MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 15 May 1926, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

f Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.] WOMAN APPOINTED TO PULPIT. (Received this day at 0.0 a.m.t ADELAIDE, May 15. South Australia got its lirst- woman, Mrs Kick, wife of the principal of tho aPrkin College, appointed to lit 1 the pulpit at Colliglit Garden’s Congregational Church. The appointee is a liachelor of Arts and a .'Bachelor of Divinity and the only woman in Australia to have this double distinction. TASMANIA’S PLIGHT. SYDNEY, .May 15. In connection with the Lockycr report on the financial position of Tasmania (cabled on 10th of April), the Commonwealth Government proposed remedial measures, taking over the railway interest and sinking fund for two years, representing £310,000 for the national roads policy, .£100,000; for the annual continuance for two years of the present special grant of £*5,000. This, with taxation on lottery prizes, will make the total relief for two years £580,000. The report on the position which these grants aim at remedying, declares that Tasmania’s present position is largely due to internal rather Limit external causes and in a great measure remediable by local effort only if an elfeetivo remedy sail he found' in increasing the production.

N.S.W. COAL STRIKE. SYDNEY, A lav 15

Both owners and engine drivers have adopted an uncompromising attitude in connection with the coal strike. U is expected the miners’ executive will determine the duration of the strike by announcing severe disciplinary measures on strikers. The strike has now been in progress over a week and 30,000 miners have foregone a week’s wages. Stocks of coal are fast diminishing. NEWCASTLE, May 15. Three colliers so far are laid up and tho crews paid off besides.

STEAMER IN TROUBLE. NEWCASTLE. May 15. The steamer AVangaiielln, hound from Ocean Island to Melbourne with a full cargo of phosperous and sixteen passengers. including some woman, i.- reported to he in trouble in the Tasman Sea. the tail shaft having broken 1.20 miles east of Cape Moreton. Arrangements were made to send it tug from Brisbane to tow the vessel to Sydney AIR BRUCE’S REFUSAL. .MELBOURNE, May 15. Air Bruce announced that lie had received a telegram from Air Charlton asking him to convene a conference of parties to the coal dispute with Afr Bruce as Chairman, to consider matters. Mr Bruce replied that while deploring the injury done to Australia by the engindrevers’ dispute that the Government does not intend to usurp the authority of the tribunal established under the laws of the Commonwealth. To do so would be to undermine the whole system of arbitration. Over five hundred employees of the Harbour Trust will be dismissed on Tuesday night. The whole of tho Trusts’ floating plant will lie laid up owing to the shortage of fuel. Unless the dispute is settled by Wednesday 80!) regular nearsiders. in addition to throe hundred who handle coal supplied tty I lie State rout plant to private firms, will he rendered idle. NEW BILLETS. SYDNEY. .May 15. The State Government recently passed the Industrial Arbitration olid Workmen's Compensations Acts which provided a number of new wall paid 1 billets w‘>‘erelo an animuuiomeui is 1 cing made that the chairman will receive £IOOO and members of the committee £750 sterling per annum. INFLUENZA. SYDNEY, AI ay 15. Though ordinary influenza in a mild form is fairly prevalent in Sydney, no cases of pneumonic are be- • ing reported. In Alclbourue it is leported during the past week there have been thirty-four deaths, three in Melbourne hospitals from pneumonic influenza. Ordinary influenza is prevalent and there ere many absentees from public offices and business staffs generally. However, the epidemic is in a mild form.

.JAIWXKSK approval. (Kofcived this day at 9.0 si.in.) TOKJ.O. -May 14. 1 All the papers express admiration at 1 the moderation and good sense shown by hath strikers and Government in the settling of the British strike. The “ Koktimiu ” adds it fears the agreement concluded without touching the root of the whole trouble is little short of a truce in which event the present victory of British common sense only heralds a graver ordeal in the future. MAORI EIG FILES. WELLINGTON, May lb. Preliminary figures of the Maori census show an increase in the native population of over two thousand. The present figures include half casts and those for 1921 excluded lmlf-castes living as Europeans. The total native population is now 1 ~ .898 "hereof 503 are in the South Island. The figures for 1921 were respectively, 15,632 and 182. The inclusion of half castes would have raised the 1921 total about .eight per cent. .81. : BSTA NT rA L REQ l * ESTS. BLENHEIM, May Id. The estate of Hie late William Pollard o! Delta Station lias been sworn at £(>0.001) net. The principal public bequests were £I.OOO to the Church of Nativity. Blenheim ; CSOO to Angiean Church of Remviektown ; £SOO for the Salvation Army for use in Marlborough; £SOO to the National War Funds Council for the benefit or relief of blinded soldiers; £40!) in fulfilment of a promist* ol £OOO to the -Marlborough Patriotic Association; £‘2B3 in fulfilment of a promise of £SOO to the Marlborough Acclimatisation Society; £SOO to the new Nelson Cathedral ; £7,000 to the Blenheim Borough in eornple- ' tion ol testator's undertaking to pur- * okas.* Waterloo Park for the borough; ' together with an option to the Bleu- ' heim Club to purchase Blenheim ;io- 1 perlias adjoining the Club at uomi- 1

nal figures. 1 here are many Jvmdsome private berpiests to old friends in various parts of New Zealand, together with substantial legacies to a stopsister residing in New South Wales and nieces and nephews in England who are also the residuary legatees. Interesting bequests are a motor tar each, and two good nuggets each to the Blenheim branch of the Plunket Society and the Picton branch of the Navy League with the suggestion, but not the direction that they lire to be disposed of by art union.