DOMINION ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1931, Page 6

DOMINION ITEMS

McCarthy trust. ( By Telegraph—Per Press A ssociation) WELLINGTON, July 27. At the annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the T. G Macarthv Trust, held to-day, the Governor-Gen-eral, Lord Bledisloe, presided. The Advisory Committee recommended the distribution of fourteen thousand pounds, and this was adopted. The Public Trustee stated the result of the year’s operations was very satisfactory. The llet amount available for distribution was only five hundred pounds less than in the previous year. The Board of Governors also dealt with the ‘Henry Wilshaw Trust, making grants aggregating £.'so in the Wellington provincial district. STRATFORD RAILWAY. NEW PLYMOUTH, July 27. According to a telegram received from the Hon. S. G. Smith, Minister of Labour, after consultation with the Minister responsible, construction upon the Stratford-Main Trunk line is to he completed within 12 months. EXEMPTION FROM THE CUT. . AUCKLAND, July 27. The first of the 37 Auckland applications to the Arbitration Court for exemption from the general order ot the Court 1 reducing wages by 10 per cent, came before, the Court. A unique feature about the first case to he called—that of three transport workers’ unions—was that a complete agreement had already been reached between the parties and all that was sought was its ratification by the Court. A settlement has been reached on the basis of granting exemption on the first £2 a week of wages from the cut and applying it only to the part of wages in excess of that amount. Mutual congratulations , were exchanged. THE RAILWAYS. WELLINGTON, July 27. The latest returns issued by the Railways Department cover practically the. first quarter of the financial year. The operating revenue shows a decline of £294.315, of which the North Island was responsible for £161,477 and the South Island for £132.838. The operating expenditure has 'alien by £300,757, the northern reduction being £160,949 and the southern £139,505. The decrease in the'number of passengers, using the trains continues, and at June 20th, stood at 495,208 below that for the coresponding period of last year. Freight traffic shows rapid contraction especially in the quantity of timber passing over the lines. In the first quarter of 1030-31 the timber carried totalled 114.354 tons, hut this year it was only 54,441 tons, a decline of 59,913 tons. General freight fell by 2-11,007 tons. FEWER TRAVELLERS. WELLINGTON. July 26. When the ferry steamer, Wahine arrived at Wellington on Friday morning from Lyttelton, she had only about 90 pasengers on board. The Maori on Thursday had 71. This is by no means an unusually small list at the present time, although two years ago at least twice that number was carried nightly by each steamer in the Welliiigton-Lyttelton ferry run. The l umber of passengers now being car* ried is barely half of what it was two .years ago. In addition, the average passenger list of a steamer arriving in New Zealand from Sydney is now between 100 and 120, even {"hough tile service is curtailed, whereas two years ago it would have, been nearer 250. WAJMI GOLD DUTY. WA LU I, July 27. Advice that, the Waihi Borough Council’s contribution in connection with the Wailiou and Ohinemuri Rivers improvement scheme for the year ended March 31, 1931, was £3370, was received (from the Secretary of the Treasury by the Council. The Mayor said the accumulated gold duty owing from 1922 under the scheme was £20,000, and the whole matter would be reviewed at a later stage. FOUND DEAD. DUNEDIN, July 28. William Charles Lockheart, aged 17. was found dead wfth part of his head shot off in a garage in South Dunedin with a gun beside his body. SUPPLEMENTARY GAZETTE. WELLINGTON, July 28. A supplementary gazette was issued today containing the- Unemployment Relief Tax regulations.