mr Watson said he doubted the effectiveness of the Anti-Trust Bill to deal with the matter. It could not deal with oversea lines. The Commonwealth would soon be driven into the construction of boats of their own.

Mr Joseph Ciok held hat it was the duty of the Government to see tbat thev did not subsidise any company which treated the Commonwealth citizens unequally. Several members were of opinion that the only Way to deal with the Combine was by the establishment of - a line of State-owned steamers. Mr Reid said that if a good line of steamers were established it would have to stand the battle ofCompetition with gll the, ships of the world. Ic would be one of most desperate attempts the Commonwealth could take on. If Socialism was to be tried, it would be better to start on land. They were not masters of the se.a yet. Tho men who denounced the combine of shipowners must denounce the combine of trades unions. There was no difference in the principle. If any trust used its power' for the purpose of crushing honest competition he would treat it as he would treat a sneak-thief.

Received September 28, 12.31 a.m. MELBOURNF, September 27. In the House Sir William Lyne said that Mr A. Deakin, when dealing with the new mail -contract would doubtless take action regarding the alleged shipping combine. If any vend or combine was doing serious injury to the public the Government would take action. Mr Reidand the Opposition members promised to support the Government there. Received September 28, 12.31 a.m. SYDNEY, September 27. Shipping agents, interviewed, strongly reiterate that the coal combine would have a serious effect or the New Zealand timber trade, and result in vessels being unable to load back coal. They predicted an increase in New Zealand timber freight up to 50 per cent., anj expressed the hope that the New Zealand and Federal Governments would probe the alleged combine to the bottom. WILL THEkE BE A DROUGHT? Received September 27, 10.6 a.m. SYDNEY, September 27. The Government Meteorologist says it is premature to predict a drought yet.

The Victorian Meteorologist states that a drought is very probable. . DROUGHT IN QUEENSLAND. Received September 28, 12.31 a.m. BRISBANE, September 27. The drought in the Longreach distrht is compelling the stock owners to send their sheep away.

CABLE NftWS

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