DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 June 1924, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

nv TELEGRAPH —i’ll ESS ASSN., COI’VBIr.IIT. REFORM SELECTION'. TEAWA.MUTU, .June 20. Interest in tile selection of lie form cnndiiiutos for Waikato sent at next election is growing. A eonferenee of branch delegates on July 2 here will mnlie Uie liiml rclectioib The aspirants already announced are A. C. Dent Kanina) J. T. Johnson (Teawainutu) l). J. Keiil (Xgahinapouri). Dent and Johnson both contested the seat at last election. Reid is chairman of Waipa County Council. Other probables are Merv.vn Weils, ..Cam bridge) and .Major Samuel (Tirau). The present memlier, .Mr l.yn will definitely seek re-election in the Liberal interests. There is no indication so far of a Labour candidate.

TEACHERS' SALARIES. . NAPIER. June *2O. Referring to-day to the shortage of qualified teachers for schools out of the main centres, the secretary of the Hawke’s Rlly Education Board (Mr \\\ 1,. Dunn) stated: '‘l believe in some or the training college centres there ttr os-students without positions, as they will not accept positions away from town. ft. does hot seem unic.tsonable, in view of the large amount spent by the department on the training of students, to require ns a condition of their training college bonds that they should take a lew years work in country positions. Ihe new teachers’ salaries scale is. however, responsible for the lowering of salaries for certain assistaiitsiiips in country schools, so that the same inducements are not held out to young teachers to accept cmntiy assislantships. When the new scheme was submitted foi consideration the Hawke's Bay Board pointed out that difficulty would probably arise by the lowering of tlie value of positions, and experience has fullv proved that the hoard's view was correct. A conference between re-pie-entalives of the Department, the New Zealand Educational Institute and secretaries of hoards, is to he held cuiK next mouth to consider tlie whole question of teachers’ -salaries, f intend to stress strongly the need for some increase in the salaries o! country assistants.’’

RAILWAY TO TaI’RANGA. T.\I'RANG A. June ‘2O

in connection with tlie official (opening of a railway into Tauranga for regular traffic, thus giving the town rail connection with Tepuke. Abstain and the eastern districts of the Bay of Plenty, an official luncheon was tendered to representatives of all local bodies from \Yailii to Opntiki and Rotorua. The Mayor, Air B. Dive, presided, and between sixty and seventy guests were

present. The chairman, in proposing the toast of the A 1 inistor of Public Works, expressed the opinion that if the .Minister was left to carry on his policy it would he in the best interests of New Zealand Air ('. E. .McMillan, ALP., who replied on behalf ol the Alinister, said that the finest, testimony to his work | was the manner in which the public | works statement had been received on I all sides of the House. Alajor Hawke, representative of Armstrong, Whitworth and Co., who have the contract for the complete remaining link of the railway between here and Wnihi. replying to the toast of the visitors. said that lie was confident that the work would lie pushed through in , contract time three years. | special train with the visitors left on the return journey at folir o'clock*. Rain fell during the greater part of the day.

GOVERNMENT DEFENDED. HAAIILTOX, June ‘2O,

Air J. A. Young. .Member for Hamilton. delivering an address in reply to Mi Wilford. claimed that the country ne'er had such a capable, efficient Minister of Finance as Mr Massey. The Premier never had been defeated lin a no-confidence motion, and the talk about an early election appeared allsurd. With reference to Atr Willord’s charge of reckless dealing with the State Advances funds by taking L*2.3!H .000 from flit* Advances Department and putting it into the war loan. Mr Young ebliinetl that these temporary investments were quite legitimate. No part of the recently raised live million loan would be utilised to pay back to the State Advances Office the two millions of temporary advances, but tlie States advances fund would receive two millions more out of the loan. The must Liberal party in the House was Mr AI assay's party. The AI asset* Goveriimei't had husbanded the country's financial resources.

Air Young was accorded a vote of thanks and continued confidence.