AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22832, 17 March 1936, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

NEW SOUTH WALES STORM BRIDGES WASHED AWAY SYDNEY, March 16. A fierce storm, yielding up to Sin of rain in some localities, swept over a large area of the southern tablelands and the south coast. Houses were flooded, and the residents used boats to enter and leave their homes in Dapto, where the water was several feet deep in the' main streets. The main south coast railway was seriously damaged, and the Pacific Highway, the main road to Melbourne, is impassable, three bridges in the Nowra district having been washed away. Hundreds of motorists are marooned. FREIGHT RATES INCREASED SYDNEY, March 16. All the interstate shipping companies, excepting the Patrick Line, announce that, as from to-day, the freight rates between Brisbane and Sydney and between Brisbane and Melbourne will be increased by Is and Is 6d per ton respectively, owing to the rise in shiplung costs, stores, and stevedoring since the depression. COMMISSION ON BETTING SYDNEY, March 16. (Received March 16, at 10.30 p.m.) When the Royal Commission on Betting Raids was opened to-day it was announced that two Labour parliamentarians,. Messrs Lazzarini and Clyne, who in Parliament made serious charges against the police, did not intend to appear before the commission. Police Commissioner Mackay, however, attended and gave evidence in defence of the police methods. He denied the statement made '"a Parliament that, if the police did not return with a carload of betting offenders, they were unfavourably looked upon. He detailed the departmental methods for chucking the honesty of both parties in betting cases, and said that as the result of spasmodic departmental inquiries into police methods some officers had been disrated, transferred or dismissed as the circumstances warranted. The commission adjourned until next Monday. AVIATOR’S DEATH PRESUMED SYDNEY, March 16. (Received March 16, at 10 p.m.) Mr Justice Nicholas in the Probate Court to-day granted leave to Lady Kingsfbrd Smith to swear to the death of her husband, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith. Affidavits by the aviator Mr G, U. Allen and others described the fruitless search foy Sir Charles in the region of the Malay Peninsula and the Bay of Bengal at the end of last year. THE WOOL RETURNS SYDNEY, March 16. (Received March 16, at 11.55 p.m.) The wool sold in Sydney during the selling season just ended returned growers £3,685,006 more than that sold last year. Although the official figures arc not yet available it is estimated that •the New South Wales wool clip sold through Sydney was worth more than £19,000,000, compared with about £15,500,000 last year. The Sydney sales arc off until the first •week in May. GUS BLUETT’S FUNERAL SYDNEY, March 16. (Received March 16, at 11.55 p.m.) The funeral of Gus Bluett to-day caused a complete traffic hold-up in the vicinity, of Darlinghurst. Thousands of people with whom the comedian was a great favourite blocked the streets. The chief mourners were his parents and two sisters. The others included the managers of various theatres, actors, actresses, and prominent, people' in public and private life. FIRE IN A MINE SYDNEY, March 16. (Received March 16, at 11.55 p.m.) Fire has broken out at Bellbird Colliery, in the Maitland district, and the men are now sealing off the danger area. A fire and explosion in this colliery in 1023 caused the deaths of 21 miners.