PERSONAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 460, 19 March 1909, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS.

Sir Joseph Ward, and tho Hons. J. Carroll, J. A. Millar, R. M'Kcnzic, A. W. Hogg, and D. Buddo will bo in Wellington to-day. Tho Hon. G. Fowlds is at Christchurch, tho Hon. Dr. Findlay at Dunedin, the Hon. T. Mackenzie at Owaka, and tho Hon. A. T. Ngata at Port Awanui.

Tho Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) is expected back from Lyttelton this morning.

Tho Hon. D. Buddo, Minister for Public Health, returned from tho Waikato yesterday.

Tho Rev. Dr. Gibb returned yesterday from a visit to Picton.

The Itev. Father O'Reilly returns by today's boat to Sydney.

The Rev. Dr. Capra, of Milan, leaves today for Sydney.

Mr. George Mathieson, of Mr. J. C. Williamson's managerial staff, has been recalled by cable to Sydney, ajid will leave te-day by the Mocraki.

Mr. F. W. Lang, M.P. for Mairukau, arrived in Wellington from the north yesterday. He leaves on the return journey tomorrow morning.

A Christclvurch Press Association telegram states that Mr. llitchio, Inspector of Schools for tho North Canterbury Education Board, is seriously ill.

Councillor A. S. Biss has decided not to contest the Mayoralty at tho forthcoming election, but he will probably bo a candidate for a seat on tho City Council.

It is notified in tho Gazette that tho appointment of Mr. Hwang Yung-Liang as Chinese Consul for New Zealand, at. Wellington, has been recognised.

Mr. D. Banks, clerk of tlio Magistrate's Court at Hawera, has resigned the position, and intends to commence the practice of law at Hastings. The resignation will ,take effect on April 30, and Mr. Banks will be succeeded by Mr. D. W. Mason, of Stratford.

Mr. D. M'Laren, M.P.,. has been appointed secretary of tho Labour Representation Committee as from the conclusion of tho first session of tho present Parliament. In tho meantime Mr. D. J. Conchio will perform the duties.

At a mooting of the Hawke's Bay Presbytery yestorday (a Press Association telegram states) it was roportcd that the Ror. Goorgo P. King, under call to Waipawa, had requested tho congregation to stop the procedure, as ho had elected to accept a call to tlio chargo of Pleasant Point, Canterbury.

Mr. H. L. Fowler, principal of tho Nelson Boys' College, accompanied by Mrs. Fowler, loft Nelson on Tuesday on a visit to England (says a Nelson exchange). During Mr. Fowler's' absence- Jlr. G. Lancaster will bo acting-principal, and Mr. C. 11. Broad housemaster.

Mr. G. F. Goo, who has retired from tho position of manager of the local branch of the National Hank of Now Zealand, leaves for Sydney by tho Mocraki to-day, in company with Mrs. Geo and family, en route for Englaud, on a prolonged holiday. Tho party will join tho Asturias at Sydney.

Colonel Mooro, of London, who with his daughter has been staying for some time at Rotorua, informed Mr. T. E. Donno that during their sojourn thero they caught no less titan a ton and a half of trout. Oolonol Moore expressed the opinion that there was no place like Rotorua and its surroundings in the world for trout fishing. He lias now gone- to Nelson for the deer-stalking season.

THE PRIAIE MINISTER.

CHRISTCHURCH DEPUTATIONS

SLAUGHTERMEN'S FINES,

(BT TELEOItAriI— I'ItKSS «SSOCIATION.I Chrlstchurch, March 18.

The Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) was interviewed' by deputations on matters of public importance to-day.

Mr. Taylor, M.P., introduced a deputation of slaughtermen of the Christcburch Meat Company's Islington works, who stated that

the company bad been asked by tho Labour Department to withhold payment of wages due to several men until tho amounts owing by them in respect of fines imposed on them in connection with the strike in tho slaughter-

ing trade two or three years ago were paid. Since the issue of the notice to the company

tho Department found out that it had mado an error, and now asked that only tho amount over and above £2 per week duo to the men should be deducted in satisfaction of unpaid fines. Mr. Taylor said the men only started work two or three weeks ago. Since the commencement of the slack season last September they bad practically earned nothing, whilst they bad run up a bill with tradesmen. They were willing to pay one quarter of the amount owing on tlie fines every fortnight until tho fines were wiped out. lie considered the Department's proceedings abrupt and severe. Questioned as to whether the Department had any right to make tho provisions of last year's amendment of tho Arbitration Act apply retrospectively in respect of tho collection of these fines, Sir Joseph Ward stated that ho did not think the Government would entertain tho suggestion that penalties imposed by the. Court should bo remitted. If such a course wore taken in respect to penalties imposed on tho workers, then employers would have an equal right to similar treatmen. If that were dono it would mean tho

preliminary stops to the abolition of the law. He saw no reason why in the present instance the men should not bo allowed to pay in easy stages. The Government wero far from being desirous to deduct from tho men's wages amounts .that would inconvenience thorn or.their families. He would bo prepared to recommend the Labour Department to accept one-fourth of each amount duo every pay day until tho whole of the arrearß were wiped out. Ho would telegraph to tho Minister and ask him to accept payment in

four instalments. A member of the deputation said he did not believe in the company deducting tho amount from wages. It would bo breaking away from the Truck Act. He wished to pay'the money direct to the Labour Department themselves. Sir Joseph said ho would includo a suggestion to tho effect mentioned in his telegram to

the Minister. Regarding Mr. • Taylor's point as to tho retrospective action of last year's amendment of tho Act, ho said ho was advised that such retrospective action was right, and that tho provision made in tho Act for tho collection of fines had been intended to act retrospectively, inasmuch as tho provision under tioncd took the placo of tho provision under tho previous Act imposing imprisonment. The provision in the new Act was not, properly speaking, retrospective. Tha Timbor Commission. Mr. Taylor introduced a deputation on a mattor connected with tho personnel of the Timber Commission. Mr. Goss said it had been understood prior to the appointment of tho commission that timber merchants would have two representatives on it, one representing tho North and tho other tho South Island. From tho personnel of tho commission ho took it that thoro was only one representative of tho timber merchants on it, Mr. Lcyland, of Auckland. If it wero too lato to alter things they would havo to stand, but tho deputation thought that they ought to protest against not having a South Island timber merchant on. tho commission.

Sir Joseph said ho would give every consideration to tho representations _ made by tho deputation on what ho recognised was a very important matter. Ho had not had a moro difficult task in his experience of commissions than tho setting up of tho Timber Commission. His original idea was to havo all interests affected represented, but from representations to him ho had found that to do _so would havo meant a commission consisting of over 120 members. Ho bad also found that there was to bo such diversity of opinion on tho subject of the representation on tho commission of different interests involved that ho had como to the conclusion that tho only solution of the difficulty was to havo a largo number of representatives of the people on it, so as to represent all classes of the community. The timber merchants had not been overlooked in tho appointment of tho commission. Mr. Leyland was distinctly a merchants' representative. _ On his roturii to Wellington ho would go into tho matter brought under his notice by the deputation, and would ascertain if tho Govornmont would he warranted in granting tho request made. He would let them have a reply by Monday at latest. Rearrangements of Departments.

Interviewed this morning by a "Star" reporter regarding tho rearrangement of Government Departments, telegraphed from Wellington, the Premier said:— "Tho guessing is most commendable, but no proposals of tho kind have been considered by tho Government, and I am not in a position to discuss them. I will not go into details, because they have not been considered. Ministers are scattered at present, and conclusions in regard to these matters cannot bo arrived at yet. The statement published is what you call 'kite-living,' I cannot deal with the subject until I mn,ko a public statement, which will not be for three weeks, or probably more. The statements published are not correct; they are merely a guess," Tho Financeo. Asked concerning tho country's finances, Sir Joseph Ward declined to make a statement, saying the accounts wore not ready yet for publication. In about three weeks' time ho would bo prepared to mako a statement that would be Tho Importer: "Startling"? Sir Joseph (smiling): ''Well, if not, startling, at any rato interesting."