AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9045, 21 March 1908, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

CABLE lEWS,

! BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION I

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PLAGUED RATS. Received March 20, 9.38 a.m. SYDNEY, March 20. i Thirty-three plagued rats were ; found in Sussex street. PRICE OF SUGAR. ADVANCES ALL ROUND. Received March 20, 9.38 a.m. SYDNEY, March 20. The Colonial Sugar Company lus advanced prices by 10s all round. OLD AGE PENSIONS. Received March 20; 10 a,m. MELBOURNE, March 20. The Federal House adopted a motion by Mr Fisher (Labour Leader), to the effect that the passing of a B'ederal Olid-Age Pensions Bill was an urgent and public duty, and should be proceeded' with during the present session. Government and Opposition favoured the proposal, and Mr Deakin promised to introduce a' BUI next month. OBITUARY. Received' March 20; 10 a.m. MELBOURNE, March 20'. Mr Howard Willoughby, formerly editor of the Argus, is dead, aged 69. AUSTRALIA'S ARMY. WHERE REFORMS ARE NEEDED. Received March 20, 10 a.m. MELBOURNE, March 20. The annual report of the InspectorGeneral of the Military Forces refers to the inadequate training of the | troops, the shortage of men and equipments, and defects in the field artillery. He adds that the keen spirit of the men is a most admirable feature of the situation. Membership of rifle clubs has increased from 39,587 to 45,293. NEWCASTLE MINING TROUBLE. FLOUTING A COURT. Received March 20, 10 a.m. SYDNEY, March 20. In further adjourning the special Mining Court on account of strikes, the president (Judge Heydon) stated that in face of the continuous floutin xof the court, it had become a question whether he would withdraw or stop the sittings of the court. INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES BILL. , SUGGESTED AMENDMENTS. J Received March 20, 9.30 a.m. SYDNEY, March 20. In the Assembly, Mr Wade, the Premier, in moving the second reading of the Industrial Disputes Bill, said they could not relj on moral , sentiment only if they wanted awards observed under all circumstances by all parties. Employers generally had tangible assets to levy upon, but the case of the employees was different; therefore the Bill provided for the recovery of penalties not only from individuals, but also from the unions to which they belonged, unless it could be shown that the unions had honestly'done their duty by seeking to have the awards , respected. He was not prepared to concede preference to unionists, but if two sides agreed to preference they would be well within their rights. Mr Bee by stated the case for the Opposition. He declared that the New Zealand Act had gradually built up amendments in which encouragement of the formation of unions and provisions for collective bargaining were never lost sight of. Legislation on the New Zealand lines was desired here. The Opposition was prepared to accept the Bill if certain concessions were made. These included a permanent industrial court, presided over by a Supreme Court judge, with absolute firal jurisdiction, the maintenance of the present system of registration, organisation, and encouragement, collective bargaining and extension of the scope to incllude all matters of industrial dispute, and power to ascertain and consider profits in fixing wages and industrial conditions.