MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 February 1924, Page 1

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. SHIPPING FATALITY. -It; PERSON'S DROWNED. LONDON, Feb. 11 The steamer Mona is aground at Capo Saint Vincent, being a total loss. Seventeen of the crew and twenty-nine passengers were drowned. TilE DOCK DISPUTE. AI.INISTER OF LABOUR INTERVENES. LONDON. Feb. 12. The .Minister of Labour has intervened in the dock dispute. lie has summoned a tin " ting of the parties Tor to-nioiTow . lit:: ENGLISH DOCK KBS. STRIKE STARTING MONDAY. LONDON. February 12. ’! bore lias been a breakdown in the negotiations in the dockers’ dispute. ! i was due to Kit).(IDO of the rank and lil.- of the Pint Worker.-’ Fnioii. announcing that, while inaintenaiiei', or the guaranteed week's work", must lie considered in I lie future development of the industry, they ate ilerenniued al-'o to score an advance of 2s per

Ibe employer,-, on tlti.s ml final lon. retired, and when they returned they said that they could not offer more than Ls a day. Air Bevin (Dockets’ Leader; immediately replied that nothing more could ."t'jsr from a continued interview. A sliike is now announced for Monday.

Tito employe is iilTered several concession- beyond the Is a day, including I-Division for the local adjostmeiii of piece rates and of working condition-. The men believe that within one week the strike will result in a shoring.- of food and raw materials for industry, especially as the road and railway transport workers have promised I t assist.

The 1 niotis say that their siinonder ot 2s in 11122 has not been reflected ri any drop in the cost of living, or in I in' purchasing power of their money, i- was promised; nor lias the. volume ol employment increased. The dockets say that the shipping eiimpatiie-' dividends .average I) |or vent, but the employers deny this, pointing out that these figures do not cover tile depreciation. ’The men al-o sav that the profits of Ila merchants and the shippers show that the industry can bear the proposed increase in wages, without any extra cost to the community. AEROPLANE SECRETS. PARIS, Feb. II The French Secret Service now believe tliali the Soviet organised (lie espionage at the Fiviieli Air Factories lor the purpose of forwarding Ihe plaits of new inventions to Germany, where Russian aeroplanes are being built.