TELEGRAMS

Hokitika Guardian, 2 March 1920, Page 3

TELEGRAMS

(PEE PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPYP.TdHT. TWO GERMANS RELEASED. AUCKLAND, March 1. Two Germans who have been interned at Narrow Neck, A. W. Schultz, of Tonga ,and A. Natter, of Samoa, have been released and will leave for their homes by the ,Navua. Both men have families. The number of prisoners at Narrow Neck will now'be 17. POSTAL SALARIES. DISATISFACTION EXPRESSED. CHRISTCHURCH, March 1 The following resolutions were passed at a meeting of the North Canterbury section/of the Post and Telegraph Officers’ Association:— “That this meeting of Christchurch officers, while duly appreciative of the uast efforts to improve the status of the service, is yet quite dissatisfied with the scale of salaries. It considers that the maximum salary, compatible with the skilled nature of the work of officers of all grades, and with the exalted cost of living, should be considerably increased, namely, bv, a £75 increment. We also wish emphatically to protest against the maximum of £IBO, which is at present allotted to married men, and that the maximum should be increased to £255, and consider that means to afford this relief to officers should be obtained from an allround increase in charges for the services performed by the department on behalf of the public.” A further resolution was carried: — “That the meeting protests against the salary allotted to temporary employees, viz., 12s per day, for married or single officers, and we call upon the Government to increase tlie wages of all temporary employees to 15s a day.” RAILWAY MEN’S WAGES. CHRISTCHURCH, March 1. The following resolution was passed to-day at a mass meeting at Addington: “That this mass meeting of Addington workshop employees desires to express its profound dissatisfaction at the prolonged delay in making known JusticeStringer’s verdict in the recent inquiry regarding wages, and we urge the Executive to take immediate action and we will support them in whatever action they may take. A MYSTERY. WELLINGTON, This Day An Italian fisherman, named Bartoli do Stifano, about ten days ago picked up an open boat about a mile off Happy Valley. He towed the boat to Island Bay. So far no owner of the craft lias been found, and the police say the matter is a mystery. The boat is fourteen feet long, painted blue outside and inside. It lias no fittings. THE TAINUI CASE. DUNEDIN, This Day. The Tainui c i\se was resumed this morning, when further evidence for the defence was heard in the case n which Frederick John Needham, Shipping Manager, and Claude Smellie, Shipping Clerk, of the Gear Refrigerating Coy were charged with negligence. Tn the Tainui case, Archibald Walker, (Surveyor of Ships for Lloyds, at- Wellington), said he did not think it possible the disaster had been caused by the explosion in the stokehold. He had given the matter careful consideration, and had come to the conclusion that the origin of the explosion must have been on deck. Cross-examined lie said he know the benzine cargo put aboard the Tainui was had. Tf the shipping clerk saw the condition of the cargo, lie would expect him to notify his office, hilt not to interfere with the loading of the ship. A lister McLean Wright, (Chemist to the New Zealand Refrigerating Coy.,) gave details of the experiments. He had made, tests oP the absorbent quantities of kauri and other timbers with regard to benzne, and also to testing the explosive qualities of benzine. c t° n ' eluded that the explosion was caused by a naked light being thrown on deck. Gerald Fitzgerald, engineer, Wellington ,also expressed the opinion that 1 the explosion occurred on deck. /