TELEGRAMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 August 1922, Page 3

TELEGRAMS.

j 'by TKLEGRAVH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION MARINE ENGINEERS’ WAGES. WELLINGTON, August 10. ’ The hearing of the marine engineers’ dispute concluded before the Arbitration Court to-day. After evidence was called to support the Marine Engineers’ Institute ease, Mr W. J. S. Swift, who appeared on behalf of the Union Steamship Company, criticised briefly the allegations of the union. He denied the statement of Mr B. A. R. Wallace, Secretary of the Institute, that, the Union Company had made phenomenal profits during the war. As a matter of fact, he said, they had paid no dividend last year, nor had there been any so far this year. The company could not agree to the demand that chief engineers should be paid overtime. His Honour remarked that- Sir John Monasli had been opposed to overtime for chief engineers, but had granted a ten per cent, bonus, j Mr Smith argued that Sir John, al- | though a good sailor was not experiencjed in marine engineering! The SecreI ray of the Australian Engineers’ Institute had declared that marine engineers in Australia wore now hotter off than ever before, and marine engineers in ' New Zealand were in an even hotter . position. Unless the running coßt , could be reduced more ships would have j to he laid up. j Tlie Court announced an award would ! not Ik? made until it had heard other i sea-faring disputes.

| SHIRS GALLEY STAFFS. WELLINGTON, August 11. The Arbitration Court is hearing nn application for a new award covering ships’ galley staffs. The wages sought range from £ls per month for assistant ships cooks to £2O for the chief cook I on the inter Colonial and foreign liner services. There are the same rates as I were asked when the Union previously I was before the Court, and when the award given fixed the wages on the Ans- ‘ tralian scale. Since then the wages have been reduced to tbe present rates. The Union representative stated the rates now wore £l3 for a 300-liour montli being less than 10 j d per hour, as against. Is lOd for unskilled labour. Ino demand is for an 8-hour day, making with £4 allowed for keep an , equivalent of Is 8d per hour. The present working day is 10 hours. The Australian award has a nine-hour day. Iho Union asks 3s per hour overt-fin* pay.

train derailed. AUCKLAND. Aug. 11. Ihe southliouiid Main Trunk express was derailed near Drury at eight o’clock to-night. Sin* narrowly escaped a serious disaster. The express crushed into a group of straying cattle. near a curved embankment, and tbe engine jumped the points on to a siding. The tender, two postal vans, and one passenger car. which was uncoupled .were thrown on to a side line. The engine-driver. A. Blackwell. on feeling HTe bump, at nine applied the emergency brake. and though the engine rocked fearfully, tie vehicle overturned, though the tender almost did so. D was badly smashed, the bogey being buried to a depth of about four feet. Tbe engine al-'o was very much damaged. The

first pcsial van, in which there wa> no occupant, was wrecked underneath. The second postal van .in which three men were engaged, had its windows broken, the moil receiving bad shakes.

and the mails and loose letters being thrown about. A passenger coach, next the unoccupied one. was slightly damaged, the door being splintered. Nobody was injured. A relief train from Mercer arrived at II p.m. to convey the passengers t>% Frnnktnn, whence another train will convey them south. BREACH OF PROMISE AUCKLAND. Aug 11. Damages for C3OO for brooch of promise was sought in the Supremo Court against David Robertson. a driver who did not defend the action, rt was stated that intimacy had occurred. the plaintiff’s future prospects of marriage being seriously prejudiced by her present condition. Afr Justice I [crdinnn said the claim was accentuated by the fact that misconduct took place under the promise of marriage. 'Die jury awarded £2OO damages