DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 April 1924, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

[RY TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION,

AUCKLAND SAYINGS BANK

A SUCCESSFUL YEAR

AUCKLAND, April 10

The Auckland Savings Bank lias the enormous sum of £1,879,587 out on first mortgages on freehold land, but duriny the financial year just closed the comparatively small sum of £739 os 7d was. all it had been found necessary to write off as fosses. These figures were given by the chairman of thf? Board of Trustees, Mr Oliver Nicholson, at the annual meeting of the bank. Air Nicholson said it bad been necessary to extend leniency to several mortgagors in the matter of interest payment, with general beneficial results to the bank and mortgagor. In only two cases bad it been necessary to write off losses. Considering the total number and the amount of the mortgages dealt with he considered the loss very small. It reflected credit on the attention paid to applications for loans and securities generally. Dealing with the mortgage account, the chairman said they had made advances under 43(5 new loans (584 last year), and the amount totalled £389,202 and C 104,725 (£54,165) had been repaid and released. Mortgagors at the close of the year numbered 1941 (1622) an increase of 319.. The average amount of city and suburban loans was C9GO. Alortgages on farm securities averaged £2571. The average rate of interest earned on the daily average amount on mortgage was £6 12s lOd per cent (L'(s L!s 8d). Nowhere bad the extension of business been felt so much as in this department or called for such close attention. and a pleasing feature had been the safe margin of security insisted on. Roinspeetions bad been well maintained, and every effort made to sustain the value of these securities.

A JUBILEE. AYKLTXOTOX, April 18. The silver jubilee celebrations of Victoria College opened to-day. The only ceremony was the unveiling of the memorial window hv Chief Justice SiRobert Stout. To-morrow, the spoils carnival commences. NEW SALARY SCHEDULES. WELLINGTON. April IS. The President of the P. and T. Ollieers’ Association announced this afternoon that his Executive had received the salary schedules, and had considered them and they were now lakt tg steps to open up negotiations with the AUnistcr. WELLINGTON April '7. Air Coombs secretary of the P. an* T. Officers’ Association said to-day that there was no change in the position. His Executvie Committee was si ill without the information which it officially asked for in February last and which did not necessitate detailed information as to the working of every man woman and hoy employed, all that was wanted was the minimum allotted to each group of officers together with the proposed intervening steps determining the rate ol progressing between those points. The working out of details as applied to individual officers would take some weeks, that is if any alteration in the scale that operated up to March 31st. last was intended. Mr Coombs added that the committee had received encouraging u'Vgrams from members of .Parliament of all shades of political opinion, and promises to do their utmost to prevail on the .Postmaster-General to place .be salary schedules Before the eommO'-e for consideration.

.MEltd IA NT SERVICE. IMPOHTAXT CONFEREX( K. WKEhIXOTOX, April 17 Tlw Auckland and Wellington Merchant Service- Guilds lii'ld a <-iinforotice at Wellington last week anil passed certain resolutions which were submitted to the .Minister ol' Marine today.

It was ureed that no person he aliened to no vitiate a vessel in or out or ahoii! harbours without a license ji,-anted hy tlie Marine Department; that the scope of river limits he n’strieted to actual river limits; that tlie navigation of a vessel must at all times he under control of a cortifieil officer or other i>erson holding a license; that wireless he fitted on all

seagoing vessels. With ' reference to placing a light on the Three Kings, it was resolved that before the Government places more lights on the Coast, the <|Uestu>n of the establishment of a wireless direction tinder and radio helicons he considered.

The .Minister replied that the Department had been experimenting with direction finders and so successful had they been that a demonstration would shortly he made with the I utanekai at Auckland Power was taken in the last Shipping Hill that overseas vessels he provided with wireless and the representation of the Guild would strengthen the Department’s hands in that 'direction. The Government intended to ask Parliament for a pre-

liminary vote of £2OOO for apparatus lor a wireless direction finder. He would consult the expert officers of his Department in regard to the points raised.

A X< )VF.I. KXPEIUKXCE. WKLLIXGTOX, April 10. The io-foot launch Micky left on Friday of last week for Kaikoura, hut met with a heavy gale and the engine broke down. From then till Thursday last they were blown or dnlted about, sometimes being as far up as Terawhiti and again within thirty miles of Kaikoura. hut never able to make land. On Thursday tlie Wannka saw them off Kaikoura and towed the launch to AVelington. The crew of tlnee, comprising, Owen Walker, F. Sentiry and son. were on short rations all the time but managed to make a fire in a benzine tin. They speak in high terms of the behaviour of the launch in the very rough seas. PROFIT OF X.S.W. TOUR. WELLINGTON, April 19. Mf. Barrett (Chairman of the Cricket Council) states they expect to make a profit of £BOO to £9OO over the X.S.W tour. The Council is now negotiating with the West Indies team that lecent,v had a very successful tour in Europe. . to visit New Zealand, and is also tryin<r to' arrange for an English eleven touring Australia to spend a few weeks here on their way back.