AUSTRALIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 June 1923, Page 2

AUSTRALIA

— —— (Aurtnalian and N.Z. Cable Association. ; .7 z WELCOME RAIN. SYDNEY, June 25. Good general rain fell during the weeks' end over must of the western district and Riverina. WIRELESS TELEPHONY. MELBOURNE, June 25. For the first time in Australia, conversation by means of true duplex wireless telephony was conducted by two Melbourne amateur stations. SLUMS AND COCAINE. MELBOURNE, June 25. The police report in connection with the cocaine habit states that it was introduced in Melbourne about three and a-half years ago in the slum areas. The police have no knowledge of any victims outside the slums. PREFERENCE WITHHELD. MELBOURNE, June 24. The Arbitration Court has refused to concede preference of employment to the members of the. Waterside Workers’ Federation. The claim was based on the grounds of alleged discrimination against the membeds of the Federation. The employers replied that the preference given by them was to returned soldiers and to loyalists who stood by the owners in the 1917 strike. FIRES IN SYDNEY. SYDNEY, June 23. > Five fires broke out within the space of two and a-half hours last night, and kept the fire brigades busy. The biggest blaze occurred, at Victoria Barracks where the gun-harness room was destroyed, and also four big guns. The damage to the barracks is estimated at £BOOO. WRECKAGE FOUND. PERTH, June 24. The steamer Echunga reported sighting a spar in a vertical position, and apparently attached to a wreck, floating off Brusseltown, in the vicinity of where the three bodies are reported to have been seen a few days ago. It is considered possible that this wreckage belongs to the small steamer Torrens, owned by the West Australian Government, which is overdue- ' LOSSES THROUGH STRIKES. \ MELBOURNE, June 25. Official statistics show that during the last quarter there were seventy-three strikes in Australia, involving -18,201 workers. The logs in wages was £278,615. New South Wales had fifty-six stoppages, and the wages involved was'£23o,ooo. A YOUTHFUL CRIMINAL. MELBOURNE, June 25. Early last week a. youth named Baker escaped from the Castlemaine Reformatory, taking the Governor’s horse. He secured a suit of clothes, burned his prison garb, and since then is reported to have entered a house and stolen - money and jewellery to the value of £27. He also a pearifle. The police are tracking him towards the rough Murray country.