DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 April 1926, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by TELEGIUP3I—PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] VOLCANO ACTIVE. AUCKLAND, April 20. Mount Ngaimihoe has been active for tiie past few days, and on Saturday evening flames and smoke were clearly seen belching forth. Yesterday, being a clear day, exceedingly good visibility was obtained. Huge columns of smoke rose to a great height, and hundreds of feet above the summit of the mountain. Although, otherwise, there was a cloudless sky. the smoke hung like a pall and spread out over the country for many miles. It is reported that the new vent is forming a new crater, and that it was seen smoking this morning. To-day the sky is overcast, and there is not such a good vision as vaster day. PUBLICITY WORK. AUCKLAND, April 20. A good deal of voluntary publicity work on behalf of New Zealand has been done in the United States by Mr AY. L. Lowrie, American ConsulGeneral for the Dominion, while lie lias been on leave in the States. Mr Lowrie returned hv the Niagara this morning, accompanied by Mrs Lowrie. “I made some speeches by request in many of the large cities of America,” saicl Afr Lowrie, “and I found the people keenly interested. I told them of the general conditions, of your up-to-date laws, and. of course, of your lis'liing and shooting. When T told them about Hie 201 b. trout you get here they didn't quite believe

Mr Lowrie said New Zealanders would be surprised at the interest that American people had in New Zealand and ho. was sure that there was every possibility of more and more tourists coming here. The Dominion was being given a grout deal of publicity, and in this respect lie mentioned the articles Dr Van Dyke, who toured the Dominion a short time ago. In bis writings the doctor spoke very highly of this country.

Of the speeches made by tbc Con-sul-General. four were given to rotary clubs, and Afr Lowrie mentioned the good work being done in his country liv iliosc organisations. “1 found tilings very prosperous in America.” concluded ATr Lowrie, who mlded, in reply to a question, that there seemed to be a general increase in both exports and imports between our country ami bis.

A LAWYER’S PLEA. CHRISTCHURCH, April 27

A suggestion that police should place medical evidence before the Court on all cases in which motorists wore charged with intoxication was made by Air C. S. Thomas, in the Magistrate’s Court, when lie appeared for a commercial traveller who pleaded “not guilty" to a charge of having driven a motor car while in a state of intoxicaion.

In their evidence, four police officers said that the defendant was intoxicated. Three civilians said he was not. and a. fourth was not sure about ila- matter. "The whole ease." said Mr Thomas, “may he slimmed op in the words ‘smell, of drink.’ ” Air Thomas then addressed the ALigisliate (Air H. A. Young): "Your Worship amt other Magistrates in New Zealand are inflicting severe penalties for this offence. Yesterday a. man "'.as fined £IOO, and others have gone to prison. These penalties are rightly imposed when there is no doubt about the ease. The police are trying to he honest, hut every man brought, in is pronounced drunk. The only way out is to have a medical mail exnmiue the defendants immediately they are broil glif in. The lirsf thing a man should he told at the police station is that lie has the right to he examined by a doctor. Now, if Your Worship goes to « friend's house, has a drink of whisky and then becomes involved in an accident, you are liable to he sent to gaol bv another Magistrate, just because four policemen come along to Court. This man is in danger of suffering severely in a. way Mint lie may never get over. That is the son of thing the people of New Zealand are up against to-day.”

DAIRY POOL. WELLINGTON, April “7. The New Zealand "Times” stales that a number of the Co-operative Dairy Companies., as well as a number of ihe propricl ary concerns, have taken the upiniuii id King’s Counsel in Wellington as to the legal position connected with the, enforcement of compulsory control of the whole ol the dairy produce. The opinion is said to he that the Act is not enforceable. The whole question probably will he set before the Full Court, which will he asked for an opinion. It is also stated to be probable I hat the Full Court will he applied to lor an injunction restraining the Dairy Control Board from enforcing the absolute control clauses ol the Act. WELLINGTON. April 27, A largely attended con I ercuce ol dairy companies, consisting ol representatives from all over file Dominion, was held to-day to consider the matters to he discussed at the conlereuce of producers convened by the Dairy Control Board to-morrow. The following resolution was passed, with one dissentient I bat this meeting ol iepresentatives of the dairying industry expresses its emphatic desire that the members of the Dairy Control Board should be elected on the democratic basis (,n the single ward system, six wards for the North and three wards for the South Island, and by one producer one vote." HAIRDRESSERS WAGES. CHRISTCHURCH, April 27. A dispute was heard between the Christchurch Hairdressers’ and Tobacconists’ Union and the Hairdressers and Tobacconists’ Association before the Conciliation Council to-day. Ibe employers objected chiefly to a clause for including journeywomcn with journeymen, and paying them equal wages. The Union claimed the following scale of wages for apprentices:—First year l.js a week, second year £1 os, third year £1 15s, fourth year £2 15s, fifth rear £3 15s. The counter proposals were ns follows:—First year los, second year £1 10s. third year £1 17s 6d. fourth year £2 os, fifth year £3.

The relative value of work upon a lady's head and a man’s head took much deliberation, and after half an hour there was no sign of finality being reached. Involved in the discussion was the proportion of apprentices to journeywomen. Finally, the proportion was fixed at three to one and the wages clauses were agreed to.