TELEGRAMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 January 1922, Page 4

TELEGRAMS.

[JIY TELEURAi-fl—I’ER WUSSS ASSOCIATION

SALARIES OF THE JUDGES. "A CONTRACT FOR LIFE.” WELLINGTON,, January 27. During the debate in the Legislative Council of the Public. Expenditure Ad justment Bill, the Hon J: Mae&rego expressed, the opinion that the salarie of Judges should have been reducei as well as other salaries. He baliev ed' that the Judges would have cc» sented. Sir Francis Bell' interjected that th Judges had offered to accept a redm tion. ! Returning to the matter in tl course of his reply at the conclusic of the debate, Sir Francis Bell sa, that the Judges had: offered in th qonse^; that they had. enquired ( him, a s Attorney-General whether communication would* fife proper o their part. He had said that it wou be most improper. That was his a ] swer, and he adhered to it. The G vernment had refrained from touchi 'the Judges’ salaries not because the was in the law a provision agan diminution of a Judge’s salary duri his term of office, but because t provision was right and just and’ : > cessary for the protection of the peo ’ fn their possession of a free and dependent judicature. His Excellei > the Governor-General had made a d 1 nite request that if circumstances quired: lie should be treated not oth - wise than s the public servants w - treated. The Government had reg; ed the case of. the Governor-Gene j as being like that- of the Judges w f whom there was a contract- with Governor-Genertl for. his term of off , and there was just as much necess i ito safeguard this undertaking a a th was admittedly to exempt from - operation of the Bill other contra . made for a definite term abroad.

POLICE FORCE ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, January 27. As a consequence of the controversy which has taken place on the subject of salary reductions, it is understood that; there is a feeling of discord between members of the police Force Association. A meeting of the "Police Force Association is to be held next week, when tho question of retrenchment will he discussed, ag well as the resignations of certain members of the executive.

The reasons actuating the executive members in sending in their resignations are not disclosed, but it is believed that, dissatisfaction is felt at the attitude taken up by the Public Service. Association over the matter of retrench nont as it affects the police.

There is a likelihood that the Police Force Association, will, at its meeting consider a Droposal to sever its connexion with the Public Service Association, on which it has representation.

ITINERARY OF H.M.A MELBOURNE.

WELLINGTON, January 26. Following is the revised itinerary of H.M.At.£k Melbourne: - January 28th.—Depart from Auckland.

January. ?otu. —Arrive at Wellington depart February 3rd,

February, 4th.—Arrive at Lyttelton depart. February 7th. February Bth.—Arrive at Dunedin, depart February 12th.

PRINCESS. MARY. HER GIFT BOXES BURNED. WELLINGTON, Jan 28. Sir, Heaton. Rhodes, Minister for Defence, stated in Parliament that he found that the reply he gave the other day to a question that none of tho Princess Mary gift boxes had been given to soldiers in ther hospital was not correct. He wa.s informed, that some of the boxes had been placed in the iiir ci aerator. Mr Wilford: Three thousands. These gift boxes, explained, tho Minister, were not the property of the New Zealand Government, but of tho Imperial Government; and that Governmen had instructed that the surplus boxes should he destroyed, so as not to lessen tlieir value to the proper recipients. Acting under these instructions they were destroyed, but the poncils were given to the men in hospitals. The surplus silver medals had for the same reason been broken up and the metal sold.

LABOUR MEETING’S RESOLUTION DUNEDIN, Jan 30.

At a mass meeting yesterday, called by the Labour Party, after an address by Mr Ayrton, General Secretary, a resolution was carried: —This meeting of representative citizens emphatically con demns the action of Government in imposing on the public service a drastie reduction of salaries and 1 wages; and further that in its opinion the policy reducing salaries and wages in preference to increasing taxation on unearned incomes is class legislation, and oonr tra.ry to the will of a majority of this country.