DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 November 1930, Page 5

DOMINION ITEMS.

OTAHUHU EIRE.

(By Telegraph—Press Association).

AUCKLAND, Nov. 3

A fire broke out at the Railway Workshops at Otahiihu to-night, when the boiler house at the workshop mill was demolished.. The fire started at nine o’clock. The nightwatdiman gave the alarm on the workshop hell, and twenty men at once attacked the fire, and they were reinforced by the CKaiiulvn Pi re Brigade. The flames were soon under control.

It was difficult to-night to estimate the full extent of the damage. Only the framework of the boiler bouse building, about GO feet long by 30 feet wide, is left standing. Had the fire spread to the timber mill adjoining. great quantities of valuable timber would have been burned.

WAGE REDUCTION

AUCKLAND, November 4

The Onehunga Borough Council decided to reduce the salaries of all employees receiving £4 10s or more by / fifteen per cent. The honorarium of the Mayor will be similarly reduced, The decision will be reviewed in three months. It was stated that revenue was not coming ill and there might be a shortage of £2OOO.

CABINET MEETING

WELLINGTON, November 7

The majority of Ministers of the Crown will return to Wellington for a meeting of Cabinet to be held on Wednesday.

RADIO-PHONE,

N.Z. TO AUSTRALIA

WELLINGTON, Nov. 3

The charge of a three-minute wireless telephone conversation between New Zealand and Australia has been fixed at three pounds, according to a statement made to-day by the Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department. Experiments in tile direction of perfecting the system are still proceeding,- and as isoon as these are completed, the service will be established.

CRICKETER LOSES EYE.

AUCKLAND, Nov. 2

Severe facial injuries, which later necessitated the removal of an eye, were received by Ralph Burton, aged 34, of Mount Roskill, while playing for the Ellerslie senior cricket team on Saturday. Burton iyas fielding, when ho was struck by a ball between the left eye and the nose. The nose was broken and a deep cut over the eye 'infJicted. Burton was removed to hospital, here it was found necessary to remove the eye.

QUEEN CARNIVAL.

l'E AROHA, Nov, 1

A queen carnival, conducted by the Thames Valley A. and P, Association, with the object of obtaining funds with which to meet the cost of a new building and pens on the show grounds at Te Ai’oha, resulted in £118,2 being ■raised. Miss L. Clark, with over £451 in hier credit, was first, with Miss E. Dale (£348) 'second, Miss E Kennibiirgh (£198) third, and Miss L. McGill (£184; fourth. The amount raised was more than sufficient for the objects in view.

TOURIST TRAFFIC. decreased bookings. AUCKLAND, Nov. 1. During the past' three or four months overseas tourist traffic has decreased and indications are that there will he no improvement in the coming summer. The. number of bookings to England for the height of the season next February, March, and April, is considerably below that ot normal years. One of the causes is the heavy cost of exchange which amounts to 5 per cent and is a large item where a family is to he taken on tour. The rate of exchange has been as low as a half per' cent. Another factor is the tendency of people to postpone their travelling until economic and financial conditions improve.

POSTAL AIR. ISEIWCCES.

AUCKLAND, Nov. 4

Action to be taken by Cabinet this w e ek is expected to ensure the establishment ot aerial mail seivKes between Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin,

The Postmaster-General, Hon. Donald. said to-dav that Government booed before, the end of tliTStweek to call for tenders for aerial mail carriage. Government were not prepared to grant a straightout subsidy, hut was willing to allow the contracting firm to have the receipts from air stamps, less a {>ercentage to cover the cost of transporting the mails from airportn to oost offices. Mr Donald added that lie hoped to have the service in operation before Easter.