DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 October 1928, Page 6

DOMINION ITEMS.

,: shearingcindustuy. NEW''AGREEMENT SOUGHT (By. Telegraph—Press; Association) 1 . WEfI,LINTON, October 6. -There, has; been a conference in Wellington between the representatives of /the SheepoWliers’ ‘ Assodiation, and the Shearers’ Union foiv the last two days. No settlement lias' been reached but it is hoped that one will be before the-coiiferenbe -resumes. The employers are proposing that for. fivecypars t.h e wages and piece work- rates, shall be adjusted on a sliding' scales based on ■ the average wool prices over aAperiod or years, ‘ MOTOR MECHANICS. AGREEMENT WITH EMPLOYERS, CHRISTCHURCH, October 6. After sitting in Committee to-day on the dispute- between the motor mechanics and their employers the Conciliation; Council announced that an agreement had been reached on almost all of the disputed. clauses in the claims. ' The wages, hours and piecework are amongst the items agreed to.

. . Tfie journeymen’s wages' and hours are the same as have been observed during the past two years MOTOR TRAGEDIES. WELLINGTON October 6. Two. deaths from ~ injuries . received 'tin accidents'occurred in Wellington jiospital early this morning. . Samuel. f3]oan 01iver ( a resident of Hastings aged about 45, died at the hospital on his" admission there at two a,m, Oliver was : knocked down by a nibtor car in Thorndon- Quay at 1.50 a.-m., and. he received a:fracture of the skull and. of the left leg. FataT injuries- were 'received by Eric Toiilson, aged 36, a Civil Servant, who boarded at-. Petone.' He was riding a motor-eycle and side-car towards Petone about 6:30 p.m. yesterday, and failed to turn a. corner properly at Victoria . Street and Hutt. Road intersection, with the result that he. crashed into a fence. Toulson fractured. Iris right-wrist and pelvis, and also received, wounds on the forehead and. shock. He was admitted to the hospital, but. died there at 2.15 a.m. to-<lay. ’ ! , . '

- DRUNKEN DRIVER. . PALMERSTON N., Oct. 8. A fine of £lO, and.costs was imposed on Harold William Hardie, of Bunnythorpe, by Mr iStout, S.M., to-day, for driving, a- car while intoxicated. Defendant’s license was ordered to bb endorsed. "A-charge, of negligent drivihg iwas dismissed, the evidence being inconclusive. ■ BREWERY COY. FINED. - ■ , , . ./... . v - ' ‘ PALMERSTON 'NT,' Oct. 8. ' Tui Brewbry Coy, of Mangatainoka, pleaded guilty; to a charge of having an. excessive amount of salt in a sample of beer, which. was analysed, defendant’s being' unable to account for an extra. 15 grains per gallon: The Crown Solicitor said'the Coy. was warned, last, year and he suggested carelessness as ’the' reason for the : presence'of Moo much' chloride in the beer.'' Mr -Stout, S.M.', imposed a fine of'.£s arid costs. "

CAjPTURED BY CHINESE BANDITS AUCKLAND/ October 6. Iff a private cable published on Monday regarding the New Zealand missionary, Miss Blanche Tobin, who was kidnapped by-bandits in China, Mr Watkins ’is stated to have been travelling‘Avith Miss Ttibin, and released ? by the bandits, while Miss Tobin was detained. A' relative writes to state that the person referred to Was not a men, but • Miss yv ßhoda- 1 Watkins, an Australian nurse, who has been working since 1922 in the C.M.S. Hospital at Kweilin, to which place she was travelling when captured.' She and Miss Tobin were passengers by the steamer Taipnig. which left’Sydney for Chinese ports on August 18 last. _ VALUELESS CHEQUES.

' ! DUNEDIN, October 6. John Suttie M’lntosh, aged 21, on five charges of obtaining money by valueless cheques, was sentenced in the Magistrate’s Court to two years’ reformative' Retention. ;- r . J ■ hi.'INQUEST. . . Oct. 8. An opened on the man, SniJih, dead. It was adjourned t<sjr nwßica 1 testimony. Ellen Jane SroitM|wife of deceased, said her husbaiid' seemed worried, and had never spokeSb.of committing suicijjef:; He 1 ha<l. soihplai ned of.. pains In 1 the -hapk andylie seemed nervy: H 6 h^cjNstad mental- trouble, having' been at a mental'; hospital 'agp; i 4, DOCTO . A PLUNGE. - • - .CHRISTCHURCH, October 8. (in Sunday j night a seven-seater motpr-oar went over a cliff on the Lyttelton jside,|of the LytteltomSumner rowti. It to matchwood. The ca r belongs to a Lyttelton doctor, bu§ there apparently was no one in it whfen it took the- plunge. No report wa£ made to the police until the car wds.discovered.in the evening.

- LOST OVERBOARD. ‘‘NIAGARA’S I ’ PASSENGER. AUCKLAND, Oct. 8. A distressing incident marred the pleasure of those on board the Niagara on" her 1 trip from Vancouver to Auckland. The evening before the vessel reached Honolulu, Mr S. A. Mott; of Albury, New South Wales, aged ! 70', a member of the delegation of ‘ Australians of Scottish descent on their way from 1 Scotland, was lost overboard. He carried practically all his personal papers with him. It was not until late in the evening that Mi Mott was reported missing, and-after a thorough search of the ship had carried out, it was decided that he had been lost overboard. Mr Mott was a widower' his wife having died. shortly before he left * Australia. He was accompanied on the trip by his niece. STEAMER ASHORE. . WELLINGTON, Oct. 8. The Secretary of the G.P.O. has received the following: “Radio signals intercepted at 11.30 p.m. on Oct. 7th. indicate that the steamer Kinross is ashore on Cato Island Reef. She is making no water. She was endeavouring to get off at daylight, weather permitting.”