The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 5

THE AGE, Thursday 16 Sept 1982 -5 SCftHK -IW- wits the price of Bayin Union deal ends Show threat a Garden state ''t Kilolitre consumed up to 300 600 1000 600 400 Year The Royal Melbourne Show will open today without any disruption after a decision by employers yesterday to increase the hourly rate of some Show workers. About 15,000 Brisbane families covered by the Australian Theatrical and Amusement Employees' Association, decided to call stop-work meetings without notice unless their claim for a $2 increase was met. After a private conference in the Arbitration Commission yesterday, employers agreed to increase the $4 hourly rate to $6. The secretary of the union, Mr Peter Hull, said officials were seeking negotiations with sideshow operators to gain the same increase for a further 200 workers at the Show. The increase is likely to flow on.

PAGE 18: Show offers mors value; map of Showgrounds LEFT; Bob Owen, from Trafalgar in Gippsland is showing six Welsh mountain ponies. Mr Owen and ponies will be groomed to perfection. $143.60 $166.00 $211.00 $266.00 $300.00 $380.00 $86.60 $93.60 $126.60 $163.00 $180.00 $228.00 $71.26 $78.62 $106.60 $127.60 $160.00 $190.00 $68.14 $78.62 $89.86 $102.00 $120.00 $162.00 $88.14 $78.62 $89.85 $92.68 $103.96 $116.26 1978- 79 1979- 80 1980- 81 1981- 82 1982- 83 1983- 84 Our estimate TIM COLBBATCH There is no such thing as a' afree glass of water. Not any more, if you're a Melbourne resident consuming much more than the average amount of household water. The cost of wate for hous- holds using 500,000 litres or more a year has almost doubled since '1980.

And households with a habit of keeping their gardens well soaked will be paying dearly for it this summer. In the past two years the Board of Works has revised its water -charges dramatically to make the heavy users pay more. Someone in an average home using 500 Mlolitres a year (the board's way of saying 500,000 litres a year) have paid $78.52 for the privilege in 1979-80. If they use the sameamount this financial year they will be up for $150. By contrast, the owners of an -average home using about 300 kilolitres a year roughly the aVerage amount would find their bill up from $78.52 to $103.96 over the same period.

-That's an increase of $25.44 or 32 per cent, in line with inflation. A home of average value using -500 kilolitres or more will pay .92 per cent more this summer -than in 1980. And next year, when board charges rise yet Cagain, they face a further 27 per -cent rise. the drastic restructuring of charges began well before the board's present campaign to discourage people from wasting water during the drought, it fits "fo nicely with it. Some board en- Suicide rate doubles among the under 25s By MARY-LOUISE OXAUAGHAN The suicide rate among people under 25 has doubled in the past 15 years and, according to an Adelaide professor of psychiatry, the trend is likely to continue.

Professor Robert Goldney, who has been researching suicidal behavior at the Glenside Psychiatric Hospital in Adelaide, said that while the overall suicide rate was static in Australia, there had been a marked Increase among young people. "The total figures hide the fact that while the rate has bn dropping for the older age groups, that for the 15 to 24 age group has been on the increase." he said. Australian Bureau of Statistics records show that 107 people aged between 15 and 24 committed suicide in 1965, compared with 285 in 1980 the latest figures available. Professor Goldney said it was difficult to pinpoint the reason for the increase, but there were probably a number of factors. "Unemployment is often given as one of the major causes for the increase in suicides and attempted suicides by the young, but this is too simplistic," he said.

"Factors such as the changing child-rearing habits, the breakdown in the family, and the changing lifestyle of young people may also contribute." The professor said that there had also been a much sharper increase in the rate of suicide by young women than young men which could be linked to the breakdown in traditional sex roles. "We can't be sure, but it may be that the breakdown in sex rote barriers, with the consequent increased stress for some women, and discomfort for those who have chosen to remain the traditional roles, has led to this trend." Professor Goldney said that a form of statistical analysis called Cohort analysis, which has been conducted on Australian suicide statistics, indicated that the increase in suicides bv the 16 to 24 age group was likely to continue for some time. "It does look as If there may be further increases in the rate of suicides by young people In Australia, as there have been in the US and, without being able to pinpoint the causes, it Is difficult) to prevent such a trend," he said. "It is hard to identify the people who are likely to kill themselves, and those who are just 'crying for help'. And Che division Is a dangerous one because lots people who cry for help end up dying." Public Service in Perth cited on medifraud gineers believe no advertisements for water conservation have quite the effect of an excess water bill.

A board spokesman said terday the rising cost of water stemmed partly from the increased cost of borrowing, and partly from a re-examination of board finances. "People haven't been paying the true cost of providing their water in th past," he said. "We've adopted the user pays principle, that's all." Until recently, the board also building two large dams simultaneously Winneke (Sugarloaf) and the Thomson which is an expensive undertaking. In 1980-81 alone it spent $68 million on dam building. Water rates have to meet the interest on this borrowing as well as paying for the running of the whole system.

Calculating your water bill Is a mathematician's delight. Each of what has gone wrong with a lot of doctor The doctor was convicted and sentenced to three years prison and fraud involving a small sum, while in fact a very large sum was involved. Mr Lewis praised as good" the way the initial prosecution against Dr Low also dealt with by the Perth Crown Solicitor's office was handled. "It was, I think, only the second occasion, or perhaps the first occasion, when a doctor had received a substantive penalty," he said. Asked by the committee, Mr Lewis did not remember the name of the Deputy Crown Solicitor he had dealt with, but later forwarded, the name of Mr Mas-sie.

Mr Lewis also told the com mittee that a large number of cases of medical fraud had been referred to the police before 1978 which "in my view wer-s never The NSW investigation manager of Medibank Private, Mr the committee there had been several cases of alleged fraud "which did not seem to hit the light of day" after they reached the Commonwealth police. "There had been no sort of question as to whether he would voluntarily reimburse this. So we never actually got down to the question of discussing whether we should sue him, and how we should go about doing it." Mr Lewis said the Low case "is probably a typical example V. householder pays a water rate, which this year is 4.6 per cent of the net annual value (NAV) of your house. The NAV itself is 5 per cent of actual valuation of your house.

And to make things more complicated still, the current valuation is as at 1978. To put it another way, your water rate is currently 0.23 per cent of whatever your home was worth in 1978. The average home in Melbourne was then worth its water rate thus comes out at $103.96. But if your home was worth less than this you pay a lower rate. If it was worth more, you pay mora.

A home worth $30,000 in 1978 has a current water rate of $69. A home then worth $60,000 would be paying $138 as basic water rate. A home worth $100,000 in 1978 would now be paying a basic $230 this year. But the board also has a second way of charging you if you use more water than the rate pays for. It calculates the cost of water now at 30 cents per kilolitre.

If your total water bill on this basis is more than the rates you have paid, then you have to pay the difference as an excess water bill. There are two reasons for this sharp increase. One is that since 1980 the board's estimate of the cost of water in Melbourne has almost doubled from 15.5 cents per kilolitre to 30 cents. Next year it will jump to 38 cents. Secondly, Melbourne people have greatly increased their use of water in the past 10 years mostly by overwatering their gardens.

A Melbourne University botanist and gardening expert, Dr Tom Neales. has estimated that the average Melbourne garden gets almost twice as much watering as it needs. He says householders leave sprinklers running far too long 10 minutes is enough on the hottest day, much less on other days and waste water on paths and sloping or compacted ground. ALP denies claims on Nugan Hand gifts REG HUNT MEANS BUSINESS Ford Clearance Plane crashes at Bankstown SYDNEY. A iight plane which crashed at Sydney's Bankstown airport last night was so badly burned that investigators said they could not be sure of the aircraft's registration number, or of the dead pilot's sex.

The pilot was alone aboard the plane, and no one else was injured when the aircraft crashed on the tarmac at the north-east corner of the airport at 10.26 pm. A Transport Australia spokesman, Mr John Death, said the single-engined aircraft circled the airport Sydney's secondary field for as long as 10 minutes her fore crashing. No knights in book From STEPHEN MILLS CANBERRA. A "blue book" on organised crime was prepared by Australian Federal Police officers for the Williams Royal Commission on drugs, Parliament was told yesterday. The Administrative Services Minister, Mr Newman, confirmed that the book was an "intelligence briefing" which arose out of allegations about people who appeared before the commission or were investigated by it.

But he denied that it contained "evidence" involving any knights. The disclosure followed further attacks by the Opposition Leader, Mr Hay den, about the involvement of knights in organised crime. Mr Hayden has claimed that three knights are involved in organised crime. Yesterday, he said the information came to him from informal but reliable police sources, and had been raised with Mr Newman by him one evening in a private talRr in Parliament; made substantial cash donations to the ALP in NSW prior to the 1976 State election Mr Hodgman said it has been stated freely that many people within the ALP were relieved when news of the death of the chairman of the bank, Mr Frank Nugan, reached Sydney. Mr Hodgman said the bank had paid substantial amounts "probably in excess of $100,000" and had helped the ALP in its campaign "in the confident expectation that a Labor Government could be bought Mr Walker said that Mr Hodg-man's claims were completely unsubstantiated, and were typical of a desperate Government trying to divert attention from the.

scandal growing around the administrations of the Federal Attorney-General and Treasurer. From SIMON CLARKE SYDNEY. The New South Wales Attorney-General, Mr Walker, yesterday denied claims by the Minister for the Capital Territory, Mr Hodgman, that the collapsed Nugan Hand merchant bank paid thousands of dollars to the NSW Labor Party in 1976, the year the Wran Government came to power. 'Mr Walker said officers of the NSW Corporate Affairs Commission had checked the bank's records, and found the bank made no payments to the party that year. Mr Hodgman had told Federal Parliament on Tuesday that there was "a clear prima facie case that the Nugan Hand merchant bank 198081 XD FALCON PANEL VANS Immaculate condition 4.1 litre 6 cylinder vehicles.

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1.MCT657 r.nptnrv mm i MS i it i rv In August 1882 Australia won its first Test Series against England. The following morning, an obituary which was to be of lasting significance was published in the "Sporting Times" of 30 August 1882 "IN AFFECTIONATE REMEMBER ANCE OF ENGLISH CRICKET WHICH DIED AT THE OVAL 29th AUGUST 1882 Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintenances. R.I.P." "N.B. The body will be cremated and the Ashes taken to THE OFFER STRICTLY LIMITED To commemorate this historic event a special commemorative print has been reproduced by agreement with the National Library of Australia. Featuring an historic painting depicting the first fully representative Australian Team playing in England, each reproduction is mounted and framed, and is accompanied bv a certificate of authenticity showing the issue Surgeons talk of halving embryos to produce twins By PHILIlP MclNTOSH Microsurgeons in the future may be able to halve human embryos to produce identical twins in a spin-off from the invitro fertilisation programme, a leading medical researcher said last night.

This sort of "embrvo surgery" could be done already in animals to produce twins, the researcher. Professor Carl Wood, said. He said the technique imitated one of the natural processes in human reproduction which resulted in identical twins. Professor Wood said this was one of a number of new techniques that may be possible in future because of the programme, which has resulted in the birth of 35 babies in Australia including three sets of twins. In vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer now had a success rate of about 15 to 20 per cent per treatment.

The success rate depended on the number of embryos transferred. the pregnancy rate increasing from 7 per cent to about 30 per cent with the transfer of one. two and three embryos. Professor Wood said that one by-product of the transfer of multiple embryos was an increased risk of twins, the chance being about 10 times higher than in the natural system. However identical twins developed only from two halves of a single ovum, which is the first stage of embryonic development.

"Patients are pleased with the prospect of twins as most of them have been infertile for many years and are older than other parents, so the chance of establishing the family size in the one pregnancy is attractive," he said. Professor Wood, the leader of the Monash University Queen Victoria Medical Centre test tube baby team, and chairman of the department or obstetrics and gynaecology at Monash University, was delivering the second Geelong Lecture for 1982 at Dea-kin University. The fastest way to get a free number from 1-1500 and complemented by the hard to obtain Australia Post Ashes Centenary Obituary Envelope in attractive display set. FRAMING AND MOUNTING Carefully selected materials have been used in measure and quote on an A.R.C. Garden Fence is to call A.R.C.

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The elegant ivory mount complements the superior frame in rich grained oak-finish which is gilt-edged to higlilight the hues The original oil painting showing the artist's initials W.A.N, is held in the Rex Nan Kivell Collection of the National Library of Australia. or eacn magniiicani reproduction. Original size 3 0x5 Ocm Framed size 55.5x63cm Image size 38x50cm (identical size) BONUS Desk-Display set A magnificent desk and display set features Australia Post's 1982 ASHES CENTENARY OBITUARY ENVELOPE cancelled on the obituary centenary date ii- with a unique cancellation design. Pre- I Js AN INVESTMENT IN OUR HISTORY Your Ashes Centenary Print is one of a limited edition of only 1500. Each individually numbered print represents a rare opportunity to acquire a valuable asset of lasting historical significance.

Superior and high quality parchment ensure superb definition and fidelity of colours, rendering the print almost indistinguishable from the original. sented protective acrylic display and with embossed matching stationery, to complement your exclusive and unique THE ORIGIN OF THE ASHES English cricket teams visited Australia from 1860 and an Aboriginal team played in England in 1868. But it was not until 1878 that an Australian representative team went to England for what is now regarded as the second test. The most famous cricket match of all, however, was the match played at the Oval in London in August 1882, where the Englishmen were thoroughly beaten. The test was so exciting that one of the spectators dropped dead! Next year an English team came to Australia captained by the Hon.

fvo Bligh, later Lord Darnley, with instructions to bring back the ashes referred to in the "Sporting Times" Dbituary. The Australians, when beaten, burnt a cricket bail, put the ashes in an urn and presented them to Lord Darnley who bequeathed the "Ashes" to the M.C.C. To this day they remain permanently in the memorial gallery at Lords. Since that time England-Australia test series have become known as battles for the THE PAINTING The game depicted is a private match between the Australian Cricketers and Wilsher's Gentlemen at Chilham Castle in Kent. The match took place during the 1878 tour, which included the first official test match between the two countries in England.

The outstanding players for Australia were the demon bowler Frederick Spofforth and batsman bonus. THE ASHES CENTENARY PRINT 18824982 LIMITED EDITIOn) I Please forward my framed reproduction with certificate of authenticity and icenp onrl hrtniic at thf nmnlpt nriA 1 OA A-M. io SL II i SEND TO: AUSTRALIAN REGAL PRODUCTIONS 1 480 ST. KILDA ROAD, MELBOURNE, VICTORIA 3004. i Phone orders (03) 26 3715 (three.lines) I enclose El Cheque payable to Australian Regal Productions CERTIFICATE Your purchase is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity incorporating your limited edition number presented in its own attractive folder and embossed with your name.

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