TELEGRAMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 December 1918, Page 3

TELEGRAMS.

;j*Kll CRESS ASSOCIATION. COPYRIGHT.] THE MINISTER EXPLAINS. * WELLINGTON December 29. Some people expected that the signing of the Armistice would give an immediate fillip to public works hi New Zealand. Sir Wm. Fraser Minister of Public Works however said yesterday morning here that the armistice hn<l not yot- brought any new labour to this Department which was still three thousand short of what normally was needed for public works. He did not expect that the position could be much improved at present by the release of the men from the camps because ho expected that nearly all of these hands would he absorbed in town occupations and farming work. The soldiers who would return to New Zealand during the next three months would be mainly clearances from hospitals. Very few if any of them would be able to take up hard manual work. The embarkation of the fit men would not begin till the terms of peace were -settled. Sir William Fraser remarked that ne did not expect that much extra labour would he obtainable before the end of April or the beginning of May. Meanwhile lie said the rate of expenditure on public works was necessarily limited by the amount of labour avail able. RAILWAYS AND HOLIDAYS. WELLINGTON December 29. Tt is stated that as far as practicable, the Railway Department is making arrangements to meet the traffic needs for all the race meetings. A TERRIFIC HURRICANE. WELLINGTON, This Day. Details of the terrific hurricane which played havoc at Honolulu on December 3rd was brought to Wellington by u steamer which arried from Vancouver on Saturday. 'Hie captain states that a considerable part of the town was devastated, the damage being estimated at a million dollars. The city is paralysed industrially and soldiers had to start to work to clear the streets. The wind blew at the rate of SO miles an hour and trees were uprooted bv the hundred. The Captain adds that never in all his years of the Pacific has he weathered such a storm. GENERAL PAIT’S VIEWS. AUCKLAND. This Day. Speaking at a luncheon given by Dr Clearv, Roman Catholic Bishop a Auckland yesterday, General Pan sat. lie was not one of those who believed that with the Allied victory, the German menace had been finally slam. German miltiarists show no signs of repentance. Their regrets were for thenfailure, not for the wrongs they had perpetrated. Though defeated, tlm Germans would await the day of rc- , venge, and the world must needs be watchful. There was yet no sign of a change of heart. The Mission left for Rotorua last.