TELEGRAMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1922, Page 3

TELEGRAMS.

! 11V TEI.EG ItAFU —I’KK CHESB ASSOCIATION

MR MASSEY AND B.A.W.R.A

A STATEMENT DENIED

WELLINGTON, April 4. “T note,” said the Prime Mimstiv. lc-day, “a Press report of an at tordinner speech by Sir A. Godlfinch, chairman of the British'Board of 8.A.W.R.A., in which ho is reported as having stated that “He had heard rumours of a certain secret meeting at Bradford behind closed doors, at which the Prime .Minister of New Zealand had been almost sulphurous in condemnation of B.A.W.R.A. ’ “I must,” added Mr Massey, ’‘confess sin prise at the suggestions i f a secret meeting. I did at'end t. ivo public functions at Bradford, which were given to me by way of welcome from three different sections of the community. Let me say at once that I attended no secret meeting behind closed doors at Bradford, but I did meet there a number of gentlemen engaged in the wool trade, in the wool exchange and elsewhere, in the ordinary way, and gained from Llirm mud useful information. 1 did not meet Sir A. Goldfinch, and 1 should not under the circumstances attach much importance to this statement of his, but for the fact that 1 cannot allow the idea to become current that 1 was at any time opposed to I . A.W.H.A. In my.opinion B.A.W.R.A. has done excellent work. 1 certainly criticised the methods adopted hv those responsible to the Imperial Government for the disposal of their wool, in so far as these methods were likely to result in a large carry-over of unsold wool, and after experience has proved that this criticism was fully justified, and I am very strongly of opinion that the person principally responsible for these methods was Sir Arthur Goldfinch.”

OIL-STORAGE IN WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, April 4. Recently I gave an account of the extensive oil storage tanks erected b,v the Vacuum Oil Company at Miramar Apparently Wellingtin is going to he the centre for crude oil storage in New Zealand, for now it is announced that the British Imperial Oil Company has bought 271 acres of land, also at Miramar, for the purpose cf erecting thereon extensive works for the handling o! residual oil, petroleum spirit, lubricants, etc.

Petroleum and residual oil will he brought to Wellington from the Sumatran fields in hulk, in specially constructed tank-boats, of which the company has several. The tankers would berth at the Miramar wharf and the oil would be pumped to the works, where it would be prepared for Hie market. In many instances it will be possible hi disliilmte petrol to eonsinners without t!u» uofessity <»i supplying expensive tins. It is not cerium yet when a start will be made with the construction of the tanks and buildings. When the works are in full swing, work will he found for about 120 permanent employees. Now that so many warships and mercantile vessels consume liquid fuel, the Miramar tanks will constitute an important link in the Imperial Government’s chain for the defence of the Pacific.

.MT. RUAPEHU ACTIVE. WANGANUI, April (?. A party, which included Mr Salt, president of the Ruapehu Ski Club, returned to Wanganui to-day from a visit to the mountain. They report that the lake in the eraior i, s showing a considerable activity. It is streaked villi sulphur stains, and there are spiral steam jets rising from tlie surface of the water. The must remarkable development is the formation of a lingo cave in the southern ice wall. Into this cave the lake now appears to lie overflowing. This i :ive was first noted some month., ago, but it was then of small size.

PROPOSED WAGE CUTS. OBJECTION BY LABOUR UNIONS. WELLINGTON, April 6. A representative meeting of all the trade union organisations of Wellington was held last night to consider what steps should be taken in contecion with the proposed reduction of wages, which comes before the Arbitration Court on April 26The meeting decided to combat the reduction proposed. It also resolved to act in conjunction with the Alliance of Labour.

SHIPPING EMPLOYERS’ WAGE CUT. AUCKLAND, April 6. There was a refusal by the assessors for the Federated Seamen’s Union to discuss the dispute filed by the ship owners when the matter was brought under the consideration of th Conciliation Council. They brought the proceedings to an abrupt termination. The matter was therefore referred to the Arbitration Court. Mr W. T. Young, General Secretary of the Federated Seamen’s Union, objected to the discussion of the dispute being held' in camera. He demanded publicity for the whole proceedings. The Commissioner, Mr Harle Giles, said that for the last 13 years discussions had been in committee, unless both sides desired an open discussion. The assessors for the owners, he said, favoured committee proceedings in this case. The Commissioner said he was not prepared to deviate from this custom.

THE RAILWAY REVENUE

WELLINGTON, April 6. The railways working account from April 1, 1921, to March 4, 1922 cliscloses the revenue as follows: The total revenue for all lines amounted to £6,138,413. Th e expenditure was £5,794,491. There is a credit balance of £343,982. The revenue for the North Island j was £3,722,282, and the expenditure was £3,242,209, leaving a credit of £480,078. A loss, however, is shown on the" South Island lines of £136,091. The j expenditure in the South Island was £2,552,221, whi]e the revenue was j £2,416,130.

SHOT BY COMRaDE. WELLINGTON ,April 4. Lennox Clarke, aged eighteen years, an apprentice, was accidentally fatally shot by fPs cohtrade, Douglas Reid, of Petone while on a camping expedition five miles past Riddiford’s station at Oiongi.rongo this afternoon. Reid w-AS about to fire when Clarke ‘unexpectedly stepped flrom. behind cover and received the gun-shot. Ho succumbed almost immediately.

THE P. AND T. BALLOT

WANGANUI, April 7

A meeting of Eastern workshop employees to-day resolutioned congratulating the P. and T Association on the result of the baliot to join the Alliance of Labour and also deprecating the action of various Chambers of Commerce and" other semi-public bodies who by hysterical propaganda-, through the public press, were endeavouring to stampede the Government to prevent by legislation, Government by a majority in a lawfully constituted organisation

BANTAM CONTEST.

PALMERSTON NORTH Apr. 7

The fifteen rounds professional contest between Cann (Wanganui) New Zealand bantam champion and Robinson (Gisborne) New Zealand featherweight champion, went the full distance, Robinson winning on points.

BREAD AND WATER, AUCKLAND, April 7. Two long sentence prisoners, A'ten Anderson, twenty-eight, and John Andrew McWilliams twenty-two wore both sentenced to ten days bread ; nd water for attempting to escape from Mount Eden gaol by a window.

NEW CHAIRMAN B.N Z. WELLINGTON, April 7. Mr George Elliot was to-day elected Chairman of Directors of the Bank of New Zealand.

APPEAL COURT. WELLINGTON, April 7

The Court of Appeal heard argument in three cases Wallabh Soma Moral, Charles William Raynor, and Mary Harris, all versus Northern Ship ping Company. The three cases involved the same legal considerations and were heard together. The statement of claim in tho Moral case alleged that an agreement was made between Moral and respondent Coy. to carry thirty eases of bananas to Onobunga, but they were not loaded by respondent, with the result that the bananas were rendered valueless. The respondent Coy. denied there was any contract to carr.v the goods, but it (boro was a contract, then it was subject to special conditions endorsed on the shipping note, which exempted respondent from liabilty. In Raynor’s case the claim was in resrort to ten rinses, and in Harris’ to three cases. Argument is proceeding. GASBAG SCRATCHED. CHRISTCHURCH, A,mil 7. Gasbag was scratched for the Great Easter and Great Autumn Handicap a 11.2 R to-dav.