THE DOMINION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 58, 8 March 1913, Page 11

THE DOMINION.

The most startling event of ,the week within the Dominion was a threatened strike of the engineers employed on the vessels of the-Union S.S. Co., in consequence of the refusal of the company to concede wages and conditions of labour equal to those ruling under the Australian award. The engineers of several steamers gave 24 hours' notice, and others actually left their employment, but as the result of a conference between the parties, with the help of the Prime Minister and the Conciliation Commissioner, a settlement was reached, the conditions insisted upon by the engineers being conceded practically in their entirety. The Prime Minister, in a statement regarding the Hon. Jas. Allen's work in London, said that Mr. Allen still had a big financial transaction to attend to before leaving England. He had to arrange for renewal in due course of-short-dated debentures totalling fourteen millions sterling, not aU due this year, of course, though next year the sum will be very large. The four and a-half million loan of last year had a currency of two years, and Mr. Allen would endeavour to arrange for it to be taken up for a longer 'term.. Defence and educational matters had also to be given attention. Giving evidence before the Empire Trade Commission, Mr. Eman Smith (Under Secretary to the Immigration Department) said that from 1904 to 1912 24,585 assisted immigrants arrived in New Zealand, bringing capital to the total of £09,000. This cost the Government to assist them £91,000, or £3 15/ per bead. Had the Government paid the whole cost of passages, it would have had to pay f 196,000. Out of the 24,585 immigrants, over 3,000 were domestic servants and 4,662 farm labourers. The demand for labour was. 861 men required in various industries, 1,864 women and girls, and 216 boys; in all 2,941. Out of these, Wellington and Canterbury alone required 1,673. The Farmers' Union requirements were 3,000 farm labourers, 2,000 domestic servants, and 200 boys. In all it had been ascertained that over 6,000 workers were required. It had originally been intended that the infantry brigade camp, from 4th to 12th April, should be held this year on Major Allen's property at Morrinsville, but the inadequate supply of water available there has proved to be an insuperable obstacle, and arrangements have been made to hold the camp on Mr. Taylor's property at Cambridge. It is understood that the Cambridge A- and P. showgrounds will be placed at the disposal of the troops, and the adjoining paddocks and fields will provide a suitable locality for the elementary training, which will form a large part of the work to be undertaken by the men in camp. An adequate supply of pure water is available, and the site is a thoroughly healthy one in every respect. The question of providing workers' homes for the country was again under discussion at a meeting of the Farmers' Union provincial executive during the week. It was decided to ask the Premier to obtain a special report on the scheme from Mr. Lomas (Secretary for Labour) and Mr. Ritchie (Commissioner of Lands), who discussed the matter with the Union's Advisory Committee in Auckland on February 20. A suicide under somewhat dramatic circumstances occurred in the Waitemata Hotel on Sunday night, when a young man named Adam Richey Cuthbertson took his own life by drinking prussic acid. The reason for the act was undoubtedly worry caused by tb« fact that Cuthbertson had just been arrested on a charge of having appropriated various sums of money ****** j ing to his employers, H. B. Morton and , Co, and converting them to his own use.