DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 March 1924, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by TELEGRAPH PER PRESS ASSOCIATION'.] FOUND DEAD. HAMILTON, March 17 George Taylor, elderly, married, employed as runner and cleaner at the Waikato Times Office, was found dead in the ‘Times” strongroom this morning. Deceased evidently entered the strongroom during the week-end and turned on the gas. He had been considerably worried lately over his wife’s health.

WOMAN SUICIDES. BLEXHEAI, March 17 Alarion Helen Wilson, 55, wife of Daniel Wilson of Ward, and mother of a family ot six or seven children, committed suicide yesternoon by drowning herself in a well. She jumped into an open well with a bag of bricks tied round her neck. The body was recovered a short time after by the husband. Deceased was depressed owing to illness and family worries. CABLE TAX TO BE DROPPED. WELLINGTON. Alarch 17. The Postmaster-General has announced that tlie special tax of twopence, which lias been imposed on till cable messages sent from the Dominion since September 1915, will l>c removed after the end of the present month. This means that the charge ut every cable message sent from the Dominion to any part of the world will he reduced by twopence. A CAR OVERTURNS.

OCCUPANT’S SPINE BROKEN

WELLINGTON, March 17

While a party of hoys from the Wellington Boys’ Institute was returning to Wellington front Palmerston North by motor car a spring in the car broke when nearing Otaki. The car ran off the road and overturned, with the result that. W. J. Butler, the Director of the Boys’ Institute, and a member of the Wellington Hospital Board, was thrown out. He was removed to a private hospital at Otaki where it was discovered that bis spine was broken. Ho is in a critical condition.

NAPIER WOOL SALES. NAPIER, March 17. Tlie fourth Napier wool sales were held to-ilav. Buyers appeared to have no limits, Bradford anil the Continent being the most conspicuous. Fleece and lambs showed an increase of 1 ill to 2d. Prices are one pinny over last sales here. BUTCHER’S SHOP BURNT. NAPIER, March 17. A fir) at Green meadow's destroyed H. Drake’s butcher shop. The building was insured for £51)1) and stock tor £2OO in the State Office. SHOP ASSISTANTS’ AWARD. WELLINGTON, Alarch 17 The Dominion Award for shop assistants was filed (o-day. Minimum wages are payable as follows:—15

years—Males 13s (id. females 10s fid; rising as follows: 15 to Hi years—- . Males liis 3d. females 13s (id; Hi to 17 22s (ill and 17s fid; 17 to 18, 30s and 21s; 18 to 19. 12s fid and 25s 3d; 19 to 20, 55s and 30s; 20 to 21. 05s and

3.5 s ; 21 to 22, 80s and lls: 22 to 23, 85s and 17s fid ;23 and over, 92s (id and 52s Oil. There is a different scale for employers starting without previous experience. Window dressers and departmental managers are to get not loss than £5 2s fid; departmental manageresses not less than C 3 2s (id ; junior storeman and packers under 17 years, Cl 3s fid. rising to 02 I,Bs (id beteown 20 and 22 years thereafter. The minimum of hottrs is between 8 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. on four (lays and 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on one dav and 8 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. On the outside of a ten mile radius at Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin, fi p.m. Is substituted for 0.3tl p.m. Overtime is fixed at time and a half with a minimum payment of Is 3d per hour. The' term of the award is 3 years.

FINED FOR BOOKAIAKTNG. AUCKLAND. Ararcli 17. At the Police Court Charles Trotter, alias Charles Tretliway. was fined £IOO for carrying on business as a bookmaker. Walter Raymond Fitton, similarly charged, was remanded to Alarch 24. Bail was allowed £IOO.