DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 June 1927, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION ]

GOVERNMENT AND BOARD. EEILDING, June 1. At a luncheon here to-day, Hon. R. A. AVriglit (Minister of Education), in his address, referred to the Dairy Control Board as a subject on which, ho said, the Government had been unjustly blamed. Ho said lie was glad to notice that, Mr Goodfellow had publicly exonerated the Government from any blame for any mistakes made. Mr ,1. G. Elliott. ALP:, speaking at the luncheon, upheld the Dairy Control Board, which lie described as “the last sheet anchor of the dairy industry.” All the uproar was, he said, caused by the vested interests, who desired to continue to get their “rake-off” as against co-operation. Air Elliott urged the dairy farmers to stick to their Board.

CAR TRAFFIC BLOCKED

KAIKOURA, May 31. A heavy slip has occurred at the Oliau Bluff, about fourteen miles north of Kaikoura. and ear traffic is blocked. The county engineer has set out for the locality and men will he put on immediately to clear the road. The report states that about- 100 tons of rock have fallen and that there is danger of a much heavier slide of rock.

AloLorist’s should make inquiries before leaving for the north.

HOWSt’-R HANDS. AY ELLINGTON, June 1. The workers employed by the proprietors of petrol pumps are now provided with protection by the Arbitration Court, which lias amended the Dominion Motor Aleehanies’ Award in order to control the conditions of employment for these workers. A new clause, affecting the proprietors selling oil and petrol only as a side line to their other business, provides that an employee not engaged substantially as a petrol and oil attendant is to work solely under the provisions of the award governing the conditions of labour in his principal business. This clause necessitates the payment of overtime rates to the, workers employed outside the prescribed hours. An employer using workers substantially in the sale of petrol and oil will he hound by Clause 7 of the award.

APPLICATIONS APPROVED. AUCKLAND, June 1. The applications of L. Brown and B. Davidson, of the City Club, for transfers to the AY igan Club, England, formed the subject of the following decision by the -Management Committee of the Auckland Rugby League tonight: “ That, subject to the conditions ol the contract between the New Zealand and England Leagues being complied with, the transfers he approved."

DRY -MONTH

CHRISTCHURCH, June 2

May was the driest month recorded here since the observatory began in the rainfall being eighty per cent below the average for May

MAORIS BARBED. AUCKLAND, .June 1. The N.Z.B.U. is not allowing any Maori player to he chosen for the team to tour South Alriea, owing to the antipathy towards coloured people at the Cape, as instanced when the Springboks in 1021 disliked playing the Maori team, who nearly heat them, and gave them a good (lusting in Hawke’s Bay.

GREASE GUN FOR. MACHINERY. OFFER, OF £IO.OOO REFUSED. I I A'AIII.TOX, May 30. A local service driver. Mr H. E. Af. Drummand, has invented a grease-gun which engineers who have seen it assert will revolutionise the oiling ot machinery. The inventor, who is only 23 vears of age. has already I icon offered ,£IO,OOO by a New Zealand firm for the patent, which, on advice, lie has refused, lie leaves shortly for America. where lie intends to exploit the invention. Its chief characteristic is a metal cartridge containing grease, which is inserted in a gun, ensuring cleanliness and effectiveness of the oiling. Patent rights have been secured in U.S.A.. Britain. Canada, Australia. New Zealand and Germany, while rights have been applied for in Italy, France, and other countries.

FATALITIES. AYELLIXGTON. June 1. At the inquest into the death of Ullen Scott (24). single, nurse at the Public Hospital, the verdict was that deceased died from the effects of an overdose of morphia self-inflicted, there being no evidence to show the injection was made with the intention of causing death.

INDECENT ACT. BLENHEIM. June 1. A voting man. Percy John Paterson, 23. pleaded guilty, at the Alagistrate's Court, to having committed an indecent act with intent to insult or offend three little girls at Kckorangu. The accused left Christchurch a month ago, and was stated to he a bootmaker by trade. Lately he had been working as a labourer. He admitted the offence, hut said it was unintentional. He was committed to the Supreme Couii- lor sentence. Bail was not asked for.

AVARNINO TO NAVIGATORS. AVELT.IXOTON. June 1. Th e Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department lias received the following message from the Auckland radio station: “The following navigation warning was broadcasted from the Melbourne radio at 10.33 p.m. Ist June: The master of the Cliitral reports that the Liptrnp light is flashing approximately every ten seconds in single flashes, not in groups.

SUDDEN DEATH. GISBORNE, June 1

This afternoon, James Percy Gordon, a middle-aged man, married, with one child, employed as a contractor at Kaiteratahi, dropped dead on the road near his resilience. The deceased, who was formerly a well-known stablekeeper in Poverty Bay, had been attended by a medical man, who will give a certificate. WELLINGTON COAIPLAINT. WELLINGTON, Alay 31. A special concession in freight rales that has been granted b.v the Railway Department, for the carriage of coal from a station on the AYest Coast of the South Island to Dunedin, which concession was characterised by the Transport and Highways Committee o flic AA'ellington Chamber of Commerce as unfair, was considered at a meeting of the Chamber to-day. The Committee recommended that a protest should he sent to the Alinister of Railways, and also to the Chairman of the Railway Board of Management, pointing out that preferential treatment was thus given to one individual coal mine owner.

The special concession, it was stated had been made available from one' station, adjacent to a coal mine, and had not been made generally applicable to the whole coal-hearing area. Owners in the same district were not able to take advantage of it, and were prevented from putting themselves in a similar position in tendering for orders. The principle involved was most objectionable, and protest should he made against extension of it.

Afr D. Rodie pointed out that the Government’s action had been prompted by a desire to meet the competition by sea. The matter had only to he raised by the aggrieved owners and it would be considered.

The report was adopted, and it was dec ideil to acquaint the Government with the views of the Chamber, am! to inform the Coal Aline Owners’ Association of the Chamber’s action.

NAVAL CONFERENCE. AVELLTNGTOX, June •2. Rear-Admiral Beale, who was formerly Commodore of the New Zealand navy will also represent New Zealand at a conference on naval disarmament, as Lord Jellicoe may not be able to attend throughout the whole period.

MOTOR, THIEF CHASED. AVELLIXGTON, June 2. An exciting chase of an alleged motor-car thief took place last night and terminated in the arrest of the pursued man. It appears a two-seater roadster hail been stolen from Kilbirnie and a friend of the owner saw the stolen car in Courtenay Place about 10.20 p.m. He followed the car in another and when half way up Adelaide Road the fugitive endeavouring to escape collided with the pursuing car. A crowd joined in tho chase and caught the man who was handed over to the police. Both ears were slightly damaged.