MISCELLANEOUS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 January 1928, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS

(.Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.] A SERIOUS FIRE. WELLINGTON, Jan. 7. A serious fire broke out in’ a softgoods warehouse and laetory on the first and second Hour of premises, owned by the Cooper Building Company Ltd., at the corner of Cuba and \ ivian Streets last night, and completely gutted both floors, doing damage estimated at £II,OOO. When the brigade arrived tbe flames were issuing through tlie windows of the second floor and had obtained a good hold ol the third floor, which was occupied bv F. Khouri and Company, who valued their stock at between twelve and thirteen thousand pounds. The insurances on Khouri’s stock and plant are unavailable. The Cooper Building Coy. lmd a cover of £5,000 on the building.

REPORT FROM RUSSIA. LONDON, Jan. 0. An unconfirmed report is published iu Paris that Trotsky, ZinovielF, and other members of the Opposition are now humble workers in a Moscow leather factory. THE PROPOSED FLIGHT. SYDNEY, Jan. 7. The New Zealand aviators in the event of having to come down at sea, carry with them a rubber raft widen can lie inflated from a bottle of compressed air in a tew minutes. Wireless messages in morse will lie transmitted during the flight at frequent intervals, on a wave length of ,‘tH.l and metres. Many other aviators have inspected the machine since its arrival at Richmond aerodrome and expressed much admiration.

A BIG EIRE. BRISBANE, Jan. 7. Damage estimated at £120,000 resulted from a fire which broke out in a big four-storey building in Alary Street, City, occupied by Webster and Company, general merchants. The building was practically gutted and was still burning this morning, OWNERS’ STATEMENT. A! EI.BOURNE, Jail. f>. The Commonwealth Steamship Owners’ Federation hi a statement regarding the seamen’s dispute, says tne difficulty which has been created in connection with the slopwork meeting is only part of the whole system of militant tactics, which are being employed by certain officials of the .Seamen’s I'liicn mid other maritime unions, with reckless disregard for the consequences. The question is lint one of seamen being absent without leave lor a few hours, hut is one of certain offiria’.i of tbe union pursuing their destructive ta< ties and ordering the rank and If? to defy the masters of steamers and owners, to. break an agreement and articles they signed without any regard to the disastiotts consequences to the men themselves, the public, and industry. It is quite obvious that each action is subversive of all discipline, and that no industry can he maintained while such conduct is tolerated. Shipowners are making and have made strong efforts to put a stop to this job control. They feel they can '•'V.ihdently lock to the public and the press to support them -tronglv in tire stand they are making not only in interests of industry but of the comm unite which it serves. It is to ho regretted that on ouch occasion their action had been unsuccessful owing to outside iul ufereiue from sources to which they might reasonably have looked for the strongest support in an effort to uphold law and order.

KOKIR! SAWM!LI. BURNT. GBEY.MOUTH, Jan. 7. A fire during tlio night completely destroyed the Kokin sawmill, unworking since August. The origin is a mystery. The insurances are unavailable. The mill was to he offered at auction next week. MAX SUICIDES. GREY MOUTH, Jan. 7. A man named Joseph C'oumbe. aged about 50 years, farmer at Paroa. was found dead in the yard, with his throat cut, by his wife. AX ACCIDENT. GREY.MOUTH. Jan. 7. The two young children ot \ . Lee, prominent Greymouth jockey, were knocked down by a motor lorry yesterday at the Heel'ton racecourse. The fiov was cut on the face and the girl was removed to the hospital, where her condition this morning was reported to he very low.