AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 October 1928, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

SCHOONER PER L. ROUGH TRIP TO SYDNEY. MEN WASHED OVERBOARD. (Australian Press Association.) SYDNEY, October 7. During the voyage of the auxiliary .schooner Piri, which arrived here today from Greymouth, two seamen, named Laing and V est, were washed overboard by a huge wave on tlie evening of September 25th. There was no chance of lowering a boat, but Captain Watt manoeuvred the schooner to give the men smooth water on the lee side. They were aboard again after seventeen minutes’ immersion. The whole voyage was marked by violent storms. AIR FORCE OUTLAY. AUSTRALIA URGED TO TRIPLE IT. SYDNEY, October 7. Sir John Salmond’s report on the Australian Air Force states that tlie force is useless for war, owing to its obsolete machines, the absence of reserve equipment, and the low standard of training among the operational units. He says the replacement of the equipment is overdue. Recommendations are submitted for the development of an air force, the cost of which will be £1.139,000 per annum, compared with £531,000 spent at present.

BLASTING TRAGEDY. SYDNEY, October 7. Kenny, one of the victims of tlie Bunnero'ng dam works explosion yesterday, died to-day. v SERIOUS SYDNEY FIRE. SYDNEY, October 7. The Coronation Box Factory at Redfern was destroyed to-day by a fire which spread to the nearby• houses on either side. In the factory two floors were gutted, and the machinery and a large quantity of timber in the yard was burned. The dwellings were badly damaged. The losses are assessed at over thirty thousand sterling.

R EAI ARK A ELK TR AGED Y. SYDNEY, Oct, 8. There was a remarkable tragedy in the Roma, district. when Charles Cracknel!, armed with a rifle, jumped off a motor lorry to shoot an emu. The weapon exploded and the bullet ploughed through the body of George Cain, who was killed, and then passed through a drover, Williams, who is in a critical condition. 'The bullet embedded itself in the lorry upholstery which was set on.fire. The lorry was burned to ashes. SYDNEY STREET SHOOTING AFFAIR, SYNKY, Oct. 8. A man named John Hearn, aged 34 years of age, has been arrested and charged with the shooting of William Gillian (not Dillon) who was shot in Surrey Hills on Sunday night, Hearn was remanded to October 16th. The victim’s condition is improving.

INQUEST OF NON-UNIONISTS, MELBOURNE,, October 8. An inquest was held to-day on the two men recently killed while working cargo as volunteers on the wharves. The Coroner returned a verdit' accidental death. The Coroner asked the press not to publish the names of the volunteer worker witnesses who feared the vengeance of the strikers.