AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20963, 28 February 1930, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

FLOODS' IN THE WEST. TRAINS STILL HELD/UP. (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.), MELBOURNE, February 27. All ..bookings by the east and west trains have been suspended. The foundations of the track. near Forrest are affected. A passenger train which left Port Augusta on Tuesday night for Western Australia will not be able to proceed beyond Deakin. This train was to "have rescued about 50 passengers stranded in another train near Forrest for a week, but this is now impossible, as the line east and west of the marooned train is two feet under water. ■ UNEMPLOYMENT IN VICTORIA. ' " MEASURES FORV RELIEF.' . I . . MELBOURNE, - February 27. Additional taxes on income, both from personal exertion and. property, are planned by the Victorian Labour Government to provide relief. . _ It is proposed by this method to raise innoediately by imposing a of id in the pound on incomes over £2OO, and Id in the pound oh incomes derived from, property. ALLEGED' ASSAULT. POLICE INSPECTOR CHARGED. . SYDNEY, February 27. (Received Feb. 27, .at 5.5 p.m.) at Kurrikurri with assaulting and using threatening words to a Communist named Paton when the latter was detained ,at Cessnock Police Station one day after tho police had ‘prevented a demonstration in connection with the coalfields trouble. Paton alleged that Mackay struck him in the face and ordered him in very strong language to he out of the town' within 24 hours or he,would be “fixed for all time.” Questioned regarding Communism, the complainant said he had no time for the .Union Jack or the Australian flag. Three, corroborating witnesses avowed that they were Communists, and refused to be sworn on the Bible. Tho police evidence denied that any assault occurred, or that any threat was made. ■ The case was dismissed. BOMB UNDER A BED. WATCHMAN’S FORTUNATE ESCAPE. ' MELBOURNE, February 27. (Received Feb. 27, at 5.5 p.m.) Hans Mortensen, -a watchman, was awakened by a strange noise at midnight and left his hut at Hoyington. A few moments later what apparently was a bomb under the bed exploded, blowing the end of the hut out. The outrage is believed to be intimidatory, because Mortensen was just appointed to watdi a storehouse from which a quantity of contractors’ harness was stolen recently. DEATH OF SCHOOLBOY. DRAGGED ALONG BARB WIRE, MELBOURNE, February 27. • (Received Feb. 27, at 5.5 p.m.) Three children were driving to school' near TVangaratta in a gig when the pony, which was frightened by a traction engme, dragged the trap alongside a barbed wire fence. A boy, Bruce Diffey, was shockingly injured, one leg being tom off, and he died shortly afterwards. His sister and another girl were dreadfully mangled. ALLEGED DOPING OF RUNNERS). AN INQUIRY TO BE HELD. MELBOURNE, February 27 (Received Feb. 28, at 0.30 a.m.) The chief secretary (Tunnecliffe) agreed to the request of a deputation of athletes that a searching investigation should be made into the allegation'by Anw-: t* Schafe at tlie VictorianAthletic League meeting recently that doping was prevalent on a large scale among runners. The deputation resented Mr Schafe’s remarks.