AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24226, 19 February 1940, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

BIG FIRE AT RHODES TIMBER STACKS DESTROYED SYDNEY, Feb. 18. (Received Feb. 18, at 10 p.m.) A large fire to-day destroyed huge stacks of timber and costly machinery at the yards of A. and E. Ellis on the bank of the Parramatta River at Rhodes. Several firemen had narrow escapes when the roof crashed, xhissing them by inches. OUTBREAK AT INVERELL WINE CELLARS DESTROYED MELBOURNE, Feb. 18. (Received Feb. 18, at 10 p.m.) Fire destroyed 50,000 gallons of wine in cellars at Bukkulla vineyards at Inverell yesterday. The owner, Mr Frederick Asimus, estimates his loss at £30,000. SOLDIERS AND COMMUNISTS ANOTHER DISTURBANCE MELBOURNE, Feb. 18. (Received Feb. 19, at 1.30 a.m.) Another Sunday disturbance occurred at a Communist meeting on the Yarra bank to-day, when stones were thrown at speakers who were addressing about, 1500 persons, many of whom had gone in expectation of similai scenes to those of last Sunday, when soldiers, sailors,' and members of the Air Force attempted to throw a speaker into the river. One speaker was struck on the eye by a stone, and bystanders were &lso struck* The meeting was orderly until 20 members of the A.I.F. arrived. They hooted, counted the speakers out, and sang “ God Save the King.” A brawl between the soldiers and Communist sympathisers developed, and the police intervened with batons.' After the meeting two soldiers and several civilians complained that they had been struck by batons. Stones were thrown as the speakers drove away, and another brawl occurred. > A man was removed to hospital in an unconscious state and treated for concussion.

MOUNT KOSCIUSKO UNVEILING OF TABLET SYDNEY, Feb. 18. (Received Feb. 19, at 1.30 a.m.) The Polish Consul-general in Sydney, M. L. Denokowski, yesterday officially unveiled a plaque affixed to a granite boulder on the top of Mount Kosciusko, 7000 feet, commemorating the naming of this mountain 100 years ago by the Polish explorer Paul Strzelecki.