DOMINION NEWS.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXIX, Issue 84, 6 June 1913, Page 6

DOMINION NEWS.

. THE REFORM PARTY. WHAT IT HAS DONE. AUCKLAND, June 4. A' summary of the doings of the party was given at a meeting of the Reform League to-day by Hon. W. F. Massey (Prime Minister). When the Government came into office, said the Prime Minister, it found the finances of the country in such a condition that it was imperative that Hon. J. Allen should be despatched to the Mother Country to initiate new loans. If the Minister had not been successful in his mission it would have been necessary to close the Dominion's various works, and threequarters of the men employed would have been thrown out of work. However, he was glad to say that the conditions had now materially improved. Ihev had been able to spend £50,000 on workmen's homes, in addition to advances made to workers. In his capacity as Minister for Lands he had in the last 12 months been able to settle 250,000 acres in various parts of the Dominion. In the last few weeks he had completed arrangements for the purchase of a further 120,000 acres, and every settler on that area would have the right to make the land his own. When the Government came into office it also had a big strike at Waihi to contend with. He was pleased to be a bio to say that at the present time there was industrial peace from one end of New Zealand to the other. Mr Massey referred to the recent threatened strike of .marine engineers. The seriousness of the situation at that time, he said, could hardly be appreciated by those un acquainted with the circumstances. Om of the Union Company's steamers wa; actually tied up at Sydney awaiting word as to the result of the conference between the parties, at which he wa: present as arbitrator, in that dispute had not bee a promptly settled the strike would have been the biggest that hat taken place in Australasia. As a result of six hours' conference, however, ah signs of a possible strike vanished. The Prime Minister also made refer ence to the legislation of last session, dealing with the defence of pdor prison ers, under' which a system would obtaii whereby a man not able to employ counsel could receive State assistance. An other .point made by Mr Massey was tb; system initiated for the insurance oi public buildings. He said that £IO.OCX was set aside fc- that purpose last year The credit of the country had been firm ly re-established among the Londoi i financiers, and for that the change o Government was partly responsible. Fo the year ended March 31 the arrival: exceeded the departures by 12,000, air there was also a record in exports froi; the Dominion. The position general]; throughout New Zealand was a moisatisfactory one, and there was ever; reason to hope that it woidd continue

THE PUBLIC SERVICE. OFFICERS AND RETIREMENT. WELLINGTON, June 4. A number of officers of the Pub]i Service will shortly be retired, eithe owing to length of service or under th f age limit of 65 years. Intimation to this effect has been convoyed to th: heads of Departments in which sue) officers are engaged, but the names wi not be available for publication unt : those who are to be retired have bee duly notified. It is understood that tli provision of the Act 'will be stricth complied with by the Public Servic Commissioners. The officer s_ affeeto. are to be given six months' notice —1 h • is, they will cease duty on Sept.:uix 30, after which they will have thrt months' leave of absence on full pa> as provided by the Act. Those who ar retiring include a number of officei:, high up in the service, and in such cas; the pensions they will receive will b substantial. In other instances, however, where the pay is small and tl. men joined the service at an advance i age, an effort will, it is understood, be made to get Parliamentary authority for contribution to be made from the consolidated revenue towards such pensions. In fact, it is suggested thru there will be a pension minimum. The retirement of officers occupying prominent .positions will, of course, mean promotion all round in some Departments. Among those who have already been notified of their retirement are Air Ainelius Smith (Seen tary of the Superannuation Board) an,l Mr D. R, Punly (second clerk of th • income branch of the Tax Department.

THE NEW LYNN COLLISION. PUBLIC INQUIRY WANT ft I). AUCKLAND, June 4. A deputation from the New Lynn and Henderson districts waited upon Hi.n. W 7 . H. Hemes (Minister for Railways) this afternoon wi:li a request that a public inquiry should be held into the circum.'tances of the recent accident at New Lynn. They espec ally asked for a magisterial inquiry, and Mr Handrev presented a petition signed by over <(j neople, comprising the whole of the pnssengerson the :rain which met with the accident. The Minister said there would have to be a Departmental inquiry first. One of the victims of the accident was unfortunately very ill, and it might be necessary for an inquest to be held, and that would be a public inquiry. If he got well—and the Minister hoped lie wou'd —then it would be time for considering the question of a public inquiry. No good would be served by duplicated inquiries. He knew of no objection to a public inquiry, but could not at Present give a definite promise. THE STRANDED LINER. WELLINGTON.. June i. The Manuka, which arrived from Sydney this morning, brought gear to be used in refloating the Indrabara. It includes a long length of wire hawser, which is now being spliced on the mushroom anchor weighing over six tons made in Wellington. The Terawhit; will leave for the Inrlrabarah with the gear late to-night or early to-morrow morning. OLD MAN'S LONELY DEATH. WHANGAREI, June 4. Five months ago a, man named Robert Apps. then an inmate of the Wihangarei Old Men' Home, wandered away from the institution. It was generally supposed that he had attempted to cross to the Dargaville district. The mystery of his fate was solved yester«av by Kime boys, who found the body on Mr. Wellington's property hidden in high t'-tree, and hanging by one of the legs to a, wire fence.