AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Grey River Argus, 21 June 1945, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

RIVERINA’S TIMELY RAINS. (Rec. 10.50). SYDNEY, June 20. Soaking rain is now falling over a large part of the drought-stricken Riverina. The fall is expected to continue over several days. Agricultural experts say that these rains could not have come at a more opportune time, since many; of the farmers had just sown their crops. A great acreage of young barley and oats will be saved by the rains. PILLAGI.NG BEING PUT DOWN (Rec. 7/45) CANBERRA, June 20. Special investigation men who have been operating on the Australian waterfront to combat pillaging, have done so with marked success. Stating this to-day the Acting-Prime Minister, Hon. Mr Chifley, compared losses instanced on three vessels supervised by the investigation men with losses on three unsupervised vessels. The losses on three supervised ships were: Beer, point 49 of one per cent; whisky, point 93 of one per cent.; gin, point 21 of one per cent. Losses on the ships that were not supervised were: Beer, six point three per cent.; whisky, fourteen point three per cent.; gin, eight per cent. The reports showed' that pillaging, particularly of service cargoes', had declined considerably since December, 1944, said Mr Chifley. The Minister confirmed earlier reports that, new measures to check pillaging would include: (1) The em-, ployment on the wharves of additional trained police officers, to be released from the services; (2) the protection by a special army unit of all service cargoes; (3) the registration of all tally clerks, gatekeepers, and carriers, to exclude convicted men from the wharves. GRACIE FIELDS’ STOLEN CASE RETURNED. (Rec. 8.25). SYDNEY, June 20. Risking capture, a consciencestricken" thief has returned to the English entertainer, Gracie Fields, a dressing set of hers, stolen from a flat at Rose Bay last week. There was jewellery worth £2OO in the case. Makeup and other articles used by Miss Fields on the stage were intact. The flat from which the case was stolen is on a. second floor. To return it, the thief had to risk detection by the residents, all of whom had a thorough description of the case. The police consider that publicity; on how the robbery would cost many sick and wounded servicemen precious entertainment prompted the thief’s decision to return the case.

The police had to be called when more than one thousand angry women demonstrated outside the premises of Sydney booking agents, after they had been told that all seats had been sold for Miss Fields’ last concert here. Some of the women had been waiting nine hours in a queue, hoping to secure tickets.