DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 June 1924, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSN., COrYRIGIJT. TI-IE WORD SCAB., SEQUEL IN COURT. WANGANUI, June 1G An echo of tlio recent railway strike was hoard in the Magistrate's Court to'dily tilled Charles Downey, a guard, was charged with using iiisuiTitig fnrlguagc on the Kaiiwi station platform on April 24th with the intent to promote a broach of the peace. The evidence showed that when a skeleton service train reached Kaiiwi, a group of men being on the. platform, Downey remarked to Inspector .Minims that lie would not he a b scab. The traliic inspector replied: “J will get off and you get on the train.” Witness replied again using tile word seal). Defendant said he merely asked in a friendly way how tho inspector liked the job and when the latter oifered to let him run the train ho said he would not be a scab. The Magistrate said lie was satisfied the charge was proved. Defendant was foolish to have used the expression. The Magistrate inflicted a fine of £2 10s with £1 I Is costs, in default 14 days. It. was evidenced that defendant had 20 years unblemished record uf SUlVultii BIOLOGICAL WORK.

WELLINGTON; .rune Ift The Minister of Agriculture is Jmt--illg fccoiit criticisms of the biological laboratory fully enquired into. Meantime he referred to one or two points in an interview this afternoon. He said that the suggestion that the present building he acquired for laboratory purposes came from flic biological stair, which stated at the time, and quite correctly, that in America dwelling houses were sometimes converted into laboratories for work of this kind, and were found to ho quito satisfactory. This building, however, was only acquired after the matter of buildings available for the purpose had been very fully gone into. “It is, I am informed,” added the Minister, “quite healthy and sufficiently roomy, except in olie or two apartments where the work done has Increased of late. The stall’, as regards numbers, is approximately the same as when the building was first occupied. No request for necessary appliances of equipment has been refused, and the staff, who are undoubtedly keen on their work, have been given enconragomeut, not only in their work, hut in the prosecution of further study. The laboratory is near Victoria College, and of the eight principal members of the staff some have availed themselves of the opportunities of taking a degree. ".Vs to salaries, I fund that, in spite of tile retrenchment which took place in 1 lie intervening period, the aggregate salaries of these eight officers amounted to CSIO more in 192 J-I than in 1920, tile individual increases being £lls, £BS, £2O. £125, £BS, £lO5, £25, and £IOO.

“As to iho point whether Wellington is a suitable location for a biological laboratory, it is considered necessary that it he in the city, or adjacent it, so that the staff can he in close touch with ilie senior departmental officers who are more or less concerned in the work done. As regards lire risks, a considerable amount has been done to provide safeguards against lire.”

a farm hr ox farmers. MOST MISERABLE OF ALL UNIONS. WANGANUI, .June 11. The matter of subscription was briefly mentioned at a meeting of the Wanganui provincial executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union This led Mr E. E. Fletcher to remark ihal it was “an old chestnut.” Farmers, he were the meanest lot of ’s he had ever knwn. “if it is a matter of a shilling or hnlf-a-crown they will haggle over the d thing for a week,” .oi led Mr Fletcher. Mr Franklin said this had always been a trouble with the Farmers’ Union. which was the most miserable of all unions over subscriptions. Why. lie added, a bootblack would pay more to hi.s union, lie had canvassed among farmers, and knew what a job it was. There were few branches of tli.- F'ivmors’ Union that had any finance to fall hack oil, yet farmers produced til) per cent, of the wealth of the < country. They would send delegates away, and hardly give them a beau to pay their expenses. Mr Parsons said branches in this district were financial. “Ifow much finance have you got in the whole district 8” asked Mr Franklin. “Sixty-nine pounds,” replied Mr C. Smith. “Why?” “Sixty-nine pounds. ’’ for a wealthy district like this.” added Mr Franklin. “You should have had hundreds of pounds.” “But we silent it.” replied Mr Smith. AFTER MANY YEARS. LEGACY FOR MASTKRTON LADY. • MASTER TON. .June 12. Many years ago a tired and hungry organ-grinder playing his way through Gisborne bad difficulty in securing accommodation for the night, ft rv where ho might the organ-grinder failed to secure a place, to rest for the night. However, two residents of the town, Mr and Mrs O’Hara in the goodness or their hearts took pity on the unfortunate man and gave him accommodation, Mrs O’Hara attending to him with a, kindness for which she was noted. Mr and Mrs O’JTnra sent him on his road next day with something to carry him along to the next town, and refused suggestions by the organgrinder that he should pay for his night’s lodging and the food supplied

The incident was soon forgotten by Mr ;md Mrs O’Hara. Since then Mr O'Hara, has died, and Mrs O’Hara came to Masterton to live. The organgrinder despite his wandering* in various parts of the Dominion, and the lapse of years did not forget the kindness extended to him. and Mrs O’Hara has .inst received word-that the organgrinder had recently died in Auckland, and left her a. subsantial sum in his will in appreciation of her kindness to hint so long ago. fatal railway accident. ASHIiUHTOX, .rune 15. An iiirpiest was opened to-day into the circiitnsances connected with the death at Winslow on Saturday of Arthur Dal by. railway ballast pit hand, who was killed bv lining run over by a railway train. The only witness called was Tahatu Whnitiri, who stated that he had been working with the deceased in the ballast pit. At 5.45 a.m. on Saturday a heavy .shower of rain fell and the men were making for sliel-

ter. The engine was in motion and the deceased attempted to jump on to the cow-catcher. He slipped and fell ami the engine passed over him for about one yard. The driver was signalled to back the engine which lie did immediately. The deceased was then quite dead. There were three men oil the cow-catcher at the tihie, two on one side and one on the side upon which the deceased attempted to jump. Witness said he had received definite instructions not to ride on the cowcatcher, bti l it •ves a common practice for the men to do sd. At this stage the inquest was ,'idjourned by the coroner, Mr J. Cow, to a date to be fixed. DEATH From injuries. AUCKLAND. June 14. Daniel Welsh, who was injured at the Glenfield Brick and Pottery Works Auckland, on Thursday, through becoming entangled in a travelling belt, died in the hospital this morning. He was a married mail, aged 11 with a wife and three children. (