TELEGRAMS

Horowhenua Chronicle, 16 January 1914, Page 3

TELEGRAMS

[PER, PRESS ASSOCIATION.] ENGINEERS BALLOTING. Wellington, This Day. It is understood that a ballot • is being taken by the members of the Marine Engineers Institute, to decide whether the branches of the institute in Wellington and Auckland should be separated from the main body. The ballot is said to have been ordered by the Executive Council of the Institute at Sydney to satisfy some Australian" members who dissented from the action of the New Zealand members with re--, gard to the late strike, and other matters. It is understood that a fourfifths majority is required to bring the proposed separation about. The ballot should be completed about the end of March. Another rumour is that the engineers are taking a ballot regarding the working agreement which exists with the members of the Merchant Service Guild. A desire to cancel the agreement is said to have manifested itself among some members of the Engineers' Institute. DISTRESS. Auckland, This Day. There is much distress amongst the married men who went. on strike in Auckland, and since then have been unemployed. The money in the hands of the Strike Committee is far from being sufficient to relieve the pressing cases of distress, and small sums are being paid out to prevent actual hunger. No attempt is made to assist the strikers to pay their rent, and bailiffs have been put in possession of numerous houses. Some of the tenants have been evicted, but there is no case reported of agents taking possession of the furniture. INCREASING VALUES. Auckland, This Day. Auckland City valuations (including the new wards of Parnell and Arch Hill) show an increase in the past year of £1,239,000. Excluding the new wards the increase is £T ; 50,019. lhe capital value of Auckland City is now £15,885,860. SMALLPOX AGAIN. Hamilton, This Day. i Owing to the occurrence of several cases of smallpox in the Lower Waikato district, the Health Department has found it necessary to again enforce _ the restrictions on Maoris travelling bv rail, and in other public conveyances in the Waikato Hospital District. Before being permitted to travel all Maoris must produce a certificate of successful vaccination. IMPROVING PALMERSTON. Palmerston N., This Day. j A start has been made with the work of installing the conduct system in the local telephone service, and the present maze of wires in the Square will be put underground, leaving only the telegraph wires overhead. It will considerably improve the appearance of the Square. The system is also to be extended through all the principal' streets. THE AUSTRALIAN TEAM. Christehurch, This Day. Sims says that he organised the tour because he knew that the New Zealand Council had failed in the last two or three years to get an Australian team to visit New Zealand. A great deal of misunderstanding exists regarding the Board of Control's attitude, to this team. Js was_ not the first private one to tour New Zealand, and the Rev. Waddy now has a team in Colombo. Tho Board had not declared its consent to be necessary, but it might be desirable that he should have supplied all information to the Board, and presumes from the absence or replies that the Board does not attach great importance to the

point. . The team is no I .yet complete