AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20642, 14 February 1929, Page 10

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

ARMED MEN HI SYDNEY. TAXI DRIVERS HELD UP. (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) ' • SYDNEY, February 13. On two successive nights armed men, known as taxi bandits, have held up taxi drivers at the revolver point and robbed them of all their money. Other cases are thought to have occurred, but the victims have been terrorised into keeping quiet. RAINS IN NEW SOUTH WALES. CONCERN ON THE SOUTH COAST. SYDNEY, February 13. ' While the flood waters on the north coast are receding torrential rains fell on the south coast, causing grave concern. The Kempsey mail' train had a narrow escape when it nearly ran into a landslide which was blocking the line near Gloucester.

The Hawkesbury River is now 20 feet above the summer level.

The police are informed that heavy floods are rushing towards Windsor.,

THE SITUATION IMPROVING. SYDNEY, February 13. (Received Feb. 13, at 5.5 p.m.) The flood position at Hawkesbury Valley is improving. The river has fallen six feet, but a vast area is still submerged.

• COASTAL STEAMER BEACHED. MELBOURNE, February 13. (Received Feb. 13, at 11 p.m.) The well-known coastal steamer Casino struck a submerged object off Warrnambool last: night and ripped a hole in her plates. The vessel was beached in the nick of time, there being 12 feet of water in the holds and the fires being extinguished. There were no passengers on board. - TRANSPORT SYSTEMS. INVESTIGATION IN TASMANIA. HOBART, February 13. (Received Feb. 13, at 11 p.m.) A special committee, consisting of Federal and State officials, investigated Tasmania’s transport systems, and found that there was great waste and overlapping, and it recommended the co-ordina-tion of rail and motor transportation, and the creation of a transpbrt authority and a Federal marine authority for the control of ports and harboursi It recommended a subsidy for some shiping company for the maintenance of proper communication with the rest of Australia. CARTERS AND DRIVERS’ CLAIMS. LEAVE TO WITHDRAW REFUSED. SYDNEY, February 13. An application by the Federated Carters and Drivers’.Union to withdraw its claims from the Federal Arbitration Court to-day was dismissed by Mr Justice Lukiu, who pointed out that no union had the right to exercise the option to withdraw its claims from the court without the consent ’of the respondents. UNIONS AND ARBITRATION. CANBERRA, February 13. (Received Feb. 13, at 11 p.m.), Mr W. M. Hughes, commenting on the action of trades unions in desiring to withdraw from the Arbitration Court said, that their action, amounted to a frontal attack on the arbitration system. They had everything to gain by arbitration, which afforded a relatively economical means of rcdresing grievances. Their action was most ill considered.