MARAMA IN PORT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 12, 15 January 1934, Page 8

MARAMA IN PORT.

AUSTRALIAN SENATOR. FORMER N.Z. JOURNALIST. Rough weather was met by the Union Company's passenger steamer Marama after leaving Sydney heads last Thursday, but the weather settled down the next day and from then on until the vessel arrived at Auckland this morning the crossing was good. Mr. C. T. Trotman, an Auckland tea merchant, returned from a visit to Ceylon. "Sydney stockbrokers are very busy," said Mr. W. B. Colbeck, an Auckland stockbroker who returned after three weeks in Sydney. "There is plenty of money for investment," he said, "and it is pouring freely ffiito all kinds of speculation. Tin and gold mining shares are a popular gambit." h feature of Sydney newspapers that struck Mr. Colbeck as strange was the dearth of New Zealand news. He said that he was glad to be back to read something about his own- country. Queensland Senator. A former chief of staff of the "Poverty Bay Herald," Gisborne, Mr. J. V. MacDonald, now a member of the Federal Senate, arrived for a holiday in New -Zealand. Mr. Mac Donald was born in Opotiki, 54 years ago, and went to Australia as a boy. He held various journalistic posts, and later returned to New Zealand to join the staff of the Gisborne paper. He was first editor of the Brisbane Labour newspaper, the "Daily Standard." In 1922 he gave up regular journalistic work to become senator for Queensland in the Federal Parliament. "Labour conditions in my State are good, and' with the relief work system in force men can at least get a bare living," said Mr. Mac Donald. "They are paid full award rates for the time worked. Unfortunately they cannot be given a full week's work." Mr. MacDonald will stay with relatives while in the Auckland province. He expects to return to Australia in about three weeks.