The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 1

A am ait A A a I 5AI UKDAT, MAI "If No. 43,502 TELEPHONE 2 0944 12 CENTS 1 08 PAGES Witt fill 1 III Al 'i I V-J FIRST PUBLISHED 1831 GOLU Monday's Gretel II joins Her fellow-challenger Frsiser forecasts massive Yes vote From PETER BOWERS, Political Correspondent CANBERRA. The Prime Minister ended two hectic weeks of referendum campaigning yesterday by predicting a massive Yes vote on all four questions. But he warned that a massive No vote would mean the end of constitutional reform in Australia for a long time. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Whitlam, said Australians should have no hesitation in voting Yes to all four questions.

End to League transfer mm More than eight million Australians will vote today, three million of them in New South Wales. Mr Fraser's "each-way'' statement reflects uncertainty over the outcome of the two most' controversial questions because of bitter dissension within the Coalition parties in Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania. Voters in NSW, Victoria and South Australia are expected to approve all four questions, but the support of at least one more State is needed to change the in the first elimination series for the cup off Newport, Rhode Island, from August 5. The winner will meet the winner from another series between the Swedish and French challengers, and the winner of this series will sail against the American defender, which will be chosen from a aeries of races between American yachts. The rebuilt Gretel II, the Sydney challenger for the America's Cup, is lowered alongside the new West Australian challeneer, Australia, on the Austral Endurance at the Glebe Island container terminal yesterday.

The Australia was loaded aboard the ship in Melbourne. The Australian challengers will sail against each other On Monday, readers will find some changes in the layout of their Herald. These will affect Section 2. Sec tion One will remain unchanged. i In future, Section 2 wilt open with the Finance' land Business news.

Behind this, the class- ified advertisements win begin with the Important personal notices now carried on the back page the births, engagements, deaths, funerals and others. Finally, sporting news will move from the opening of Section 2 to- the back page of the section. All these will con-, tinue In a fixed position each day. The changes are designed to make the Herald as convenient as pos- sible for readers. Inoido today Jl SYDNEY IN THE BUSH A fresh look at Australia's oldest national park.

In Weekend Magazine. THORN BIRDS John Douglas Pringle reviews the million-dollar best-seller. Plus more good reading and reviews. Inside the prisons How much did Mr Maddison know? Elaine Reeves reports. Page 11.

Monday )J SPORT Full details of weekend events. FINANCE Big losers in the property downturn. Phon 20944 to havs tt Hnld dWvrdi It's 9MSlC Today's f'Jtwf weather Metropolitan: Cold morning, mild day. Max temps: City and Liverpool 21. 'it.

NSW: Showers in south, dry in north. Westerly winds. Details, Page 25 LATE NEWS jRAAF aids 'woman As RAAF Hercules pobb Richmond carried a i Jy ill 59-vear-oId accident victim from Canberra to St Vincents Hoa-gita, Sydney, last night An RAAF medical team travelled with the patient Cricket A17ST SOMERSET SOMERSET 2nd Inn tuff ROSE Marsh -Thomson 27 RICHARDS Comer i O'Keeff 53 SLOCOMBE not eat 0 I BOTHAM not out 4 Sundries 15 Three wickets for 133 UUUU CiL) NEVILLE WRAN'S "geriatric ward," the Legislative Council, looks like turning Into circus if a draft of th proposed Upper House reform bill is unchanged by the Labor Caucus next Tuesday. Under stage one of a complicated schedule of reform, half the 60 MLCs would be replaced by more than 1 candidates in an election-al-large using the whot State as a single electorate. BY Column 8's reckoning this means that fringe candidates with a very small percentage of first preferences could secure election.

Hot debate in party circles hinges on whether the scheme could misfire and give rise to tha most unstable Parliament in the Commonwealth. ODDLY enough, the departure of the 30 longest-serving MLCs would leave intact the strong Trade! Hall membership of the council, including John Ducker. The council's president, the environmentally aware David Landa, would also remain. WITH a wet seat and a huge grin, the impeccably dressed NSW Minister for Tourism, Ken Booth, emerged from a pool of muddy water at the Showground yesterday. Hi had thought he was onl opening the Leisure Wheel 77 exhibition, but the organisers strapped him into a Suzuki four-wheel-drive and sent him through a torture track of logs, mud, hills and foul slush.

"WHOSE idea was he screamed as he came to the edge of the water hazard. The publicity, organisers, who admitted to a water depth of 15 centimetres more than usual, smiled inscrutably. (Picture Page 4.) LIFE has no free lunches. Ah Eastwood milk bat menu now carries a handwritten note, "Hot water, '20 cents" BURNED UP by Column 8's disclosure of Singapore Airlines' infiltration of the Malaysian Trade Exhibition, the Sydney branch of the Malaysian Airlines System struck back at dawn. PROPELLED by sales staff, two trolley-loads of MAS pens, business-card holders, playing cards, pewter pendants, ties and matches arrived on the ninth-floor venue at the Hilton.

Although the fate of Singapore Airlines' artefacts is conjecture, we have been invited to an interesting barbecue. Uranium: Dramatic effect on Aborigines by mining in NT feared. Page 3 Africa: Tough talking between United Mates and South Africa. Page 7 Weekend Worldview: Page 8 Weekend magazine: One of the first national parks in the world, by Joseph Glascott. Cease-fire in a 400-year-old war.

Archeologists unearth our convict past. Pages 13, 14 Books: John Pringle reviews Colleen McCulIoughs million-dollar bestseller. Carl Harrison Ford looks at Sherlock Holmes's rivals. Pages 15, 17 Arts 18,21 Books 15. 17 Comics 27 Crossword 27 Finance 33-35 Juries 25 Lottery 1127 78 Magazine 13, 14 Mails 25 Radio 23 Shippng 27 Sport 29-32.

35 Television 23 Weather .25 FORT DEN1SON: High 10.27 am (1.3 metres), 10.30 pm (1.7 metres). Low 4.30 am (0.4 metres), 4.04 pm (0.5 metres). Printed and aubMihri hv Jahn PairtM and Son Ltd, af jentt ttra. rM. way.

Postal address: tox tot, CPO, Sydney. 2001. Registered for posting aa a newspaper category Recom. mended and maximum price enlv. Imer state by air antra.

Begin claims West Bank part of Israel row seen From ALAN CLARKSON in Brisbane A conference this morn-ine is expected to clear the way for Steve Norton, former England Rugbv League lock, to play for Manly Warringah against Newtown tomorrow. Norton flew into Sydney yesterday amid a dispute over his transfer from the English club Castleford. With him was his Castle ford clubmate Gary Stephens, who will also play for Manly The Castleford chairman Mr fhil brunt, who arrived in Sydney 90 minutes ahead of the players, said Morton did not have a clear ance to play in Australia. But the blond-headed Nor ton, who played for Manly last season, told a news conference he was prepared to play without a clearance. "I was warned before I left England that if I played with out a clearance 1 could be banned for life," Norton said in Brisbane this morning, the Australian Rugby League chairman, Mr Kevin Humph reys, will tell Mr Brunt that a cheque for Norton's transfer was-lodged with the ARL on April 8.

"1 am sure common sense will prevail and the mutter will be settled without any problems," Mr Humphreys said. TCN 9 won a three-way battle yesterday to gain exclu sive rights for the delayed tele casting ot the world series Rugby League matches. Detailed reports, 29. Soccer Cup final on Channel 7 Australia will get a direct telecast of tonight FA Cup Soccer final from England despite a dispute at the BBC. Channel 7 will televise the Manchester United-Liverpool game through London Weekend Television, which is not affected by the dispute.

Channel 7 telecast will begin at 11.30 pm. The game is due to start at 1 1.55. Technicians and cam eramen are threatening to ban the BBC's satellite telecast to South Africa as a protest against apartheid. The ban would prevent the game being shown in 36 countries, including ABC television's cover in Australia. An ABC spokesman said late yesterday that the BBC was proceeding with normal preparations for the telecast.

Fraser MELBOURNE. The Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, said vestcrdav he was hope ful that the Arbitration Com mission would not grant an increase in the national wage case decision to be given next Tuesday. If there was to be a flow- on he hoped it would be small. "I hope the commission will be influenced by the restraint people have shown over the past weeks," he said. Mr Fraser, speaking at a press conference at lullama- Supporters of the No campaign, including 12 Coalition senators and the Premiers of Queensland and Western Australia, are calling for the defeat of the questions providing for simultaneous elections for the Senate and the.

House, of Representatives and the filling of a casual Senate vacancy with a person from the same party at the- senator being replaced. The other two questions which are expected to be approved by most if not all States provide for a compulsory retiring age, for Federal judges and giving voters in the Northern Territory and the ACT the right to vote in referenda. The Labor Party is supporting a Yes vote on all "questions. a final appeal, Mr Vyhitlam said: "No refcr- endums have ever enjoyed wider support from the State and Parliaments or representatives of the major parties. 'Minority' of conservatives "The only opposition to them has come from a minority of conservative senators who were not present at the Constitutional Convention when all the arguments for and against were put forward and debated." The Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the National Country Party, Mr Anthony, also called for a Yes vote on the four questions.

Senator Peter Rac, who is leading the No campaign in Tasmania, probably the crucial State, said reports from all States showed a great strengthening of the No vote this Referring to the simultaneous elections question, he said: "The attempts to place strychnine in an apparently palatable bait and feed it to the people' in an attempt to poison the constitutional watchdog the Senate by a deceptively worded first referendum proposal, are not succeeding." The' leader of the Tasmanian Liberal Party, Mr Bingham, called on all Liberals to vote No because he said the ALP's official contained a commitment to abolish the Senate. Yesterday Mr Fraser was showing the strain of 10 days of non-stop campaigning during which he flew more than 13.000 miles, gave more than 60 interviews on radio and television and attended daily news conferences and party functions. Quiet birthday for the PM CANBERRA. The Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, will have "a quiet day on the farm" today his 47th birthday. A spokesman said Mr Fraser would vote on the referendum questions at the Nareen post office about 9 am and spend the rest of the day with his family.

IP WfPMBil Bribes in Australia claimed From our Correspondent LONDON. Friday. Th Daily Mail claims today that Australia was one of the countries involved in allegations of bribery payouts by British Ley-land. Westminster had already been rocked by reports that Ley land, which is owned by the British Government, budgeted in 1975-76 for an 11 million ($17 million) payout in bribes and undercover commissions to countries throughout the world. The Daily Mail says that ihe documents, including copies of nvoices and sales records, showed that every country ex cept North America was affected.

The lion's share of the money went to tne Middle East, where 7,203.600 was paid out. Africa got 1.885.200 and the J-ar Last The documents also often admitted that Leyiand executives did not know the identity of the final recipient. In many cases people shown in documents' were the middle men or fronts. They could have paid a large proportion of the extra com mission ttiey received to gov ernment or military leaders in their own countries. PAGE 7: Letter Issues of the poll The four referendum proposals are: To change the Constitution to ensure that Senate elections are held at the same time as House of Representatives elections.

To change the Constitution to ensure as far as practicable that a casual Senate vacancy is filled by a person of the same political party as the senator who was elected. To allow electors in Territor ies to vote at referenda on proposed laws to alter the Constitution. To provide a retiring age for judges of Federal courts. In a poll for a national tune, voters- are asked to choose God Save the Queen, Advance Australia Fair, WaHzing Matilda or Song of Australia. "Tomorrow is a day on which Australians can make sensible changes to the 77-year- old Federal Constitution, he said.

"It is an opportunity to modernise the Constitution and reform it in a down-to-earth fashion. "I urge all Australians to make the most of this oppor tunity by voting Yes to all tour questions. The results of the vote should be known in the Eastern States before the nieht is over. If the voting is very close on any of the questions the final result may hinge on pos tal and absentee votes and those delayed by flooding in northern NSW and southern Queensland. Counting will begin as soon as the polls close at 8 pm.

Early figures for the first referendum should be released about 8.30 pm. The referenda will be coua ted separately, so that although the results will be staggered because of differing sizes of polling areas, the result for the first question will be known first. Results on television The poll for the national tune will be counted when all the votes for the four referenda have been counted. People in NSW will be able to watch progress results throughout the night on ATN Channel 7 as they are flashed across the bottom of their TV screens. Channel 7 will also provide a summary at 11.10 pm.

Channel 9 will interrupt programs if there are significant results. Channel 10 will have special reports at 8.30 pm and half-way through, the movie and a summary in a. final report. Channel 2 will have reports at 8.17, 9.16, twice during the movie and a summary at 11.35 pm. ABC radio will have reports in its normal news broadcasts throughout the night and at 8.30, .9.27 (country), 10.30 (radio 1), 11.30 pm (radio 1) and, 12.45 am.

TEE Storm hits Melbourne MELBOURNE. A violent electrical storm which passed over the city last night closed Tullamarine Airport for nearly two hours and caused wide' spread blackouts. Wind gusts of up to 120 km blew down power lines and trees in many suburbs, and floods stranded many motor ists. The storm moved from the city after two hours and was abating over Gipnsland last night. In Finance Outlook brittle, says bank The ANZ Bank describes the general economic outlook as "distinctly brittle" and in danger of being upset by public impatience with the slow pace of recovery.

Winemaker in receivership Hermitage Wines Ltd, the big Hunter Valley winemaker, has gone into receivership. The company operates the Hermitage Estate and Elliots Oakvale vineyards in the Hunter Valley and its revenues for the year to last June were $850,000. Details in Finance: Page 33 Federal Government have asked the commission, on economic grounds, not to grant any increase. Mr Fraser refused to say when the freeze was likely to be lifted. He said he would prefer to "wait and see." "I believe the spirit will still carry on for some time," he said.

PAGE 2: NSW Cabinet to decide. PAGE 10: Editorial. TEL AVIV, Friday. Mr Menachem Begin, the right-wing leader likely to be Israel's next Prime Minister, said yesterday Palestine was just another word for Israel and called on Jews worldwide to help to settle conquered Arab territory. "We, believe this is the land of Israel it belongs to the Jewish people," Mr Begin said during a visit to the illegally founded religious settlement of Kadum on the West Bank of the Jordan.

The Kadum settlement was established without the approval of the Labour Government, which was defeated in Tuesday's elections by Mr Begins right-wing Likud Party. The, land has been considered a possible site for a Palestinian homeland jinked to Jordan. Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war, but Mr Begin and his followers claim it belongs to the Jewish people because their ancestors lived there in Biblical times. Asked if there would be more settlements like Kadum, Mr Begin said: "There, will not be any necessity for any so-called unauthorised settlements because the Government will call on young people here and abroad to come and settle the land." Mr Begin, a one-time gue rilla leader, said the 650.000 local Arabs could ask for Israeli citizenship or keep their old citizenship. Asked about President Carter's reference to the need for a homeland for the Pales tinians, he said all of Israel's political parties were opposed to it, except for the communists.

Meanwhile, Likud leaders began trying yesterday to form a coalition, and sources in the party said they could put together more than 70 Mr Shimon Peres, Israel's acting Prime Minister and leader of the defeated Labour Government, urges his party to decline to join a coalition. votes in the 120' member Parliament if the Democratic Movement for Change gives up its insistence on electoral reform and new elections by 1979. Otherwise, they said, they could combine the National Religious Party and two smaller religious groups and come up with a bare margin of 61 or 62 votes. "We want a strong Government that can take effective action," said Mr Simha Ehr-lich. the deputy leader of Likud, "not a Government that will depend on one vote." Today Mr Begin will hold his first meeting with the Acting Prime Minister, Mr Shimon Peres, since the elections.

He is expected to urge Mr Peres's Labour Party to join a coalition led. by Likud in spite of a refusal yesterday by Labour to enter such a Government. Mr Peres told a meeting of Labour leaders that the party had real differences with Likud. (AAP-Reuter) PAGE 7: Arab leaders meet hopes court wiU not raise wage rine Airport, said he believed employers would continue to observe the voluntary prices freeze regardless of the wage case outcome. The Full Bench of the Arbitration Commission will hand down its decision at 10.30 am on Tuesday.

Unions, have asked for a full flow-on of the 2.3 per cent increase in the Consumer Price Index for the March quarter. Private employers and the.