DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 November 1924, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

[uv TELEGRAPH—PER TRESS ASSOCIATION. CLAIMS FOR DEVIATION. WELLINGTON, November 21. Telegraphing to tbe Levin, Foxton and .Martini Railway League, the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. Mr J. G. Coates) states the Public Works engineers have been instructed to make a living survey immediately and submit an estimate of the cost next week. The estimate will then lie placed before the British Commissioners. The League claims a deviation will shorten the Wellington-Auekimd route by sixteen miles and lessen tho need for the Palmerston deviation.

FOR TRIPLETS. WELLINGTON, November 2.T. It may not lie generally known tluiL a grant of 151, or Cl a child, is available from the King’s Bounty in eases where triplets are born. Within the lasi two or throe years several cases have been reported of the birth of triplets to New Zealand mothers, and in one or two instances the three children horn have lived. There were two lots of triplets horn in the Auckland district at the end of last year, and recently tripets (one girl and two boys) were born to a Dunedin mother. Not long ago the birth of triplets was reported in Kelhurn.

In the Auckland district in 1919 there was a ease of a mot her being delivered of quadruplets (four boys', but the infants lived only a few days. For general information it is announced that a grant of C!i from the Royal I lon ii 1 y is made to a married women who is delivered of triplets, provided all the children live l , and that the case is reported through the Government of the British territory in which the chidreii are horn to his Majesty’s Government within four months of l he date of the birth of tin l children.

FREEZING .MEN'S PAY. WELLINGTON, November 21. The Arbitral ion Court is bearing the New Zealand Freezing Workers’ dispute. The claims of tbe Union generally are for a restoration of conditions prior to 1921 award, before tbe reduction of wages after the slump. The rates of pnv sought for slaughtermen are Cl 19s till per 100 for sheep, and Cl 17s for lambs: cal tie 2s 7(1, pigs from Is lid to Is per head. Other wages, for asislants, etc., are claimed at rale and n-hnlf for the lirsi lout hours and double thereafter. there are also the questions ol the hours ol ehamliermeu, fixed time for the breakfast hour, ami the minimum rale for assistants. For the Union, it was pointed out that the award of 1921 was made under conditions ol severe depression in the pastoral industry.

RAILWAY THEFTS.

PUMI.rU SERVANT'S CHARGED

CISROENE. November 21

The Magistrate's Court to-dav pro seated the appearance of a warehouse containing a cnlle: tion of goods, com

|.rising giixcries, conlei t imiery. sacks of Ilnur and sugar, eases whisky and schnapps. Inline, o. etc.. Ibe properly of the New Zealand Railways. Those goods i-uoprisi l cases stolen while in transit fiotween local warehouses anil i lium i v stores.

Mazil Goodwin lireeze. aged nineteen years, employed in tlie'Statioiiniaster's ollice, anil George Relvin Byl'ord. aged II years, of tbe Public Works l)o----fartmeiit. were cbargeil with, on November I.Tth.. of stealing three cases of groeries, a case of nails, two bags of sugar, one bag of Hour anil one t.ise of Schnapps, of a value of £SO. and also with on October Bth.. of stealing groceries to the value of C.'lti. butli being the property of tbe New Zealand Railw a vs.

The goods were sent to the Railway Station, mul were l< l f t in I rucks all 1 > i;; 1 1 1. mol lion were mi.sing 1 11 the trucks - arrival at I heir destination 1111 1 next dav.

Alter a lengthy hearing. Breeze pleaded guilty, and was committed for sentence.

I’.vfnrd pleaded not guilty, and was committed lor trial.

Breeze was further charged with stealing jewellery mul lied linen from a local hotel. He pleaded guilty, :ml was eommitted for sentence.

By ford was charged with receiving a portion of the jewellery, and portion of the hod linen, knotting the same to have been dishorn'd!y ohtailid. Ho pleaded not guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail was allowed in self. £250. and one surety of £259, or two at .0135.

A REFORM CANDIDATE. AYHAXGAREr. November 25. A meeting representative of eleven branches of the Reform League vas held last night at Alaiingaturu and selected Air AY. Jones as the Party’s •■undulate for the Marsdeo seat. Air Jones, who is the AYhangarri County Chairman, (untested tin- seat at the last election.

POLITICAL. T.M'RANGA. November 25. .Messrs Goodman. 1!::ss, Colhock. and Allen arrived here this morning in furtherance of a jvoposal ol the Auckland Branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union to contest Taurauga electorate with a Country Party candidate. A preliminary meeting was held at eleven and the delegates arc licit.g entertained at luncheon.

LAND COAfAIISSIOX. TAUAIARUNUI, Nov. 25.

A sitting of the Land Deterioration Citumission is living held here to-dnv. presided over hv G. 11. Bullard (Comini.ssiouer of Crown Lands). ’I he Commissioner is holding the enquiry icgariling the lands situated hetwet-n Wanganui and Kawhia to the Alain Trunk, covering a very large area. I he Commission has a wide order of refetcneo. which embraces the causes of deterioration, the size of the holdings, means of restoring productivity. and the measure of help needed from the State to the settler. Evidence is now being beard.

TWO NEW VESSELS. . AYELI.IXGTOX. Nov. 22. The Union Company lias ordered an oil tanker to replace the Orowaiti, which was wrecked on the Californian coast. The new vessel will have a carrying capacity of 19.000 tons and will be driven bv Diesel engines. -''he will be able to load and discharge oil at the rate of between 700 and 800 tons an hour and will have the latest in on tankers. . . Another ves-el has also been ordered to replace the Armagh, wrecked at Liverpool on December tilth 1923, llns order calls for a motor vessel el ’ tons. It will Ills., be one with all the datest ideas for handling cargo with rapidity.

AVHAUXG FLEET DEPARTS. INVERCARGILL. Nov. 21. The Norwegian whaling fleet of five chasers and factory shin. Sir James Clark Ross, sailed from the base at Glorv Harbour. Stewart Island at 4 a.m.’ to-day for the Ross Sea whaling grounds. This is the second season of the expedition. Last season the fleet rettirnoil ■ ■•-- base in February. This year 'Cnplain Larsen hopes to continue till April. The Sir James Clark Boss carries a lmgc supolv of coal, including a deck cargo. Her first stop will be at Campbell Island, where fresh mutton will be taken aboard and the chasers will lie coaled. She is fitted with powerful

wireless, and so will have communication with civilisation. During the long off season the Louts have been renovated and refitted at tbe permanent base at Stewart Island. Captain Larsen anticipates a successful season in the light of experience gained last year regarding the feeding grounds etc.

POST’.M ASTER-GENERAL OPL’OSI REQUEST.

WELLINGTON, November 2d. Eepresentutiions have been made to tho Postmaster-General to allow friendly societies to ojierate on their Post Office Savings Rank accounts by cheque. It is said that under existing conditions some authorised olliecrs are compelled to attend the bank counter in order to make withdrawals. It is contended that this causes great inconvenience to a number of institutions which are purely benefit societies. The Postmaster-General’s reply, given yesterday, is unfavourable to the request. Tbe primary object of tbe Post Office Savings Hank, lie says, is the encouragement of thrift, and not the provision of facilities for the easy withdrawals of moneys. T'o provide for withdrawals by cheque would involve the eompelte alteration of tbe present system, a fundamental condition of which is that the deposit book must lie presented for tbe necessary entry therein of a withdrawal at the time of payment. If any arrangement were made bv which cheques could be drawn 011 1 lie Post Ollice Savings Bank it

would immediately change the character of the bank, and tbe expenses of management would be largely increased. A system of withdrawal by cheque could not be confined to any one section of depositors. It is estimated that tbe expense of applying such a system generally would be so great that it could lie met only by making an annual charge, as is done in cominereial banks, or by reducing the rate of interest to depositors.