DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 October 1923, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by TELECItArn—PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

SEAMEN’S WAGES,

WELLINGTON', September 29.

The New Zealand Shipowners’ Federation lias filed claims for a new award involving an all round reduction of £2 13s -Id a. month in the wages of seamen and firemen. The proposed wages range from £l3 a month for ordinary seamen under eighteen to XTS for dunkdymen. The rates are in most cases £1 higher than offered in the last dispute. There is little change in other clauses. A two years’ term is sought. The union’s demands recently served on tile owners are the same as twelve months seeking wages at a daily rate ranging from (is lOd to 13s per day of eight, hours ami six days a week. SAWDUST IN STREAM. WELLINGTON, September 20. Under the Fisheries Act, the Junction Sawmill Company at 1 pper llutl was charged at the Magistrate s Court, by the- Acclimatisation Society with allowing sawdust to enter the Akatrawa stream.

Counsel said that the "hole output of sawdust was discharged into the river, but this was contrary to the instructions issued to the company’s employees.

The firm was fined £3 and cost:

OTIRA TUNNET

COMPLETING THE SECTION

CHRISTCHURCH, October 1. ‘T was very pleased at the way in which the traffic is being handled, said Mr P. R. Climic, organiser to the Canterbury Progress League, who returned on Saturday evening from n visit to Arthur’s Pass. “If one had not known that the Public \\ orks Department oiime into the picture, one would have thought that the line had already been banded over to Hie Railway Department. The trains were Icing handled without any hitch at all. Double beaded trains have been run since September l”, and this has enabled ’the Railway Department to handle twice the volume of traffic that was. up till then, being carried through the tunnel. The only work that remains unfinished so far as the electrical contractors are concerned is at the Arthur’s l’ass end. It is in connection with some oi the sidings. The main line is quite complete.

“The Public 'Works Department are at present erecting a locomotive shed to house both the steam and electric locomotives at Arthur's Pass. Ibis work does not interfere with the traffic. There is obviously a gnniT deal of clearing tip to be done, but theie is mi reason why this should delay the running of trains or interfere with the in.*’

direction finders

I Hi.MI.NION DEV EI .OI 'M ENTS

Wellington, October i

-The wireless direction finder is being perfected every day and we hoptojiavo one on the Tlnee Kings. Inn

we ca inlet, do it till further experiments have been made,” stated the Atinister of .Marine. Hon. C. .f. Anderson. at. the shipping companies’ .smoke concert. Continuing, the Aliuister said that he thought that within the next generation the chief fug signal on -'ll coast lines would be wireless direction funders. A wireless direction finder would be installed at a light house, and Ml loading ships would be correspondingly equipped. He referred to the recent United Stales naval disaster in which, he said. ><- hart uHinmtel.v been shown that the wiivle-s direction finder had not been responsible lor the accident. He bad beard of a case recently where a vessel had been giiK.ed into Sail Francisco beads in a fog with tl. o assistance of an ordinary wireless plant only. “Eventually.” *»'<l 1!u .Minister, “our chief lighthouses will be furnished with direction finders. rjcfereiHt* to New Zt:il»»i<l > I,c " session. Ross dependency. was made 1 )V the Minister, who said that people were inclined to laugh at the (.epend-cm-v hut the Ross Sea. he pointed nut', was teeming with seals and other uroduets. However, helore these con <■ i- brought up another Government vessel was necessary. AVi.h that end jn view the I’r'.mo Aliuister had taken i 1 in of *, ~ vessel home with him. It was honed to have the new ship running within the next twelve months or

nri'OKTKD BOOTS. QTAUTV ('ll A I !■-]>. IiUN’KIIIN', September 20. For years tlio proprietors >1 hunt fn-tories have- boon endenvo.ir.ng to com pete With English heavy hoots. One manager took the t rouble the other ‘day to carefully disjoin ports ol ■> wat.-rt.ioht hoot, such »>' sol<l t( ’ workers'onguged in dirty labour. lj oot o surprise. The hoot, apparentb of stout moke and well hashed wo, .■iunmitl.ißC. The middle s-’lo, of being one piece, had .. wo.st of usclessniateri.il forming « sf ! rt ,°‘ The heels wore pocked up ■ os.de w.th leather of such «n ...tenor k.nd pot to he worth calling leothu. not much more durable thou brow 11 v , ir(M .. The upper was finished sk.liuliv. hut the from portion, instead „f being a kip. was split h-'»0“. l. These revelations led to the taking to pieces of another English boot a h o;l vv Balmoral. Similar result* M‘i This hoot was simply a heautil",; f„ii rl ««. T.. 0 .«o. ™, sisted of ten pieces. These parts are being kept to. U denoe in ivh.it will probably he as g u -> HtTr ™ the trade has exepnenced tor many years.

APPBKXTK ESI HE CON l > TrlU *f AUC'KLAM>. Sept, -d , u ,he Arbitration Court to-day, the President , Air .Tustice Frazer in «P > to .. (|Uestion in regard to t>e < 1 ant in the apprenticeship asreemeu-• whether the Court dnl not th.uk tin following was unreasonable: A ” ‘‘ penticc shall not during the said tan nlov at unlawful games, nor trequem hotels,’’ said it was in the lulerCSU of both master and apprentices that the latter should not indulge m habits that might militate against his becoming an efficient tradesman, or cause him to become financially embarrassed, or to come into conflict with the police. His Honour also expressed the opinion that certain provisions in the deed under the typographical award providing for deductions . from wages exceeded the provisions of the award. The same remark applied to the provision whereby an employer might in certain circumstances discharge an apprentice on payment of a bonus equal to thirteen weeks’ wages. It was an employer s •duty to teach the apprentice the trade or transfer him to another employer who would undertake to do so.