TELEGRAMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 July 1921, Page 4

TELEGRAMS.

VARIOUS DOMINION JTEMS. i [BV TELEGRAPH— £>ER PRESS ASSOCIATION] j I AN APPEAL CASE. WELLINGTON, July 13. The Court of Appeal continued this afternoon the hearing of an appeal in the case of Gotten ancl others against Sutherland. Mr A. M. Myers for respondent (Sutherland) contended that the list of officers issued by the Telegraph Department in 1920 was just as much, and no more a classification than the list issued in 1919; and if there was an appeal from the- 1919 list as the department admitted, there must he a right to appeal from the list of 1920. Alternatively he contended that if the Court should hold that the 1920 list was not a. classification list, hut merely a list of officers the Chief Justice was right in holding as he did that the list involved a determination regarding Sutherland’s salary, and on that ground the right, of appeal lay. After Mr MacGregor had replied the Court reserved its decision. MODERATING WAGES. AUCKLAND, July 13 The attitude of the Arbitration Court in regard to applications for increases in wages was- the subject of a staie>ment by Mr Justice Frazer, during the hearing of the watchmakers’ and jewellers dispute at Auckland. The Court could not bo expected to do anything really drastic in altering wages at the present time, his Honor said. It realised, however, that in some cases old awards were not up to the present standards, and it had to Isear that fact in mind. It had already said that where old awards wore not up to the present standard, in any branch of industry or any series of industries the Court had always taken that fact into consideration in making a new award. At the same time, of course, it was quite clear that the days of very big increases had been suspended at all events for the present, although they might come again. The Court never intended it to lie thought that all old awards were to lie stereotyped and not altered.

UNEMPLOYMENT. CHRISTCHURCH. July 13 The local bureau of the Department of Labour and tin- local office of the Repatriation Department between them mi Alondav sent about, twenty men to the Public Works Department’s road works at Foster’s Cutting, between Waipara and Cheviot. Another lot will he sent up .shortly, and during the next fortnight a total of fifty men will bi> absorbed on this and other road works in North Canterbury. On Alonday there still Mere on the Department of Labour’s list a total of -VI men seeking work ; there were also 10 men who want light work. There are fifteen men engaged at present on forestry work at Ila inner Springs. When the accommodation for those men (at present being erected) is available, mor; men will b<> sent to this work. Last week the Department of Labour placed fourteen men in private employment. Special endeavours are being made by Hn> Canterbury Progress League’s organiser to hasten the setting up of the committee jo deal with unemployment, and lie lias already received advices lroin several of the public bodies and organisers interested offering their supnoil and nominating their representatives. DUNEDIN. July 11 The Dunedin office of the Labour Department- reports 99 applications on the unemployed register, as against. 93 on the same clay of last week. The Repatriation Office had to-day 111 names on its hooks, 32 of these having dependants. The greater proportion of the applicants are unskilled, hut lately the officer in charge of the Repatriation Office has been dealing with artisans from the Old Country, mostly engineers, who in their apprenticeship were specialised, and on coming to Dunedin found positions, but cannot hold them on account of their lack of all-round knowledge.

ELECTRIC SCHEME. WELLINGTON, July 12 Two representatives of the Aknroa Borough Council waited upon the Alinister of Public Works in regard to the proposal that the Power Board should take over the power plant installed by the borough. The deputation was not open to the Press, hut it is understood that the Minister, was asked not to approve of the purchase, hut that he stated that as everything was in order, he could not withhold his consent.