The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 3

Th Sydney Morning HartlJ, Tntirs, Jan 5, 1978 Damas from; Govt knew of Arab blacklist bushfires assessed put it appears to iiave had little effect, says Anthony CANBERRA. The Government knew Arab nations had operated a blacklist for more than 20 years and that some Australian companies were on it, the Acting Prime Minister, Mr Anthony, said yesterday. at $2 million! The Insurance Council of Australia esjfl-mates that property worth $2 million w'ai destroyed by the recent Blue Mountains bush-fires. r-ss feiiiX However, the Government had never been told officially that certain companies were being boycotted. The blacklist appeared to have had no significant effect on the plans of companies trading in the area, he said.

warn flu The list carried a few surprises Some companies expressed surprise yesterday that they had been included on the Arab blacklist. Several said they had never dealt with Israel, others that they stopped trading with Israel years ago. Some companies on the list have not operated for- some time and some believe they are on the list because their British or American parent or sister company traded with or operated a subsidiary in Israel. The local assemblers of Toyota vehicles, Australian Motor Industries Ltd, of Port Melbourne could not understand why they were on the list. "We don't export at all and we have not been trading with Israel.

We have no idea what it is all about," a spokesman said. Inclusion did not surprise the Ford Motor Company and Ford Sales Company of Australia, whose spokesman said: "We are "No Australian companies iave' asked the Government make specific represen-ations on their behalf on the pounds of their trading ictivities in the Middle East laving been adversely affect- Mr Anthony was com-nenting on reports on Wednesday that 73 Australia companies and organi-ations have been blacklisted )y Arab States because of heir dealing with Israel. He said that quite a number of the companies prob-ibly were on the list because. neglected to respond to itiestionnaires sent to them the Arab boycott office. "It could well be that these could initiate their Dwn inquiries and resolve their own positions- in respect jf the boycott," he said.

Government had never endorsed the Arab ac-i'on and stood by the normal conventions of international trade. Serious force would see a resolution af the boycott matter coming only through a full settlement the Middle East involving all the countries," Mr Anthony, said. Trade officials say that although the blacklist has operated since 1948, it has been a serious force only since oil prices rose dramatically after the Middle East war in 1973. In practice, the boycott does not affect companies which trade with both sides. According to the officials companies which invest in Israel, exchange technology in the form of joint ventures or agreements or com The council's NSW regional director, Mr John Kidd, said yesterday that this amount was based on the value of insurance claims and assessors' reports on uninsured and under-insured damaged property.

Mr Kidd said the big claims from residents who lost everything were settled within a few days. Claims for minor damage were still being processed in some cases. Insurance payments ranged from a few hundred dollars to replace a burnt fence, to $30,000 and $40,000 on fully insured properties on which house and contents were destroyed. However, the fire bill does not stop here. Fire-fighting units must repair equipment and replace lost gear, Baulkham Hills Shire Council might have to contribute $6,000 towards these expenses, according to the shire's fire control officer, Mr Lionel Smith.

Bushfire relief money is continuing to come in. More than $15,000 has been given to the Blue Mountains Mayoral Relief Fund, which started on December 16. A subsidiary fund begun by Blacktown Council on December 21 has raised about $616, including a council donation of $500. A cheque for $1,225.34 was presented yesterday to the Mayor of the Blue Mountains, Alderman E. Lesslie, as chairman of the committee organising the Blue Mountains Mayoral Relief Fund.

The money was collected at Sydney CBC bank branches. Many public transport commuters who did not have to pay rail or bus fares in last month's industrial dispute donated their "fare money," ranging from 30c to $2. Mr E. Silver, manager of the bank's branch at the Vestfield Shoppingtown, Parramatta, organised the appeal. The cheque was presented at his branch.

Mr Silver said many commuters also left electrical appliances, toys and clothing for the appeal. Alderman Lesslie said a coroner's inquiry into the bushfires would probably be conducted within a month. Service today for manager A memorial service will be held in Sydney today for Mr Reginald Levisohn, die husband and manager of the entertainer Winifred Atwell. Mr Levisohn, 57, died suddenly of a heart attack last Thursday while on a trip to Hong Kong. He had managed Miss Atwell since the beginning of her career.

They were married for more than 30 years. The service will be held at the Church of England, Narra-been, at 1 1 am. Drought relief CANBERRA. The Australian Government will provide 5,000 tonnes of wheat as emergency food aid for Afghanistan, which is in the grip of widespread drought, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Peacock, announced Mr Anthony panies whose directors are closely involved in promoting Israel are liable to the listed. The Department of Trade regularly advises companies dealing in the Middle East of the conditions laid down by the Arab League.

The ultimate decision is up to the companies. The conditions are seen as just another element that traders must consider in the general trade environment of the area. For companies doing business in the area, the blacklist causes more documentation. Certificates have to be issued by Arab embassies or consulates. In Western Australia, the Chambers of Manufactures and Commerce are empowered to issue the required papers certifying the country of origin and country of destination of the goods.

The departments of Trade and Foreign Affairs do not keep a comprehensive list of Australian organisations oh the blacklist. Neither department has made official representations in international forums or bi-lateral talks on the boycott issue. Boycotted firms in Melbourne said yesterday they had received "threatening" letters from the central boycott office in Damascus about 10 years ago but largely ignored them. Mr Hartley said the latest company to join the 73 Australian companies boycotted would be a leading Melbourne meat exporter which had been trading with Israel. A company could get off the list by making an undertaking not to trade with "the other side," he said.

Amid the greenery of Hyde Park, Gerard Havekes' sculpture of three figures set the stage for the Kinetic Energy Dance Company yesterday. Dressed as snakes and wearing striped costumes, the dancers used the sculpture as a focal point for their unusual environmental dance. The entertainment was presented as part of the Festival of Feedback 'no secret' Drought areas wait for adequate rainfall Little benefit yet MELBOURNE. A former Victorian secretary of the ALP, Mr Bill Hartley, said yesterday 'that he and "friends abroad" co-operated from time to time 4o prepare lists of companies to be boycotted by the Arabs. Mr Hartley, a freelance journalist, said from Perth it was no secret that details of Australian firms trading with Israel Were fed back to Arab States by friends in Australia.

A strong supporter of the Arab cause, Mr Hartley said this information was used to compile trade boycott lists. Alderman Lesslia Prisoner said he intended to kill, I court told A prisoner. Peter Schnei- das, 20, appeared in Parramatta Court veuflav charged with wounding aTjail waraer, victor Brian Sulli van, at Parramatta Jail on New Year's Dav with the tcntion of murdering him. The police prosecutor, Sergeant D. Cluff, told the court that Schneidas began serving a sentence of three years- and nine months last October.

His address was given as Bennett Street, Bondi. Sergeant Cluff said that Schneidas was transferred from Long Bay to Parramatta on December 71. The following day he secreted an iron bar and later told police he had intended to kill a warder. Sergeant 'Cluff said. He said Schneidas had come from behind, striking the warder on the head and knocking him to the ground.

A warder in an observation tower had seen the attack and called to Schneidas to stop. Sergeant Cluff said that when Schneidas refused, the warder had fired a warning shot into the ground nearby. The prisoner fled but was later restrained in another section of of the jail. He had thrown the bar away. Schneidas told Mr R.

J. Bar-tley, SM: "I am having harrass-ment at Katingal (the maximum security section of Long Bay jail). "The officers are trying to poison me." He said that he feared he "would be killed" while in jail. "I have to get in touch with my barrister," Schneidas told we magistrate. Schneidas was refused bail and remanded to the same court on February 9.

No plea was taken. Conscience money The Deputy Commissioner at the Australian Taxation Office's NSW section has received $140 in conscience money. Mlldara are pteased to announce the release of their 1977 Coonawarra Rhine Riesling. Fresh and crisp, with a joyous burst of flavour across the palate, Mildara' '77 vintage Coonawarra Rhine Riesling Is ready for your table now. MILDARA Master Wlnemaken nttbfU.UympM.1 BR772 rain in the area for three months.

This week there had not been nearly enough rain and 50mm of good, steady rain was needed to provide any real benefit. North-western areas of NSW are drying out badly and are facing a worsening drought situation unless normal summer or autumn rains fall. The Department of Agriculture's sheep and wool officer at Morce, Mr Bill Perry, said the biggest problem was with stock water-supplies, as there was generally no shortage of feed. There had been about 9mm of rain around Morce on Tuesday but the barometer was rising and no more rain was forecast. short of water in farming areas and the rain would be of great benefit in replenishing their domestic tanks.

But there was not enough rain to mean any difference to the serious problem of stock water-supplies in many areas. An unusual situation existed in the district, he said. Further good, heavy rain was needed but too much could destroy the nutritive value of the dry stock feed, which would present another problem. It might be easier to cart feed than water, but the feed cost a lot more. Farmers who had adequate stock water-supplies would probably prefer no more rain until February, he said.

Mr Ranee said the district had suffered a series of very dry to drought seasons and a good autumn break was essential to avert a disaster. The Pastures Protection Board veterinary inspector at Tamworth, Mr Bill Harding, said there had been no good New-born baby found in bushes near Lodge CANBERRA. A newborn baby girl, found under bushes near the Lodge yesterday afternoon, was in a serious condition in the intensive care nursery at Woden Valley Hospital last night. A woman who had been walking her dog found the baby wrapped in a torn bed sheet after hearing cries from the area, about 200 yards east of the Lodge, near the intersection of National Circuit and Hotham Circuit. Doctors believe the baby was born yesterday, and that she would have died if left in the open for very long after nightfall.

The woman took the baby to the Commonwealth Police on guard at the rear of the Lodge, who kept the baby warm until an ambulance arrived. The baby girl was found soon after 5. IS pm, Police searched the area and interviewed residents, but had not identified her late last night. Detective-Sergeant Tom Lack, who is in charge of the investigation, said detectives were anxious to talk to anyone who might help them identify the baby or its mother, who may need medical treatment. The baby weighed 3kg, Sergeant Lack said.

When admitted to hospital she was suffering from exposure. A spokesman for the hospital said she was responding to treatment. NEW YEAR SALE All Stock Reduced 10 to 50 until JANUARY 14 ONLY included because of what Ford US has done in Israel. Every rota subsidiary company is on the list. Ford Australia has not done business in that market for more than 10 years." Mayfair Hams and Bacon Ltd.

in Sydney was "as amazed as anyone else" at its inclusion. Bliss Welded Products Pty Ltd, of Milperra, a maker of machine tools, said its American partner, E. W. Bliss, had owned a subsidiary company in Israel until the late 1960s, but "we have never been involved in trade with Israel from Australia." A spokesman for three Australian subsidiaries of a British-owned firm which dis tributes earth-moving equipment, Blackwood Hodge (Aust) Pty Ltd, Euclid Wagon Hirers (Aust) Pty Ltd and Hunsbury Machinery (Aust) Pty Ltd, said he could see "no special reason why we should be blacklisted, though our company may well distribute in Israel, or perhaps have an Israeli subsidiary, as it is a world-wide concern." One of the companies no longer operating is International Factors (Aust) Pty Ltd of Sydney which was taken over by AGC (Factors) Ltd in 1968. A spokesman said AGC had no dealings with Israel "so we should not be on their list." A spokesman for Pioneer Concrete Services Ltd, of Sydney said the company was on the list because, since 1963, it had had a subsidiary company operating in the quarry and pre-mix concrete industry in Israel.

A director of and R. Gun Traders of George Street, Sydney, Mr Bennett, said they stopped dealing with Israel 10 years ago. "We were involved importing sporting gun powder from them ann at mat stage any trade was frowned upon by the Arabs. Perhaps that's why we are still blacklisted." The chairman of Ready Mixed Concrete Ltd, Mr N. Pardoe said yesterday his company was not connected with two similarly named companies on the list Mobile Ready Mixed Concrete Pty Ltd and Universal Ready Mixed Concrete Ltd and was not on die list itself.

Exchange of ambassadors PANRFRRA A.i.lrali, and Libya have agreed to ex- The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Peacock, issued the text yesterday of a joint communique announcing the exchange at ambassadorial level. Anti Mr David Gordon, founder and director of a voluntary drug treatment group in Sydney, WHOs (We Help Ourselves), resigned yesterday, accusing the State Government of having miscalculated the drug problem. His resignation is the second major blow for the group, whose newly opened centre at Blacktown closed down at Christmas. Mr Gordon, a former alcoholic and drug addict, set up WHOs 51 years ago with a counselling centre at North Sydney. The group claims to have de-toxed or "dried out" almost 1,000 young drug-users.

Mr Gordon said the attitude of the Government had frustrated and disgusted him. "I have done as much as I can possibly MILDARA Coonawarra Rhine Riesling Cnr King a Gorg in King Gorg Tower Arcode. A Compere changes channel 77 Vintage Release 21 By the Land Editor Farmers will benefit little from light-to-heavy rain which has fallen over much of rural NSW in the past two days. While farmers welcome any rain in their parched properties, so far there has not been nearly enough to break the severe drought which still grips most of the State. Many areas had local thunderstorms on Tuesday night and yesterday, with some fairly heavy falls.

Generally, rain fell in the central coastal and Tablelands districts nearby, along the Northern Tablelands and in the southern half of the South-Western Slopes and adjacent Riverina district. Highest reported falls in the 24 hours to 9 am yesterday included 153mm at William-town and 108mm at Maryville both in the Hunter district, 47mm at Wollongong, 30mm at Bonalbo on the Northern Tablelands and 20mm at Tam-worth. Rain in the badly drought-affected South-Westcrn Slopes and Riverina was scattered, with the highest falls being 18mm at Henty, 13 mm at Urana, 10m at Culcarin, Adc-long, and Junee and 12mm at Albury. According to the regional director of agricultural extension at Wagga, Mr George Ranee, 16.6mm of rain was recorded at Wagga from midnight on Tuesday to 3 pm yesterday. Some people-were desperately flooded with narcotics (heroin and cocaine)." The group operated at North Sydney for 18 months.

It ran centres for a year each at Mos-man and Wollongong. With the closure of Blacktown, its service was now confined to two operations at Cronulla. Mr Gordon said he would continue as director until a replacement was found. Saddened The secretary of the Drug and Alcohol Authority in NSW, Mr Brian Stewart, said yesterday Mr Gordon's resignation had surprised and saddened the drug campaigner FOR A PERFECT HOLIDAY A few farmers had shot cattle which became bogged in bore drains. These cattle were considered too poor in condition to recover.

Farmers can claim $10 a head compensation under the livestock slaughter scheme if government officials inspect the animals before shooting. Mr Couchman in the same salary bracket as Don Lane and Bert Newton about $50,000 a year. The Peter Couchman Show, which will begin early next month, has been modelled on the top-rating American late night program, the Johnny Carson Show, and will run for between 75 and 90 minutes. esigns The authority has begun considering 36 applications for grants ranging from $3,000 to $300,000 for programs to combat the drug and alcohol problems. They include a combined request from WHOs for $153,000.

Mr Stewart said an announcement on aid for drug-treatment groups could be expected after State Cabinet met on January 17. The applicants included church and community-based organisations, and individuals engaged in research. They asked for aid in meeting operational costs, education programs and research, and the general extension of facilities. Mr Stewart said the authority honed to know soon how muai money the Government would be prepared to allocate for distribution. The Foundation for Research and Treatment of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence had sought the biggest grant $300,000.

ALL MEALS 4 DAYS $77 Problem miscalculated MELBOURNE. The ABC's This Day Tonight compere in Victoria, Peter Couchman, has resigned to take up a new role with Channel 0. Mr Couchman has been compere of TDT since February, 1975. At Channel he will compere a lute night variety talk program four times a week. The move is expected to put mtthnritv.

The ornun mioht cnl- Inpse without Mr Gordon, whose tremendous dedication had carried it. The State Government granted the group $20,000 last June. However, the group's budget for the current financial year exceeded $80,000, according to Mr Gordon. Mr Stewart said he understood the group also received gifts from Cronulla businessmen and that clients paid to live at the group's centres. He said the Government was not solely interested in marihuana.

A $100,000 drug diversionary project had begun last year at Bourke Street, Sydney, especially for narcotics addicts. by Govt, he contends Thtt offtr from ifttr BraAtot Monday tHI after Brukfwt Friday. Beautiful 52-acre Garden Estate Private 9-Hole Golf Course Filtered Swimming Pool Tennis Courts Cabaret Night Scenic Drives HOTEL CRAIGIEBURN BOWRAL Booking: Sydney 29 430S; Bowril (04a) 61 1277 During January and February bookings are being accepted for seven days and longer at the above reduced daily rate of 1 9.25 per day. Sr CoOMtttf -J i totem -v y. do without assistance," he said.

The group's dealings with Government bodies had been a "sad history of lost submissions three in three years." "I have no faith left whatsoever," Mr Gordon said, claiming that the public was headed for a big shock this year over the drug problem in Australia. "It will be like standing at the bottom of a 40-storcy building, trying to catch the bodies falling." He praised the NSW Royal Commission into Drug Trafficking. "But it's ridiculous that this inquiry should get bogged down with the marihuana scene at Griffith when the country is PHONE NOW! C127S '4.