VARIOUS DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 January 1921, Page 1

VARIOUS DOMINION ITEMS.

[by TEI.EGItAFH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION]

DAIRY FACTORY WORKERS

NEW PLYMOUTH, Jan 24

An application for an industrial award covering butter, cheese, and casein workers, iiled by the Taranaki Dairy Factories’ Union, and counter offers by the dajry companies were dealt with at a sitting of the Conciliation Council here to-day. The union asked for a week of six days and wages ranging from £5 Ids to £3 9s according to the size of the factory and number of vats worked. Tip. dairy companies’ counter proposals were 38 to 69 hours per week, according to season, spread over seven days, so that longer hours would he worked in busy times. The wages offer of the companies ranged from £4 12s ( to £3 9s. After an all-day discussion the. following basis of settlement was reached: —That the assessors for the employers agree to recommend to membeYs of their union that existing rates of wages paid hv the different Taranaki companies he not reduced pending a radical change in the market price of dairy produce, and if the companies agree, that no award he made and the dispute dropped.

MEDICAL PRELIMINARY

WELLINGTON, January Jo

The Hon. J. A. Hnnan, moved at a meeting of the Senate of the New Zealand University to-day: 'Hint included in the subjects which a candidate must pass at the Medical Preliminary Flamination should be the subject of science. and that a candidate should ho required to pass in six subjects.

The motion was seconded by the Hon l)r Collins.

The Hon. J. Anderson, Director of Education, moved the omission of the words involving the exclusion of Latin as a compulsory subject. Professor Hunter proposed that the matter he referred to a special Dunedin Committee to consider the whole question of entrance to the University. Professor McMillan Brown, seconding Professor Hunter’s amendment agreed that the English composition of many entrants showed that the standard had dropped below zero. Some of the answers given were perfectly infantile. Some might have been conceiv ed in a mental hospital. The - English was simply deplorable. The University would fall below a secondary school, except for a few brilliant students if this deterioration of intelligence was persisted in. The Chancellor urged that it would he unwise to raise* the entrance examinltirn too high. Both amendments were lost on the voices.

The original motions were adopted mid it was decided to refer them to the Hoard of Studies. CATTLE TICK PEST WELLINGTON. .Tan 27.. i lie following resolutions were carried liv the Dominion Executive of the Enrmers’ TTiion to-day:— “That this Executive, viewing with alarm the widespread area affected by cattle tick, and after hearing the Chief \ eterinary’s explanation of the regulations dealing with the matter, and that test eases are being taken in Court, wish to assure the Department of their hearty support in its determination to eradicate t’.ie pest.” “That, a Produce Commissioner he appointed to represent New Zealand in the world’s markets, his headquarters to he in London."

‘ That this meeting emphatically protests against price control |jn England and New Zealand of free meat, unless all other meat in the Old Country is similarly controlled, and that the Executive of the .Farmers’ Union be. aSked to take the matter up and bring if before the Government." FI HE IN A HOME. AUCKLAND dan 27.. Six girls in a dormitory of the Door jf Hope, Freeman’s Hay, were awaken'd shortly after midnight last night by a strong smell of smoke in their room. When Uk> brigade reached the scene the girls in their scanty night attire had ill escaped through the smoke and remained calmly outside with the stair and Mrs Drew, the Matron. The lire burned vigorously for a time.. All the lining hoards in the dining room together with a. settee and n valuable piano were consumed in the flames. It is estimated that the damage runs into some hundreds of pounds. The building is insured for £ I TOO and contents for £4OO in the Northern Insurance Company. THE BUTTER SUBSIDY. ' WELLINGTON, dan 25. The Dominion Executive of the Farmers’ Union resolved that the Executive consider that the principle governing the butter subsidy is economically wrong, and that the .policy of the Government after March 31 st should ho the abolition of all control in respect to the prices of primary products. KTRTPAKT MINERS, AUCKLAND, iTan. 25. » The workers in the Kiripaki Mine of the Northern foal Company appear to have abandoned the “go-slow” policy. The liquidator, Colonel TTolgatc, met the men yesterday at the mine, and they agreed to produce ovcrlOO tons of coal a day, and in the meantime to refer the “go-slow” issue to the Miners’ Federation for its decision. 'For the time being, the output of this mine will therefore be about normal. The liquidator of the Kiripaki mine to-night denied the statement that tin* “go-slow” policy had been abandoned at the mine. “I met the men, that is all,” he said.