New Zealand

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 68, 25 February 1916, Page 6

New Zealand

RAILWAYMEN’S PAY. MINISTER’S REPLY TO DEMAND FOR WAR BONUS. IMPORTANT FINANCIAL QUESTION INVOLVED. Peu Press Association, Auckland, February 25. The Hon. W. Herne,s, in discussing the demands of the railway employees tor increased pay, said the Government tully recognised its duty to the employees. ’There was no desire to prevent a legitimate rise in wages if it were clearly shown that such is necessary. 'To give a war bonus of a shilling a day to the railway servants would cost £204,000. and involved a financial question of great importance. It would he unfair for him to give any promise which would alfeet the linan--fin 1 operations of the coining year without his colleagues being consulted. He presumed it was proposed to provide money for increased pay by some sort of taxation, or by a further increase in the railway rates. Other railway employees besides those making the present demands would have to he The question of an increase to Government employees outside the Railway Department had not arisen, but the Cabinet would carefully (■(‘insider the merits of the case put before it with an earnest desire to give due justice to its employees, compatible with justice to the taxpayers of the Dominion. A FARMER’S BAD LUCK. Wellington, February 24. Not all farmers are making a good tiling out of the war, and some appear to he worse off now than they were before. In a letter addressed to the Land Board to-day asking for postponement of rent, the settler said: “We received no money from our wool, owing to our stock being mortgaged to — for £33001° ’ The settler’s wool brought .Old per lb., being sold early in the year, but apparently be did not Candle the money. He had a bad season last year, and lost 1000 sheep. What were sold realised 14s per head, and when he came to buy he had to pay £1 7s for ewes and wethers, and * * |i ' £] 3s for hoggets.

The Board, which had other information besides the settler’s to go upon, decided to recommend the Minister to allow postponement of rent due, the settler to have the alternative of adding the rent due to the capital value under the provision of section 5 of the Land Laws Amendment Act of ID 15. TOTAL LOSSES, 6000 CASUALTIES TO DATE. Wellington, February 21. Following is a summary of the casualties up to February 21 :

Officers. Men. Killed ... ... 73 1143 Died of wounds ... 2G 513 Died of disease ... 9 ‘385 Cause unknown ... 4 486 Drowned ... ... 10 24 Missing ... ... 13 117 Prisoners ... ... — 23 Wounded ... 215 5260 (fraud total, 8231. BELGIAN RELIEF FUND. 'Amount acknowledged .. Cardiff Patriotic Com. .. « £ s. d. 1827 3 9 3 0 0 £1830 3 9 SERBIAN RELIEF FUND. Amount acknowledged .. T. Lyford .1; Pierce ... Cardiff Patriotic Com. £ s. d. 322 2 4 1 1 0 3 0 0 in o o, £33(5 3 4