NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 186, 1 May 1908, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

(nr TEi.ECßArn—muss association.) — ,- DIRTY BANK NOTES., ' A MENACE TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH. Auckland, April 30. The filthy state -, 'of tho : bank notes in general' circulation was- the text of communication ' from the Taranaki Chamber, of Com•merce which tvas read at tho meeting of tho Council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce this afternoon. Tho letter stated that the Taranaki Chamber had! passed a resolution to tho'effect that representations "be made to tho municipal -and kindred bodies throughout tho Dominion asking them to approach tho ' Government . through their members with a view of compelling the banks to issue clean notes to the public in lieu of those at present in circulation, the bulk ofwhich is a menace to the'public, health. - Mr.N. Alfred . Nathan said- that it was stated that the circulation of these dirty notes caused. , a great', deal vof sickness . amongst the poorer-classes'." • Tho chairman, Mr. J. B. Ma'cFarlane, jocularly suggested amidst laughter that Mr. Nathan-; must be referring to 'tlie monied. .... classes.' . . . . ' "' ' .', ' Mr. Nathan: The monied. classes wont, take tho notes. Many .of the notes now in circulation were, lie said, 5n a disgraceful ! state, and the attention of the Health Do- " partmcnt should be drawn to-the matter. •Mr. Graves Aiekin said that ■ diseases, particularly skin diseases, might very easily bo spread by . means of these notes. •; . It-was stated that tho Health Department already had.the subject in hand. '- It was decided to give the Department a reminder on'tho matter, and'-'also to notify tho Taranaki Chamber of Commerce of a will- ' ingness to co-oi>erate towards attaining the desired -end. t —-— ■ CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. . SPEECH BY LORD PLTJNKET ■ ? Auckland, April 30. Speaking at the annual meeting of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Lord Plunket, as President of" tho Society, said as far as cruelty to animals was concerned they were proceeding . determinedly, against the offenders. In Auckland, ■ and ini other cities', too, he .had .observed". ; ckses of cruelty: to- animals—horses-. often overloaded going up steep hills and occasionally kicked arid belaboured. Although it: would hardly be the place of the Governor to interfero in such'cases,' lie. had sometimes, been tempted to do' so. - The efforts of thf Society were now, however, doing much tr bring the offenders to justice:'" ": - . .- TrIE TAVIUNI. Weatpart, April 30. . ..The - discharging- of.: cargo from the ••' ,stranded steamer. Taviuni has been pro- • 'coeded with to-day during the favourable; stage of the tide.- The:vessel is at:,preseir embedded in. Sand, suggesting that it, wil be a difficult matter to shift her. ■In fact,,/ some ,Ideal shipping people incline to thi... opirtioti that -the present operations, will no:; be.attended with success. EMPIRE DAY RIFLE COMPETITION. :; ■■•■,'■- —■ . Dunedln, April 30. At a meeting of the Otago Rifle Association held to-nightit was decided to enter . an Association team for - the overseas "Daily Mail'' Intercolonial Empire Day Rifle Competition.' 1 It' was resolved that competitors' •be confined to present members of' the 1 Otago Riflo Association. A committee \was appointed to, arrange details. . \ -. ' HOTJRS°i OF■; RAILWAY / WORKERS. V ' " • 1 -' Auckland, April 30. '' • Mr.-.:'Spratt: drew 'tho-Zat-tentiori''-■ of :tho'; Auckland ' Trades ir aii(V ; Labour-Council * last.' " evening to tho. complaint of. a fireman "on' the Auckland scction of tho railways, who stated that his working hours in fivo days had totalled '56 hours'lo minutes; -' Mr. 'Spratt • contended'' 'that'-" it -was ;not safe "so 1 to. overwork firemen and drivers, and said that such a practice as described, was a customary'one. It' was ' decided to, draw the attention of -the. Minister, for Railways to the long ! hours worked/ in' the • -running' - sheds; more especially- /on "the 1 Auckland section. • 1 ■ _' - - ' ' BUTCHERS' AWARD INTERPRETATION. (BY- -TELEGRAPH. —PRES3 ASSOCIATION.) ' ■ 1 ' Auckland, April 30. In a caso concerning five .butchers who carried on business in the suburbs,' and employed their own hands to.-kill sheep, the Arbitration- Court, Held' , that any.' man who . ■was-killing was. a slaughterman," but thought. there 'was,- nothing to prevent butchers employing a general hand to do their killing, . so long as: they paid, in' addition-to;, the . minimum wage, ; the piece rate provided. Tho case was treated as - one brought ' for interpretation. . ',- , HALF-HOLIDAY POLL. , ' ' Eltham, April 30. A poll-taken on .the' proposal toi alter th« factory'half-holiday v from Saturday, to. ThuM. day was carried'., by. 324 ,to 137.: