HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 934, 29 September 1910, Page 5

HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

; j'Zy;./ "j, /- j : ; \ (Tron... Our. Special Correspondent.) : • . Last , evening a very enjoyable smokq concert was held at the Petone. Railway' Workshops, in honour of ' Mr. 'i'. \V. Brooker, who is .retiring -on superannuation,. after 14 years' connection with the ■ shops. During ; the evening, ilr.: Brooker . was the recipient. of a. handsome travel-ling-bag' from his fellow-workers.. . The following memorandum was sent yesterday by the Premier to Colonel l". the Chief of. Staff,; Defence Department ■ "1 desire to express iiiy, gratification at tho manner in which the troops marched through the .'streets on Dominion ■ Night. :. Their ..-military, bearing was. particularly .••Ofeditable, and I .shall.be glad if you will : 'convey-''-to'.\thB | .'.officers.'and : :.men' of the . : Territorials; my ippreciation: of .' their ;. ; splendid muster on. the occasion. ;I desire ..' to add. that, the appearance of the forces / in; the . Basin 'Reserve, and i the .'brilliant electric, searchlight exhibition which - was provided, combined to make a very imposing spectacle."::.; ; Mr. J. Townsend, secretary of the Marlborough Shearers'' Union, - writes "In referring to the -recent -■ arbitration award in tho shearers' case in Monday's issue of The Dominion", as regards previous rates, 18s: , per '100 -is set down as. the . ruling: rate for Marlborough ' province. This is not correct. For. tho past two 6casons ' the following -rates have been paidßlades (with one exception), - 20s. per 100; one blade shed, ,18s. and bonus '.of 2s. 'per 100.: .Eighteen' machine sheds paid . 18s. per 100. The, rest of the ma- : chine sheds paid 20s. per 100. There'are . in /Marlborough , about -750 sheepowners. Eighteen,- sheds,/ representing , about : 30 shcepowners, shore for 18s., or four per cent shore for less than the rate at pre- • 6ent asked for by' the shearers. I may , also point' out that Marlborough does not come under the award given ; by the Court in Wellington."