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IN QUEENSLAND THIS WEEK
A.L.P. Needs To
Win 15 Seats
From A Times
Correspondent
To win pmver in the State election
on Saturday, tlie Australian Labour
Party must win 15 seats, most of them
from the Country Party-Liberal coalition, i
Few observers expect this
to happen, though many ex
pect Labour to make gains.
Forecasting the result is
made more difficult by the
fact that this will be Queens
land's first eelction under full
preferential voting. Until
1942, a system of preferences
was in use. After that, first
past the post was the winner.
The number of informal
votes on Saturday is expected
to rise as voters adapt them
selves to the numb^in-every
square system.
The strength of the parties
in the old Parliament was:
Government 46 (26 Country
Party Members, 20 Liberals);
A.L.P. 25; Queensland La
bour Party 2; Independents
5.
Queensland has no Upper
House.
[The issues and the possi
bilities will be discussed by a
special correspondent in a
later article in The Canberra
Times].
Both the Premier, Mr.
Nicklin, and his sister, Mrs.
Colin Lind, this week denied
rumours that the 67-year-old
politician planned to re
marry.
The rumours have been cir
culating in Brisbane. Mr.
Nicklin said, "I have no such
plans. It's marvellous what
people will try to concoct at
election time."
Mrs. Lind, who accompa
nies Mr. Nicklin on official
occasions, said, "These stories
are a lot of tomfoolery."
Mr. Nicklin became a wid
ower in 1960.
* * *
The first S.P. book
maker to be gaoled
under Queensland's new
gambling laws was sen
tenced this week.
The new rules, which came
into operation last year, pro
vide for a second offence a
minimum penalty of £250 fine
and 14 days' gaol.
Given the minimum Was
Basil Duncan Cowan, 39,
salesman, who police said
_——I
had records of £812/5/- fa.
bets on February 2.
Cowan, who pleaded guilty,
had a previous conviction.
♦ * *
Thirty Queensland
housewives are spend
ing this week "checking
up" on manufacturers
of packaged groceries—
particularly soap
powders.
They are checking actual
contents in relation to pack
age sizes, prices, and "con
tents" printed on the pack
ages.
They are also making price
comparisons between differ
ent-name products of (he
same manufacturer.
The Queensland House
wives' Association is making
the check.
The association president,
Mrs. Orme Robinson, says,
"We want to find out what'is
the best value in the many
sizes of packets, comparing
price with weight content.
"We want to know what
discrepancy exists between
similar products marketed by
different manufacturers.
"We believe partly-filled
packets may involve unneces
sary cost through such fac
tors as payment for extra
cardboard, extra printing and
higher freight charges.
"It would be interesting to
know why price discrepancies
exist between similar products
whose pertormance appears
to be the same."
* ♦ *
Down on Brisbane '
River bank at New
Farm, an elderly re
tired couple are living
alone in a 15-storey
building containing hun
dreds of rooms. •
They are Mr. Edward
Blackmore, 85, a retired po
lice inspector, and his wife.
[ _ They are the only residents
in the Glenfalloch block of
home units, which cost an es
timated £750,000 to build.
The building, with its own
swimming pool and gardens
sloping down to the river, was
ready for occupancy nine
months ago.
It contains 97 apartments,
priced from £5,000 to £8,000,
with two penthouses at about
£18,000 each.
Only one has been sold ►—
the six-floor apartment occu
pied by the Blackmores
and the rest have temporarily
been withdrawn from sale._
Glenfalloch is linked with
the Korman group.
Some days, the two tenants
do not even bother going
downstairs; their milk and
bread is delivered to tnjfc
ground floor and a caretaker
brings them up to the apart
ment.
They say they do not feel
lonely, despite the empty
floors and corridors around,
above and below them.
« * +
Brisbane City Coun
cil's A.L.P. adminis
tration is considering
an increase in rates in
its 1963-64 Budget, to
be brought down on
June 21.
Reason behind this is the
State Conciliation Commis
sion's ruling giving an extra
week's annual leave to work
ers under State awards. _
The leave decision will In
crease the council payroll by
about £250,000 a year.
The council could garner
an extra £250,000 in rate reve
nue by increasing the general
rate Id. in the pound. Pre
sent general urban rate is
1/4|- in the pound.
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