DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 June 1926, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

[BY TELEGRAPII- -rEB PRESS ASSOCIATION.] IEXHIBITION BUILDINGS SOLD DUNEDIN, June 1. 'lire tender of Trooper and Scott, of €8,750, has been accepted for the seven large Exhibition buildings. CAR FALLS INTO CRATER. AUCKLAND, June 1. A motor-car owned by S. Elder was left near the top of Mount Eden. While he was giving friends a view of the surrounding country it ran backwards and fell to near tire bottom, of tiro crater. The wheels were completely stripped of the tyres, the bodywork twisted and the hood torn off. Though the party were only a few yards away, they were unaware of tire mishap until they discovered the car had disappeared. CHARGE OF THEFT. OAMARU, June 1. A middle-aged maii was arrested at Oamarir last night and appeared at the court this morning charged with the theft of £IOO from an Auckland firm His name was suppressed. He was remantled and ordered to appear at A lickland oil Saturday. CENTRE ROLES DANGER. AUCKLAND, .May 29. “Tramway poles have no right to bo in the centre of the road at all. Lives have been thrown away because of them. In my opinion they should be removed.” This statement was made by -Mr I'X K. Hunt. S.M., sitting as Coroner at the inquest on the death of a tram conductor who fell from the hack platform of his car on May 10th and, striking tho centre pole, received fatal injuries. The Coroner added that a red hand should he put around every pole that had killed a man, and then people would realise that the poles should be removed. -Mr Mackay. representing the Tramway Department, said that it had a legal right to erect centre poles,- and I there was a regulation which forbade conductors to change the distillation signs while the car was in motion. < A verdict of accidental death was j returned. STANDARD OF WAGED. GOVERNMENT CRITICISED. WELLINGTON. May 29. I Mr R. Butler, organiser of the Uu- I employed Union, commenting on Mr i Coates’s reply to unemployed at Auek- : land, says that Ministers have put forward a few ambiguous promises of relief, but have not yet offered anything for the unemployed to take or refuse. “ Surely.” he said, “Mr Coates is . .suffering from a severe attack of nerves when he suggests that because the men ask for employment at trade union rates of pay they are dictating to the Government. Mr Coates’s statement is eyewash, and but a cloak to hide the unpreparedness of the Gov- r

rnment. which is more to ho confirmed in view of his exhorting cveryno a few months ago Lo he prepared >r had times ahead.”

MY AY. Bromley, secretary of the

Wellington Trades and Labour Council, said to-day: “If Mr Coates means that it is the Government's policy to continue bringing out immigrants in large numbers without proper provison havng been made lor placing them in eiupioyeut. and then using the unfortunate unemployed (both the arriving immigrant and those out of a job at tlie present time) for reducing the standard of wages (and it would appear from bis statements that that is the Government’s intention), I feel quite sure that such a policy will be resisted by the Whole of the Labour movement of New Zealand.”

POTATO SLUMP. DUNEDIN, May 29. Regarding the potato slump in the north, ix local dealer said to-day: ‘ It will be a matter of only a few days before the Dunedin market billows with a slump.” Ho said that no advice of the slump had been received through commercial channels. No great stock of potatoes were being held in Dunedin, but with the decline on the northern markets growers would rush their potatoes to Dunedin. Potatoes arc selling now at from £7 5s to £7 16s per ton locally. The dealer expected that the slump would weaken tho Australian market, and if shipments across the Tasman were reduced the slump would he even more appreciable in New Zealand. NO BUS 1.1 CENSES. TIM ARC. June 1. Timaru Borough Council, at a special meeting unanimously decided to refuse nil applications for licenses under the new bus regulations, on the ground tlint the Borough was already sufficiently served by the municipal bus service. LIGHTER STRIKES BRIDGE. GISBORNE, June 1. A lighter returning from tho steamer Kamo fully laden with cargo struck the rf.iihvay bridge and was found to he leaking. The cargo was hurriedly discharged during the night. A quantity of bran, Hour, biscuits, starch and other goods wero saturated and are regarded Bs a complete loss. 'I he total damage is not yet ascertained.