AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Grey River Argus, 31 January 1946, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Katoomba Firemen

SECURE INCREASED COMPLEMENT.

SYDNEY, Jan. 30.

The Katoomba, which has been held up at Sydney for 12 days is expected to sail for Wellington on Friday, according to an official statement. just issued. Firemen refused to sail the ship with 550 passengers' unless the stokehold crew was increased to 24, the number for sailings north of Cairns. To justify the increase for the run to New Zealand, the authorities propose that the ship should sail from Wellington direct to Rabaul or Torokina. Firemen are jubilant about this, as their claim to the right for 24 men at all times has now been established. The technical difficulties of the voyage have been overcome and the ship will coal at Wellington for the islands trip. (Rec. 11.50 SYDNEY, Jan. 30 Twenty-four firemen were signed on to-day for the Katpb'moa, thus ending the dispute which has prohibited her from sailing for twelve days. She is to leave late on Friday for Wellington. There she will land 547 passengers, two thousand tons of cargo, and' five hundred bags of mail. Then she is proceeding to Townsville and the islands. Bomb Outrage MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER (Rec. 9.15) BRISBANE. Jan. 30 A sequel to the throwing of a bomb on to a verandah at Cairns on December 15 occurred to-day, when William Leslie Fitzgerald, a labourer, aged twenty-nine pleaded not guilty to two charges of murder, and one charge of causing grievous bodily harm. As a result of the explosion, two women subsequently died. The accused was remanded. A BAD BARGAIN. (Rec. 11.5). SYDNEY, January 30. Mr K. Bolton, vice-president, at a State meeting of the Returned Soldiers’ League, made a statement that the Commonwealth Salvage Board had sold fifteen hundred tons of surplus rags to what he termed “a group of refugees” at £l7 a ton, when the real value of the goods was in some cases as high as £143 a ton. The Council is asking Mr Lazzarina, Minister for Home Security, to have an inquiry made into the sale. MUNICIPAL BRICK WORKS (Rec. 11.5) SYDNEY, Jan. 30 The New South Wales Minister of Works and Local Government, Hon. Mr. Cahill announced that the Local Government Act would be amended to permit the Municipal Council to build a brickworks. The Ryde Municipal Council seeks to enter into the brickmaking field so as to speed up the housing scheme. It is stated that brick makers are sceptical as to whether municipal brickworks would facilitate building. LITTLE SUIT AND BIG BATHER (Rec. 11.5) SYDNEY, Jan. 30 A beach girl, whose picture appeared in a Sydney morning paper, showing her wearing an abbreviated 1946 French swim suit of her own design has had trouble ever since from an anonymous admirer, who rings at exactly the same time every day. There is no conversation —he just gives a “wolf call,” and rings off. Only on one occasion did the unknown vary his routine. He said: “I am really no wolf! I just rang up to say hulloooooo!”