NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 10, 7 October 1907, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS

HON. J. A. MILLAR AND. LABOUR UN10N5..:..,-.....:.", . . (By Tolegrapli.-rress Association.) bufsedin, October 4.' ' Mr. R. Breeu,; Secretary of tho Otago Irades and Labour handed in his resignation', as ; such-this evening. Consideration .of. tho.'.matter was deferred until next meeting: Tho Council also passed the following lesolution-"That in the opinion of this Council the statement mado' by die Hon. J. A. IHllar, Ministor for Labour, recently at Wellington, to tile effect that anybody who had been any length of time at tho business knew how resolutions could be carried by tile unions, ono of ...which had .been recently passed at a meeting where thero were only -seven members present, is uncalled for, and this Council regrets that -lie should have so far forgotten himself as to cast reflection on the majority of ,SO. unions in this Dominion, to a large number of whom he owes ■ his present exalted position." CORNER .-IN,;.BOTTLES; . ' Dunedln, October 4. An unusual development has taken place in the local bottlo trade. Tho number of quart beer Lotties at present available in tho Dominion is limited, and considerable competition has hitherto existed' iii tlio 'bottling trades in.securing adequate"su'ppliris. In order that ea'fch';'firm''mi£ht "liavb" an equal chance, agreement was entered',-into: by different firms carrying on business in Dunediri someyears ago that no,, more than. Is.."per dozen would bo paifl..for. bottles.' So difficult has it been, of-late-to-secure adequate supplies," however,- 'that > this agreement has :.on several ■ occasions been . as.'.'much'.'as Is. ... Sd. per ' dozen being ' paid. Messrs. Thompson and Co. resented this action on tho phrt of other firms, and have adopted a system of retaliation'by endeavouring 1 to " corner" the bottle market. . Last night thoy advertised that' they were' prepared to pay :25.! Gd." per dozen for quart alp bottles, and to-day no fewer than 1000 dozens were delivered at their factory. Similar action is - being taken by tho, firm's branches in other parts of the South Island.

Dunedln, October'G. The corner in bottles is causing quito a flutter locally.' Up to 'the present Messrs. Thompson and.Co! have bought about 2000" dozen bottles" "at 2s.' Od. per dosan. . Mr.-, Kpastj. .of Messrs. Powley and Kcast, "hot'tiers, says that if the..fight .continues-.tho price of beer and stout must go up to Is., perhaps Is. Gd. .It is contended that under tho old agreement of paying Is. per dozei*?for< ibottlesy;-all 'importing was left .-to .throe firms,who were put to the exjienso, ,'of, from Is. Gd. to Is. Sd. per,..dqz(>n,.,)vliilo o.tli.er. firms wore securing bottles atxls. per. dozen. From all. .accounts, .the consumption of English ale is not so groat as formerly, this being assigned as one cause of shortage of bottles'." THE OPUNAKE SENSATION.., New Plymouth/ Oct. -'s;' Further developments - are probable in connection with»the Opunake tarring and feathering caso.' On Saturday Mr. Hill, the victim, wroto to the "Daily News" as follows':—; " Sir,—l hereby wish to stato most emphatically that""!' did not"" fail "to" swear to the identification of'tho accused in the Opunake tarring and feathering caso. .I..positively -deny.'the statement to that effect. I would also liko to 3ay I.; was'troatod' most unjustly at tho hands pf-somo of .the Grand Jury on that caso." This afternoon ' fourteen of the Grand Jurors -resident in town wero scon ; cac'i and every ono stated that. Hill, when , .under examination bv them, absolutely refused to identify tho accuscd as persons who assaulted him. Ho identified one of them as having ■ been in Mrs. Lister's house, but statod that this man had neither spoken to him nor so far as Hill was awaro had he taken any part in the assault. He also identified ono' of ■ tltti accuscd as having been in the lionso whero he (Hill)was. taken after tho assault, but distinctly stated that this.,man. had not assaulted him or'even' sjpokon to him. Of the fourteen jurymen who subscribed to tho" abovo facts; four wero amongst tho. minority who favoured returning .v'trno bill, solely on account of tho Jiidsn'ti direct cliargo. it is stated that, every ono of the jurymen will deny, Hill's .letter,,.to tho Press. Tile Grand Jurors stato that they are in an linenviablo-position in the matter. It is stated that neither thc'Judgo nor tho Crown Prosecutor is quite clear regarding tho purport of tne jurors'- oath, and whether they aro permitted to make public tho fnil facts of tho caso as presented to them by -tho chief witnesses under examination.