NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 212, 21 May 1915, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

THE. HOSPITAL SHIP. GENEROUS GIFTS.’ ■i i iPresa Association. —Copyright. DUNEDIN, May 19. The Directors of the Union Steamship Company decided at a meeting to-day to vote £IOOO in response to th e appeal of the Governor for the equipment of a hospital ship which is to be provided by the Dominion and for the supply of comforts for sick and wounded soldiers. Messrs Speight and Co. have donated £SOO in response to th e Governor’s appeal for funds for the hospital ship and comforts for wounded soldiers. THE MAHENO TO BE USED. AUCKLAND, May 19. The Union Company’s “Maheno” is to be used as the New Zealand hospital ship. ANOTHER HOSPITAL FOR THE FRONT. WELLINGTON, May 19 The No. 2 stationary hospital which New Zealand recently contracted to send to the front is now being orgaised at Trentham, and judging by the qualifications of the officers selected it should, like the Staff of No 1 stationary hospital, prove a credit to the Domion. The hospital, though officially designated a- stationary one, is virtually a mobile unit, taking the place of the old so-called field hospitals, used in pro vous campaigns, and will be kept close' up to the front, or, in other words but one remove from the firing line. Tire hospital wil consist of two hundred beds with no nurses. The personnel comprises eight officers (one lieuten-ant-colonel, two majors, four captains or subalterns, and one quartermaster, one warrant officer, eight sergeants, one bugler, and 76 rank and file. The officers who have received their definite appointments were anuouced this afternoon as follows: — o;cer Commanding, Lieutenant. Col. W. Parkes, M.D., F.E.C.S., Edin.; Majors—Major T. Copeland Savage, F.R.C.S., Eng.; Major McGuire, M.D., Captains—Captain F. T. Bowerbank, M. 8., Ch.B.; Captain Scott, Captain Fergus, F.R.C.5.,. Edin.; Captain Wallis, M. 8., C.M.; Quartermaster, Lieut. Geo. Purdy. WELLINGTON’S FINE GIFT. An important announcement was made by the Mayor (Mr. . P. Luke) today, He stated that he had been in communication with members of the City Council and it had been decided to offer the Government, on behalf of the citizens of Wellington, a complete hospital for the accommodation of wounded soldiers returning to Wellington from the front. The offer had been communicated to the Hon. James Allen • Minister for Defence) who had expressed pleasure in finding in this city such a generous spirit. The offer, which was thoroughly appreciated by himself, would be considered at an early date.

ARBITRATION COURT. WELLINGTON, May 18. Awards in the cas.es of the taxi-dri-vers, electrical workers, and building trades labourers, recently heard by the Arbitration Court in Wellington, have been filed with the Clerk of Awards (Mr G. S. Clark). In the taxi drivers’ award, which is ‘the first of its kind the court has ad(th|e recommendation of fche Conciliation Council and has added the court’s preference clause. The award' is to operate within a radius of five miles from the chief post office, Wellington, and the term is from May 24, 1915, to July 4. 1917. The electrical workers’ award is based on th e previous award, but in regad to journeymen the minimum wage is increased to Is 6d per hour. The court’s preference clause is included. , An important memorandum is, attached to the building trades labour-

ers’ award. The court had only to consider the questions of wages and preference, and in regard to th,e first it has granted an increase of a penny per hour in the minimum rate for workers coming under the scope oof the award. In its memorandum tjhe Court states “that it must not be regarded as establishing a standard wage for similar workers in other parts of the Dominion as the increase is granted owing to the exceeptionally high rates which workers in the district have to pay for suitable dwelling houses. „The following statement as to preference was contained in the memorandum. “It was proved before the court that the members of this' union in November 1913, during the currency of an award which granted them preference, went out on strike; in doinng so they violated the fundamental purpose of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act which is the prevention of strikes. They have therefore forfeited any legitimate claim to preference,and the usual preference has therefore been omitted from the award.”