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NEWS OF THE ,DAY.
The Unemployed Problem.
Before the Legislative Assembly ad-
journed on Wednesday the Premier an
nounced the business the Government
intended to ask the Bouse to deal
with next day. nturnlly he showed some
chagrin, therefore, when on the ' House
meeting yesterday Mr! Ivent Huglics moved'
the adjournment on tho questiou of -unem
ployment. It is a subject that, of course,'
must necessarily engage tho profound sym
pathy of a Labor Government. Tlie annoy
ance shown by the Premier aroke, not from
the lack of will on the part of Ministers
to do something to meet the situation, but
from a feeling that tho time of the House
was being wusted oii' a long but useless
debate. Mr. Hughes proposed the im
position of an amusement tax for unem
ployed relief — a proposal which would ine
vitably mean tho creation of a dole for the
workless. There was a little more con
structive thought, although not much hope
of immediate relief, and certainly none
of permanent solution, . in the proposal
by Air. Greenwood that a conference
should be" called of all Government de
partments, and Government bodies and
municipalities to consider provision of
work. The Premier got closer to the
seat of tlie- trouble when he pleaded for
greater public support to local industries,
thus extending the employment field, and
providing an economic - return, for money
spent. At the same tinie lie pointed out'
that the Government - had done all ' in
its power to relieve tlio 'position, having
spent £268,000 in tlie last six months,
and given work to nearly 8000 men. His
announcement that the Government whs
framing an unemployed insiiranee , bill
was applauded by his supporters, one. in
his excitement clapping his - hands and;
cheering. The upshot of the debute was
simply the wasting of several valuable
hours in a general and not -very effective
discussion on a problem that words will
mjt solve. Tlie waste of ' time can bo
further realised when it is staled that
the whole question could . linve "been de
bated on the Supply Bill, which wits in-'-
troducod by the Premier later in tlie sit
ting. As a matter of fact, several mem
bers reopened the question while this
bill wus before the- House. o ;>'/ ; Y:v:-
Permits for Race Mootings. '
In the Legislative Council yesterday
considerable interest centered- iul the ; re
ply by the Minikor of -Public Works' - to
Mr. Bath on the subject of'-permits for
extra race meetings, the revenue: -from
betting tickets and the number- i'of -book
makers registered in Victoria. ' Mr. Jones
said that for the. last twelve months per-,
mits to conduct extra race meetings were
granted as follows: — Thirty-three race
meetings, 33 picnic meetings, 25 sports
meetings at which horse races Were con
ducted, 11 pony meetings and 14' trotting
meetings. The net increase - over the
figures for the preceding twelve months'
was 86 meetings. This increase was ac
counted for by 110 extra permits being
issued, and a decrease of 30 meetings due
to some clubs which ruccd iu 1920 fail
ing to do so in 1027. The numbers of
bettiug tickets issued, and Ilia revenue
obtained therefrom for the -lust three
years were as follows:— Iii 1025, 13,311,400
tickets, returning' '£90,911; 1026,' 14.170.688
tickets, returning £93,439; 1927/ 15,297,054
tickets, returning £100,084. . ; The large
revenue received in 1925 was due to the
fact that the double stamp/duty was pay
able on betting tickets in the first two
months of that year. ' The -number of
bookmakers who paid stamp' duty, on
licences for 1025 , was 1005, and -for 1026.
983. For the current year 834 had paid,
and, it was expected that there would
-be another 150 by '31st December.
War Loan Conversions.
With regard to the announcement made
by tlie Federal Treasurer 'early lust .month
that in cases where holders -of., war loan
stock and bonds maturing on 15th Decem
ber bad decided not1 to .convert, tlio Go
vernment was prepared to redeem the
securities at once, it wus announced offi
cially yesterday that it would 'be neces
sary to close the inscribed stock registers
from Suturdny, 3rd December, in order
that the heavy work involved in tho issue
of "the usual half-yearly interest warrants
on 15th December could be completed by
that date. In view of this fact the offer
to redeem slock before the date of matu
rity would bo withdrawn after to-morrow,
and no more stock redemptions would toko
place until the date of the maturity of
tlio loan. Holders of bonds up to the
amount of £25,000, however, might cash
the bonds at any time up to 15th Decem
ber. The amount originally made availublc
for these redemptions was £-1,006,000, but
though the offer had been open for more
than lour weeks, the total amount re
deemed was only £1,937,000. There were
large numbers of slock holders ami bond
owners who had neither converted their
holdings nor advised the Treasury that
tlicy intended to cash their securities. It
tvus desired to remind these investors that
the terms of tlio Government offer were
generally acknowledged to be good; that
the loan had the wholehearted support ot
tbe banks and the stock exchanges, and
that a full subscription would make for u
more confident tone in financial circles
and for butter monetary conditions.
"Tin" Hares and tlio Exhibition.
Following his statement on Wednesday
relative to his opposition to the ' proposed
use of the Exhibition oval for mechanical
liare-toursiug meetings, the Chief Secre-
tary yesterday conferred with the Exhibi-I
lion trustees. The interview was do-|
scribed subsequently as an informal talk
on the situation, and it wus staled that
so far no fresli steps had been taken to
convene a conference such as was proposed
some weeks ago by tlie Minister of Lands,
to discuss the possibility of the termina
tion of tho agreement between the trus
tees and the sporting company. It is un
derstood, however, that Mr. Prcndergnst
stressed the point of view of the Children's
Hospital authorities, who somo time ago
made a protest- to the Minister against
the use of th'c oval for "tin" linre cours
ing in ' the circumstances already ex
plained. When the Minister of Lands
suggested a conference, oil the ' matter
Sporting Pty. Ltd. replied agreeing to
send a representative to such a confer
ence, but the Exhibition trustees replied
to the effect that sucli suggestion was one
"within the jurisdiction of tlie Chief Sec
retary, not the Miuistcr of Lands. In the
circumstances it is understood that if
Mr. Prendergnst cnlls a conference _ the
trustees will not. raise an objection to be
ing represented.
Water Commission Finance.
According to the annual report, of the
Water Commission, which was tabled in
tlie Legislative Assembly yesterday, the
receipts for last year— £462,451 — repre
sented the highest amount yet received.
It exceeded the collections for the previous
year b.v £57,726. The disbursements from
the annual vote totalled £2S4,524, which,
despite the expansion of operations, was
not more than £12,981 in excess of thosu
of tiie previous year. Loan expenditure
amounted to £1,445,801, of which £479, 71S
was expended on storage woi-ks. Receipts
from the 28 irrigation and water supply
districts amounted to £222,517, as against
£174,848 received in the preceding year.
After debiting tho districts with working
expenses and interest chargeable on com
pleted wgrks. tho deficit for the year
amounted to £12,951, as compared with
£12,031 for tlio previous year. As a result
of tlie loan expenditure incurred, other ir
rigation and water supply districts caii be
constituted, thus making a number, of
such loan works gradually revenue pro
ducing. The estimated disbursements for
the ensuing year are set down at £259,500
—an increase of £10,000 over those for tlie
past year. The estimated receipts are
£492,000, an increase of £52,000 over tbe
estimate of £440,000 for the past year.
The loan liability of thg State for works
for water supply at the close of the year
was £10,100,572. Of that total £1,252,042
represents free head works'; £1,203,228
was written off, £147,046 was. advanced to
some early-formed local authorities,
£312,343.ha8 not been expended, £1,426,820
is represented by lliver Murray works,
while £4,506,807 is represented by uncom
pleted or unallotted works which are not
revenue producing. The. balance of
£10,138,226 represents tlie sum in respect
of which those benefited by the various
works are this year liable for payment of
interest. Present interest charges on loans
amount to £844,224,
The Famous Tintoretto.
A contributor to tlie London "Nation"
writes: — "I looked into the National Gal
lery to see the Liehnowsky , Tintoretto,
on view there in the long Venetian room
before it goes to Australia. As" n good
citizen of the British Empire, it pleases
me tliqt Australia and not America lias
scoured one of tlie diminishing liumber of
fine Italian masters that are not in Italy
or .in .tlio public collections. I should
have been still more pleased if wo could
have kept it in London' as a companion
ipicture to the other great Tintoretto por
trait, the 'Morosini.' This Melbourne
portrait, tlio 'Doge ..Piotro Loredano,' is
a marvellous study of foxy. 'wisdom. Tho
old politician has a disarming expression
of reasonableness on Ins worn face, with
its dark cunning eyes and bottle-nose.
Someone at the council meeting lins just
askodi an embarrassing question, and,. the
Doge, witlf extended propitituyl hand-has
clearly .fenced with' it. ' His ihoptli has
closed 6n a Front Bench reply." . ' :
Minimising Air Accidents: :
One qf the most fruitful causes j'of the
many aeroplane fatalities find; : accidents
which have occurred in Australia, aft-
cording to air force' officials, has been -tlio
stalling of the -machines in the air. - r It was,
this fact, combined with a desire to, mini
mise such occurrences, tlint recently induc
ed tlie - Australian Air Force Board to risk
Whig-Commander Anderson, ' who,;; is . now
in England, to investigate the slottcd-wibg
device for stabilising aeroplanes. Accord
ing; to. a cable message published hi "The
Age", of yesterday lie has ; received plans
from .the. Air Ministry. The > board ex
pects to reeeivo Iiis report shortly;;.. './In
y iew of 'the -fact that the Boyal. Air Force
has adopted the equipment, and .tlint it
is believed tlie wing; is being used du
mollis in England, it is considered , tlint
the Australian authorities will , 'strongly
recommend .tho Government to acquire
certain rights so that the slotted iving
can be made and fitted to Australian ma
chines at Point Cook and other air force
workshops. Tlie device iB a' Hnndley
Page, invention, which acts automatically
when a machine stalls, so that the Wings
give a. greater .resistance and -make :a
fairly safe descent possible.
A Kew Resident's Home..
Alluding yesterday to tlio proposal of
Kew council to eompiilsorily, purchase the
property nod residence of Mr. DJ Car
negie, in Cotliam-rond, Kew, with a .view-
to using it as a site for a new civic centre,
the Minister of Public Works snid I tlint
so fur the matter had not been officially
brought under his notice,. If it were
referred . to liiin for a ; decision lie
would have to give very careful and seri
ous consideration to the case . before bo
sanctioned the proposed, action of tlio.
municipality. He would not. be prepared
lo readily sanction the compulsory acquisi
tion of a man's home, He would need to
be thoroughly satisfied as to the r point
whether the- council's action was justified
in all the .circumstnncos before he gave
his consent, lo sucli a course of action.
More Kerb Fruit Markets. ;
In view of tho fact that tlie' coining sea
son's fruit crop is likely to lie a record
one in regard to productivity, the metro
politan section of the fruit growers .of .the
State is taking action to establish addi
tional kerb markets for the sale., of fruit.
The executive has accepted the offer of a
block of laud on Heidclborg-rond, Ivii'uhoe,
for use as an open market site.' Efforts
are also to be made to estnblish kerb
markets in other suburbs and to extend
the existing markets. The section also
proposes to seek the aid of the health lec
turers, wireless broadcasting stations and
State departments in a campaign to , in
duce the-pubiie to "eut more fruit." Steps
have already been taken to bring about
the selling of fruit every day at Victoria
Market, which tbe City Council markets
committee lias approved.
Expensive Railway Production.
Attempting gratuitously to combine
amusement, instruction ami moral' teach
ing .for railway men, the December issue
of the "Bnjlway Magazine" provides a
strong argument for the Government to
either, order the cessation of the entire,
venture or to insist on such drastic
changes as will reduce the huge an
nual loss on the production. The
Commissioners, _ in defending tlie publi
cation recently, said the improved
spirit engendered by the magazine amongst
the staff practically warranted the loss of
£8000 last year. In the present issue,
however, there is little to stimulate prido
in the railways, and a number of features
could be elimiuuted without loss to
renders and with profit to the department.
Ill similar magazines overseas technical
questions are discussed iu a maimer inter
esting to railway iiiun, hut ulthongli fifteen-
sixteenths of tlie Victorian magazine's cir
culation is to railway employes, few such
articles are included. Features such us
women's and children's pages, wireless,
book reviews and garden notes could
.surely be omitted as foreign to a teehiii-
. — r . .. im
eat journal, and, . wjijlo.. . Mr. Clapp's
noble sentiments, , illustrated iu color,
on his actions if lie became Santa
Clans, and the moving Christmas Eve
story of the Pretty .Lady may soothe
(temporarily) the cares of railway work
ing, tliey are not worth ' the cost. The
Government would be well advised to
again insist on further economies.
To-morrow's Literary Supplement.
An interesting feature of the literary
supplement in Saturday's "Tho Age" will
be the first of n short scries of articles
on Some Early Australians, to-morrow's
subject being Governor' Phillip. Mnry
Gaunt writes a pleasant sketch' of Porin-
nldo, ail Italian bill town. The portrait-
of tlie week is of William llazlitt. The'
story of Winston Churchill's amazing ca
reer is told, .and will he followed next
week h.v a review of Lord Birkenhead's
book, "Law, Life and Loiters." The
lighter articles and sketches will include
The Poetic Pedestrian, Dad's Game of
Cricket, 'Oracc the Egoist, Tlio Son Wor
shippers, and Tlie llogucs and Vagabonds
of Dickens. A specially interesting paper
on The World in 1050, based upon a pro
phetic issue of the London "Times," pub
lished nearly a century back, repays at
tention. An artiekv on new Christmas
Books will be found helpful to many at
this season of the year.
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