AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20291, 27 December 1927, Page 10

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

IMPORTATION OF SUGAR. EMBARGO TO BE CONTINUED. (Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright.) MELBOURNE, December 24. (Received Dec. 24, at 5.5 p.m.) Mr Bruce announced that the Government had decided to continue the embargo against the importation of foreign sugar for a further three years. FIRE AT NARRABIE. GARAGE AND CARS DESTROYED. SYDNEY, December 24. ® (Received Dec. 24, at 5.5 p.m.) A fire destroyed Merry and Blackshaw’s garage at Narrabie, together with 19 cars and trucks. The damage is estimated at £7OOO. BUILDERS’ LABOURERS. NEW' LOG SERVED ON EMPLOYERS. SYDNEY, December 24/ (Received Dec. 24, at 5.5 p.m.) In a log served on the employers cy the Builders’ Labourers’ Federation, £ll for a 44-hour week is asked for labourers engaged on the demolition of buildings. This is irrespective of fares to and from the job. For unloading cements, lime, and charcoal £8 16s is asked, plus fares. Double overtime is requested for urgent repair and breakdown jobs, and treble overtime for Sunday work. It is requested that gloves be provided for certain classes of work. AUSTRALIAN SEAMEN. TROUBLE LOOMING AGAIN. SYDNEY, December 24. Trouble is again looming on the water, front as the result of the decision of the Australian Seamen’s Union to hold a stop-work meeting on Wednesday morning next. Under their award the seamen are given the right to hold a stopwork meeting on the last Tuesday of every month, and because next Tuesday is a holiday th e seamen asked the owners’ permission to hold the meeting the next Wednesday. It is understood, however, that the owners refused the application, and the seamen thereupon decided to take matters in their own hands by holding the meeting. MYSTERIOUS AEROPLANES. SMUGGLING STORY DISCOUNTED. CANBERRA, December 24. No information has been received by the Minister of Home and Territories (Mr Marr) regarding the aeroplanes seen in Western Australia. The Comptrollergeneral of Customs stated #that ho did not regard as serious the suggestion that the aeroplanes were engaged in smuggling opium. He pointed out the necessity of having a mother ship of at least 6000 tons on the coast, which would make the cost prohibitive, while an aeroplane between Broome and the islands of the East Indies seemed equally impracticable. EXPLOSION IN CEMENT WORKS. FIVE MEN SEVERELY BURNED. MELBOURNE, December 24. (Received Dec. 25, at 5.5 p.m.) Five men were severely burned in an explosion at the Australian Cement Company’s works near Geelong. A building and machinery used for crushing coal were wrecked. The supposed cause is spontaneous combustion of gas from coal, or a spark accidentally lighting it. CHRISTMAS DAY IN SYDNEY’. GLORIOUS WEATHER. SYDNEY, December 25. (Received Dec. 25, at 6.5 p.m.) The weather was glorious for Christmas. SYDNEY CIVIC COMMISSION. THE CHAIRMAN APPOINTED. SYDNEY, December 26. (Received Dec. 26, at 7 p.m.) Mr E. P. Fleming, a member of the Federal Migration and Development Commission, has been appointed . chairman of the Sydney Civic Commission.