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Newspaper
Canberra Times
Location
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Date
Jan 04, 1939
Page
2
Weather data shows atmospheric pressure at Gaan with 702 degreen and 8 je. Depress noted, with maximum and minimum temperatures around 69 degrees and 61.4 degrees respectively. Winds vary, readings at several times with no clear forecast.
London report details a long day of cricket with Hammond scoring 119 and Ames 115 as the Batemen total 508 for nine declared. Valentine contributed 112 and Edrich fell after a bold stand. Davies and Datton led the bowling for the opposition with mixed returns.
December customs and excise revenue drop raises concerns for Commonwealth budget prospects. Officials note past deviations between estimates and actuals, with a likely continued decline in imports and revenue through June, potentially affecting defence spending and state contributions amid the international crisis.
Worried Warsaw reports rail and cabinet chatter on Prime Minister Beck returning from the Riviera may use a diplomatic moment to meet French and German statesmen. Closer Polish Soviet trade ties are hoped, while Be ratings of France’s view on the Bamteen treaty are unknown. Beck possibly seeks talks on Eastern European issues aligned with the 1938 German Polish understanding.
The Foreign Secretary proposes a single day at Geneva for the League of Nations Council meeting, signaling Britain will devote limited time to the session. The report notes cautious diplomacy and emphasis on orderly debate within the council framework.
Canberra Citizens Militia Recruiting Campaign plans an intensified push for the 3rd Infantry Battalion and the 7th Light Horse Troop. The first medical parade is set for January 20 at Canberra headquarters Civic Centre.
Prague reports government denial of planned handover of German refugees to Germany. Officials say expulsions are necessary to protect the Czech labor market. A meeting of a nationalist party demands public action regarding refugees and labor policy.
In Sydney Tueddy reports that the Aboriginal Progress Association president Mr Paten proposed recruiting natives for home defence. Australian Defence League member Mr RB Orchard supported the idea saying aborigines would be useful in defending the Northern Territory. He argued against discrimination and favored distributing Aboriginal troops among existing units rather than a separate battalion.
Reports from the Minister in Charge Mr Hughes show 3 085 recruits enlisted during the December 14 to 20 period, lifting total militia strength across all states to 48 268. The gain by state includes New South Wales 548 Queensland 228 Victoria 70 South Australia 408 Western Australia 79 Tasmania 12. Major state strengths are New South Wales 15 400 Queensland 5 148 Victoria 13 970 South Australia 4 085 Western Australia 3 017 and Tasmania 1 869.
Mr Hughes, Minister for External Affairs, criticizes coercive national service in Australia. He argues compulsory training would not make the country safer unless volunteers are properly trained, claiming volunteers are preferable to compulsory conscription and urging patience for the volunteer system to prove itself. Captain Patricks of the New South Wales Highland Society is cited in the discussion.
More than 1,000 delegates are expected for the Canberra Science Congress opening January 11 with 800 visitors from abroad. Wives of delegates travel via special transport. housing strains voiced as Government funds support venues at Telopea Park High and Parliament House grounds. Prominent guests include H. G. Wells, professors from Cambridge, Oxford, Purdue, and other scholars, plus officials from the Imperial Bureau of Soil Science and the British High Commission. The event marks the Golden Jubilee of the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science with 16 sections covering a wide range of disciplines.
Waterside workers at Port Kembla refuse loading pig iron on the steamer Daffram until this morning when the vessel moved overnight from her berth. Police protected 3000 steel works employees idle as Daffram loaded 200 tons of coal at a private wharf and then sailed. Harbour officials kept destination secret amid claims of a strategic coal loading ruse.
Revenue for the Commonwealth customs shows a sharp fall due to defence-related expenditures. December receipts dropped to £4,311 from £4,654,085 in December 1987, with eight months ending December 31 down from £25,049,270 to £24,427, etc. End of half-year totals show actual revenue at £2,390, with shortfall against budget estimates.
An exchange between Acting Secretary of State Wells and Senator O Mahoney reveals pressure to keep wool tariff protections. O Mahoney demands a clear statement that wool will not be considered in any formal Australia trade negotiations, urging letters to Wyoming and western producers.
In darkness at Maroubra early Tuesday a car overhangs a cliff. James Marsden, 45, Randwick storekeeper, is found dead 0 feet below after the front wheels slipped over the edge while the driver attempted to turn on a narrow road. A hysterical woman survived with unclear injuries as police investigated.
His Excellency the Governor Jene Palhna announced the Imperial Service Medal to Mr Albert Henry Angel Harris of Sydney for long meritorious service in the Civil Service of the Commonwealth of Australia. Mr Harris began service July 1 1889 at the City North exchange and continued until December 8 1988, contributing to multiple operations and receiving various honors.
A garbled report notes William Fossa 28 and Kenneth Mack 30 among those killed in a motor car crash. The column cites New Zealand’s accident toll since Christmas Eve with 19 killed in accidents and drownings.
Fragmented report notes holiday period deaths in Victoria linked to drought and weather. It records fatalities across states, with drownings accounting for a portion, and mentions multiple accidents as part of the broader holiday toll.
Seven year old Gordon Miles was fatally injured when a motor lorry ran over him at Carrington. A wheel severed his right text as the vehicle passed. In Brisbane, George Butcher senior was crushed beneath a tall tree on Morbert Tableland after a fall from a four mile dash to a farmhouse for help. The injured man to hospital suffered fractured ribs cuts and severe lacerations.
The NSW Minister for Transport notes Christmas to New Year road death rates were lower in NSW than the United States, but the share of those killed was six times higher. He urges action against motorists who flout traffic rules, saying the burden falls on the many who follow regulations. The ministry compiled data showing many accidents could have been avoided.
Sydney readers are urged to study traffic rules and regulations. Applicants for motor licenses must answer questions on road safety, overtaking, crossing intersections, signaling, and speed limits. Government will assign responsibility to drivers involved in road accidents for unsafe practices.
Charles Henry Reid, a 20 year old junior labourer at Homebush Abattoirs, faced City Coroner's Court today on a manslaughter charge. The coroner found that Reid knocked down Colin, who died in hospital on December 14 after being struck by Reid's car near a tram stop. witnesses said the driver returned briefly, then drove off. Reid allegedly claimed the boy jumped in front of the car.
Tests assess braking and general car safety to identify faults. If a car fails the braking check or other required standards, motorists may be notified and required to address defects promptly.
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