AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3115, 11 January 1911, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

SANTA CLAUS ON FIRE

(Per Latest Files.)

The presence of mind of Miss Lena Warde, sister-in-law to the Rev. R. Sherwood, prevented a serious calamity at Portarlington (Vic.) recently. M iss Warde was assisting at a Christmas tree in St. John’s Church of England schoolroom, and filled the role of Santa Claus in the fairy bower, which had beeir erected alongside the escape-door. While Miss Warde was engaged handing out toys to children the wool covering her face came into contact with a fairy candle light, and at once burst into flame. With a smootliered exclamation Miss Warde elided swiftly to the escapedoor, opened it, and missed outside, closing the door behind her. She threw herself down, pulled her long robe over her head, and rolled over on the grass.

ire!” shouted two children, but Miss Warde called out to them to be silent. A gentleman came up and assisted Alias Warde te rise. It was found that she had extinguished the flames, and fortunately escaped injury, only the backs of her hands being slightly burnt. Miss Warde then returned to the hall and took up her work, the large number of people present being unconscious of the thrilling incident which had occurred. LAVISH WORKS PROGRAMME.

It is apprehended that there will be a difficulty in raising sufficient money to carry out the huge nuoiic works programme of the New South Wales Alinistry. There is a- probability of the Premier, Mr. Me Go wen, coming into conflict with his colleagues. Ministers are prepared to borrow both in Australia • and in London. They are satisfied that many millions of borrowed money could be invested to advantage, but they realise that their borrowing powers may be very limited. The Loan Bill passed last week was for a total of slightly under £5,000,000, of which over three million is for new works. A few months earlier the Wade Government- obtained authority to raise a loan of £2,000,000 for railway duplication purposes. Thus Parliament has within the last six months, authorised the borrowing of £7,000,000 for public works, and this mav be largely added to by the comprehensive public works programme which will probably be submitted to Parliament next session. There are also promise of increased pay to the army of men in the public service. Superannuation allowances are to be made more liberal, the expenditure of the Education Department is to be largely increased and such experiments as the establishment of State brickworks and the carrying out of public works by day labor are to be tried. NINE TONS OF GOLD. No sooner had the Commonwealth Treasure opened on January 1, than further additions were received to the gold reserve which is being built up against the Commonwealth note issue. When the holidays commenced, the Commonwealth had issued £3,500,000 in notes to tiie banks, and was holding £1,100.000 in sovereigns as a reserve. Mr. Fraser, who has been acting as Treasurer during Air. Fisher’s absence in South Africa, announced that notes of an approximate face value of £4,000,-. 000 had been issued. The reserve during the day increased to £1,132,000. These reserve sovereigns, the Treasury officials state, weigh over nine tons. That portion of'the reserve stored in the Treasury strong-room is guarded day and night by a detatchment of soldiers from the Roval Australian Artillery, and behind the bars protecting the entrance can bo caught glimpses of service bayonets. For the notes that have been issued, the Commonwealth has this reserve fund, and also current accounts in the banks throughout the States. The mono*- on current account amounts to £2,264.000, which can be used for Federal payments as required. NATIONAL INSURANCE.

A good deaf of attention has recently been directed in England to the question of national insurance. In Victoria, any such proposal would necessarily have to be considered in connection with the operations of friendlv societies. About one person in every six over 16 years of age in this State is a. member of such an organisation, and the Victorian Government Statist (Mr. -*augnton) says that members and their dependents combined probably represent two-fifths of the whole population. All members of these societies are required by law to pay adequate rates of contribution. The societies must conform to the provisions of the Friendly Societies Act, and an actuarial valuation of their liabilities and assets must be obtained at intervals of five years. Societies are. therefore. very largely under State supervision. Mr. Laughton, who has made a close study of the subject, suggested that if any proposal for national insurance avere ever brought- forward in Victoria, it would be worth while considering whether such a scheme coaald not be. made to aatilise the operations of existing friendly societies so far as they extend, aaad not conflict with them at all. AUSTRALIAN BUILDING BOOM. Statistics prepared by the master builders’ organisations of all the States show that the building boom is not confined t-o Sydney, but exists in the avhole of the capitals of Australia. Mr. James M. Pringle, the lion, secretary of the Federated Master Builders’ Asssociation of Australia, from- the returns furnished to him has compiled an interesting statement showing the actual position of each branch of the building trade in each of the capitals, and the ruling rate of wages is given in another portion of the issue.

Generally business is described as “brisk” and “good” in Sydney, Melbourne. Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth, the only notable exception being stonemasonry in Brisbane, which is stated to be “bad.” Labor is declared to be “scarce” in nearly all departments in all the States/ In Melbourne quarrymen, bricklayers, carpenters, joiners, plumbers, and plasterers are stated to be “very scarce,” and 1 the same remark is made in regard to stonemasons in Sydney.

The only class of labor described as “plentiful” is that of stonemasons in Brisbane. In other parts of Australia good men are difficult to procure. A “fair amount” of labor is offering in the cases of bricklayers and iron construction workers in Brisbane, and in stonemasons, marble masons, iron construction workers, electrical workers, and painters in Melbourne.