EARTH TREMORS.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20492, 10 March 1932, Page 9

EARTH TREMORS.

COASTAL DISTRICTS SHAKEN.

RARE OCCURRENCE IN AUSTRALIA. (UNITED i'-'ir.SS ASSOCIATION—BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH—COPYRIGHT.) (Received March 9th, 9.33 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 9. A series of earth tremors startled the residents of the coastal districts of Kiama and Scarborough about 10.30 a.m. to-day. The sea was unusually calm beforehand. Weatherboard houses were shaken and windows rattled. The rare occurrence was recorded at the Kiverview Observatory. VIOLENT STORM. SHALE OIL WORKS DISORGANISED. SYDNEY, March 8. A violent storm, with a tropical deluge, caused much damage at Grenfell.. Trees and electric cables were blown down and houses partially unroofed. In one case a bedridden woman lay exposed to the rain for half an hour after the roof was lifted from her house, before aid came. The shale oil works at Newnes were disorganised by a cloudburst, which put the machinery out of action.

BOY AND PONY. 600-MILE TRIP TO SYDNEY. (Received March 9th, 11.15 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 9. There was an unusual demonstration outside the Sydney General Post Office this afternoon when crowds of citizens roundly -i.'lieered a nine-year-old boy, Lennio Gwyther, who had just completed a GOO-mile pony ride from Leongatha, Victoria, when he came ' to see the big harbour bridge." Since the lad began his adventurous trip, some weeks ago, travelling by easy stages, he has been the guest of Mayors, Parliamentarians, and farmers en route. He even looked in at the Federal Capital to receive the congratulations of the Governor-General and to inspect the Parliamentary Buildings. The pony is also nine years old. It is docile and not in the least perturbed at the dense traffic of the city or the citizens' enthusiastic welcome. The lad was met by the secretary of the Royal Agricultural Society and other prominent people. . RAIL TRANSPORT. ECONOMIES RECOMMENDED. (Received March 9th, 9.35 p.m.) CANBERRA, March 9. Arising out of the recent conference of railway transport authorities, whose aim is to furnish recommendations for co-ordinating the rail transport systems of the Commonwealth with a view to sweeping economies and the elimination of duplication, Mr Heath, who conducte4 the investigation on behalf of the Commonwealth, has submitted a report in which, among other things, he urges that all the railway systems shoula be made independent of political interference. He also recommends a drastic reduction in the number of authorities controlling the industrial conditions, and emphasises that the railways are over-capitalised. While the financial statements do not disclose the true facts of the operations the report admits that motor transport has had an adverse effect on the railways generally, and particular reference is made to the unsatisfactory state of the New South Wales railways, due to political meddling. [A message from Sydney, dated February 17th, reported : —The accumulated losses of the .railways of Australia since 1914 have reached a total ot £08,000,000, according to figures released by the oonference of railway commissioners and transport authorities.]

LOAN COUNCIL. NEW SOUTH WALES APPLICATION. SYDNEY, March 8. The "Daily Telegraph" states that the New South Wales Government approached the Loan Council for £3,400,000 accommodation to tide the State over the remainder of the financial year. This is approximately the amount by which the deficit for 1931-32 is expected to exceed the minimum allowed by the Premiers' Conference rehabilitation plan, which seeks Budget equilibrium by 1933-34. If the money is not forthcoming further defaults in interest payments arc said to be inevitable. OFFICIAL DENIAL.

NO APPROACH FOR LOAN. (Received March 9th, 11.15 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 9. The New South Wales Treasury denies that the Government approached the Loan Council for the £3,400,444. A BY-ELECTION. LIBERAL WIN IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. ADELAIDE, March 8. A by-election for the Victoria district in the State House resulted in a victory for Mr V. G. Petherick (Liberal) from the Labourite, Mr Corcoran, after the elimination of Mr Spcha (Independent) and Mr Yates (State Labour), a former member for Adelaide in the Federal House. ARBITRATION BILL. ENGAGEMENT OF LABOUR. SYDNEY, March 8. The Legislative Council rejected a clause in the Arbitration Bill providing for the compulsory engagement of labour at or through union offices.

MARKETING PROBLEMS VICTORIAN PREMIER'S ENQUIRIES. MELBOURNE, March 8. The State Premier, Mr E. J. Hogan, who lias been ill for some time, has departed for Loudon, where he will make enquiri n guriling marketing problems. CHARGE OF MURDER. DETECTIVES' PAINSTAKING INVESTIGATION. (Received March 9tli, 9.35 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 9. A month's painstaking investigation, during which detectives disguised a3 tramps travelled throughout New South Wales, was rewarded by the arrest of a. young man, who is now charged with the murder of Alexander Barrie at Paddington (a suburb of Sydney). [On. December 14th last two menbound and gagged Alexander Barrie, aged 75 years, at his home in Paddington and battered his head fatally. His wife, who rushed to his assistance, was brutally attacked. Robbery was supposed to have been the assailants' object as Barrie was reported to have been in the habit of keeping a large sum of monev in his house because he feared to deal with the banks.]