Grass for brooms
Following upon a report in theHerald that referred to the utilisation of native grasses at Blackheath for making brooms,the Government Agrostologist,Mr. W. E. Breakwell,stated that the plant in question must be the same as a plant recently submitted to him. “The plant is not a true grass,but one of the Sedge family. To an ordinary observer it would at first look like kangaroo grass.” Mr Breakwell said great credit was due to the gentleman who had thought to utilise the plant in this manner.
Outrageous treatment of returned soldier
A young returned soldier,who had been learning leather work at the Soldiers’ Industrial Institute in Queensland,heard of an opening,through the Repatriation Committee,about a saddler who was wanting a man and was willing to take on the soldier. The young soldier was to have started work on Monday,but when he appeared at the Trades Hall he was informed he was not wanted and that if he started work all the men in the Leather Workers’ Union would go out on strike.
Post-war problems
Sir Joseph Carruthers,MLC,addressed “The Vigilants” about the post-war finance problem of ‘how to save ourselves’. With a population of little over 6,000,000 people,Australia faced combined public debts of probably £1,000,000,000,with an interest bill of about £50,000,000 a year. It also had to fund war pensions and repatriation money,an amount unknown. If the pre-war wages and prices continued without increasing,there would be nothing ahead for the world but chaos,bankruptcy,and disaster.