NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, 8 March 1919, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

A DROWN IN & JATALITY. RETURNED SOLDIER’S COLLAPSE WELINGTON, thih clay A fatality occurred at Lyall’s Bay yesterday when a returned soldier named Thomas Alexander Munro single, aged 36, apparently died of heart failure when swimming in the surf. His mother, who was sitting on the beach, noticed the body floating face downwards, and immediately raised an alarm. Help was presently forthcoming, but life was extinct. The deceased arrived back from England last month and had been in indifferent health

BUG BLAZE IN AUCKLAND. BYCROFT’S COMPLETELY WIPED OUT AUCKLAND this day. A fire occurred at 1 o’clock this morning in the premises of Bycroft, Limited, flourmillers, Shortland St., in the rear portion of the building which escaped the conflagration of February 6th, and which caused dammage estimated at £15,000. The fire this morning completely gutted the biscuit factory, and completed the ruin of the entire block from Shortland Street to Chancery Lane. Machinery and stock were totally destroyed.

SEPARATION ALLOWANCES.

.STATEMENT BY SIR JAMES ALLEN.

DUNEDIN, March, 7

Referring to the soldiers’ allowances and gratuities, the Minister of Defence stated that the amount of separation allowance to married men who left before the Military cSrvice Act. came into operation has been increased to £495,000, allowing the Minister to make a separation allowance to a soldier’s wife of 3s per day. The machinery necessary to put that into operation will be prepared as soon as possible. The Minister is not in a position to make a definite statement regarding the distribution of the £1,255,000 for gratuities. Difficulties had arisen regarding details and he wanted the position cleaTly defined before making a statement. The proposal of certain pay for a certain period of service might have to be re-considered.

STOP WORK MEETING

TROUBLE AT BLACKBALL

GREYMOUTH, this day

A stop work meeting was held at the mine, Blackball and Paparoa, to consider a dispute at Blackball. It is reported that similar meetings were held at all the mines in the Dominion

FIRE AT OHAKUNE. OHAKUNE, Friday. A fire occurred at .11,30 last night in' Mrs Rafvditt'e k oakehousp, 'Aratea street, when the building, plant, and stock wore completely destroyed. Thro was a considerable stock of. flour, sugar, and other bja keifs ’ requisites in the building at the time. The oven is not materially damaged, damaged, and 'wo bakers,’ carts, which were/ in danger of being burnt, were saved. The building, plant and stock wore insured in the Guardian Office for £l5O.

NEW PLYMOUTH TRAMWAYS

DISPUTE AMICABLY SETTLED

NEW PLYMOTH this day

The tramways dispute was settled at a conference between the Council and the union lasting from 10 p.m. on Friday till 3.30 this morning. The minimum wage of Is 4d per hour was agreed to the war bonus to be discontinued; overtime to he based on rates in the original agreement.

SOLDIERS’ EDUCATIONAL

CLASSES. NOT a great success. AUCKLANDD, March 7. According to the officers who returned by the Port Melbourne, no great success was attained with the educational classes conducted On board.

Lieut. ‘A. O. Pondei', Rhodes scholar, of Christchurch, was director. He states that results were very disappointing, mainly owing to lack of text books and equipment and the difficulty of providing class rooms. Instructors were compelled to take classes of sometimes 200 and even 300 men. As there were on the vessel not more than two text books on. ary one subject. It was impossible to hnuch progress. After the first week the classes were made optional and. Improvement was noted, but the classes were very popular, especially the commercial